Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino

Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, the level of customer service, outstanding professionalism, and attention to every detail was phenomenal. Splendido truly set the bar. Clarissa Pacifico, Rooms Division Manager led us to our beautiful Baronessa Suite. The suite was opulently decorated envisioned by an Italian aristocrat. The view from our balcony to the Gulf of Portofino was awe inspiring! Dinner at La Terazza was amazing. Overlooking the Gulf of Portofino, the views were breathtaking. We all shared the Sea Bass whole fish. The preparation was perfect and our dinner was exquisite. The executive team always warmly greeted us when we were visible in the hotel. The entire staff is always asking how can they improve our stay. Special thank you to: Natasha Sacchetti, Assistant Rooms Division Manager Martina Beraldo, Food and Beverage Manager Francina Viu, Assistant Front Desk Manager Antonella Guidone, Guest Experience Manager Luca Cerretti, Restaurant Manager Splendido Grill Andrea Buzzetta, Bar Manager Christian, our waiter. My wife Judy and her friend Evie were invited to visit the executive kitchen and meet the Executive Chef. Judy and Evie participated in a complimentary Pesto Cooking class. The class was directed by Federico Paolella, Assistant F&B Manager and Chef Paulo. A private luncheon at the Splendido Grill consisting of fresh pesto and pasta was enjoyed by the four of us. Amazing experience. Clarissa introduced us to Alfonso Pacifico the General Manager. Alfonso was very friendly, warm, genuine, and professional. He reaffirmed the hotel’s commitment to making our stay the best possible. Thank you, Alfonso. Our entire stay was unparalleled. We commented the entire hotel’s staff was dedicated to our happiness and enjoyment. Visually Splendido is stunning. The architecture, style, color design and atmosphere is spectacular. Perched on the mountainside, the views from the hotel are breathtaking. We cherish the memories and experiences from our stay. We look forward to our return!

This is a hard review to write because the hotel furnishings and the view are absolutely beautiful. BUT, you can enjoy that same beauty on a daytrip to Portofino or by staying at a much cheaper hotel. Most of the issues with the Belmond Portofino are fixable - the pool is saltwater which is gross, the pool attendants never had sunscreen when I was there (they always ran out), our room wasn't cleaned during the 4 hours we left the room even though we called to request it, etc. Another very irritating thing is I called for extra water bottles (they refill the minibar for free), and without asking me or asking me to sign anything, they had room service deliver the bottles and charged me 11 euros for each one. I'm still fighting them on the invoice for that which is insane. There are literally free water bottles in your minibar that they refill on demand. Stupid. The pool restaurant is not very good. Average and overpriced. The fish of the day was tasteless and they weirdly overcharged me for it and I am fighting the invoice on that as well. A big issue is the shuttle to town. It is just a black van with 6 seats, but there's no like reserving or policing of it. So the day we went to town, we needed to go back to the hotel, but there's no like line-up spot or anything and a group of 3 other people got in the van with us. They weren't even staying at the hotel, they were just going up to look around and maybe have lunch. But the shuttle driver didn't check, didn't do anything. It turned our OK since there was space, but if we hadn't been able to get in that shuttle on a 95 degree day after waiting 15 minutes in the heat, I would have been infuriated. This should be better handled. The biggest issue with the hotel was our room. We picked a Premium Room category which is supposed to have a view of Portofino. Our room was 108, but this room (and all above it I assume), are to the right of a balcony next door that just out so that you can't see Portofino. We had a full view of the parking area and street. Outrageous. And the staff did that sly thing where they put your bags in the room while you're not there and tell you there's no other rooms so you can't change it. Had I known we would have that bad view, we would have picked a cheaper room category or simply stayed elsewhere. Also, it is not acceptable that a $3700 "Premium Room" does not have a bathtub. Overall this is a property that could be great but needs a lot of work. The breakfast is fantastic and delicious, but everything else was disappointing given the very high price. Not acceptable for this price level of hotel. And frankly doesn't measure up to the Belmond brand quality I expect from other locations.

Splendido is what we called a bucket list hotel, everything is made to have you experienced an everlasting journey. Very Special indeed. Already dreaming to be back.