Belmond on the Water
Splendido, A Belmond Hotel
Belmond is synonymous with meticulously designed properties that are more than just a place to stay - their hotels and trains lean into individual histories and architectural specificities, while their barges that cruise the waterways of French wine country open up rhythms and regions that might otherwise be missed by the luxury traveler. Since its acquisition by LVMH in 2019, properties across the brand are being reimagined and renovated one by one, beginning with Portofino’s Splendido Mare in 2021; after very busy off seasons, three of the Italian outposts that are some of Europe’s most sought after summer spots are sporting or debuting facelifts for 2025 (and there’s a fabulous new villa available, to boot). If what you need to get you through the March doldrums is the promise of a citrus-scented breeze and a dip in the Med, we’ve assembled some of the most exciting updates happening this summer with Belmond along the water.
Splendido, A belmond Hotel
Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, has a storied past - originally built in the 16th century as a Benedictine monastery, the monks were repeatedly ransacked by Saracen pirates and eventually abandoned the site; after centuries of neglect, it was acquired in the 19th century by one Italian aristocrat and then another, and opened as a hotel in 1902. By the 1950s, Portofino was one of the chicest stretches of coastline in the world, and drew everyone from the Duke of Windsor to Groucho Marx.
Over the past few years, the next chapter in this colorful story has been unfolding, helped along this time by the keen design eye of Martin Brudnizki. In 2023, the property debuted a new pool, the new Splendido Grill, and the renovated Baronessa Suite; 2024 brought new rooms and a reimagined lobby. In 2025, the project concludes, and on June 7, Splendido will open as a fully renovated hotel. All 46 rooms have been redone, and there’s a restyled cocktail bar, coffee bar, lounge bar, breakfast area, retail space, champagne display, and a Dior Spa that would make former guest Elizabeth Taylor green with envy.
This has always been the epicenter of glamour in Portofino - the eternally chic grand dame that anchors a coastline that epitomizes La Dolce Vita. So whether you arrive by boat from the South of France or Monaco, via the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express from Paris, or you only have eyes for Northern Italy, all roads lead to a shiny new Splendido.
Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel
Belmond refers to Splendido Mare as their Portofino “Guest House,” with all the charm and personalized service that implies. It’s home to just 14 rooms and located down the hill from Splendido, in the heart of Portofino on the Piazza Martiri dell’Olivetta. While big sibling Splendido’s interiors are a masterful combination of sherbet hues, florals, and custom chintz, Splendido Mare’s décor skew more mid-century, with an earthier color palette of terra cotta, jute, and marble creating a world where it’s perpetually golden hour.
A full renovation was unveiled in 2021, with designers from France’s Studio Festen drawing on both Hollywood’s love of Portofino and the town’s history as a fishing village. Grab an aperitivo at the harborside Dav Mare Bar - we’re partial to the Portofino Fizz, with Amaro Santoni, gin, and limonata - or stop in for a cone at Gelateria San Giorgio, a nostalgic sweet shop on the piazetta.
While finishing touches are polished up the hill at Splendido, which will open for the season June 7, the good life begins at Splendido Mare on March 21, and the hotel is open all the way through the new year, welcoming travelers for whom summer in Portofino is just not enough.
Villa BeatricE
Dramatically perched on a private spit above Punta Caiega among wise and twisting pines, this summer, Belmond will open the singular Villa Beatrice. The family palazzo originally known as Castello Odero was built in the 1930s and has played host to almost a century’s worth of glittering guests; Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner strolled its surrounding paths, and Enrico Piaggio, the inventor of the Vespa, took in the views of Paraggi and the Cinque Terre to the east and Portofino to the west. Belmond acquired the three-story property, complete with its fairytale turret, in 2021, and has spent the past four years meticulously restoring this piece of history, turning it into an exclusive-use property and the ultimate destination for private celebrations and milestone moments.
Originally designed by Florentine architect Gino Coppedè, the villa combines Neo-Renaissance grandeur with textured details and sumptuous motifs, and embodies the essence of "Villeggiatura," the cherished Italian tradition of leisurely summer escapes. Exclusive access to the entire villa includes four suites and the charming "La Casetta," a one-bedroom stone cottage. Like neighboring Splendido, the interiors have been reimagined by Martin Brudnizki, with heritage antiques and contemporary artwork, while Marco Bay has handled the landscape architecture on the surrounding acre and a half of private parkland.
A terrace with a bar that can host groups of up to thirty and a private pool surrounded by landscaped gardens make it perfect for celebrations and milestone events, or keep the butler service, full kitchen, gym, summer pavilion, and second terrace in the turret for yourself and your closest friends, as the property sleeps up to ten. And if you’re looking for a little action, Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, is two minutes down the road, and guests at Villa Beatrice have access to all the hotel’s facilities and amenities.
Caruso, A Belmond Hotel
If three outposts in and around Portofino doesn’t satisfy your craving for a luxury Italian summer, fortunately Belmond has you covered in the southern half of the country as well. Caruso, which crowns the Amalfi Coast’s highest town, was built in the 11th century and has earned its reputation as one of the world’s most soulful hotels through centuries of history. Frescoes, medieval walls and foundations, marble figureheads, and mosaics have been unearthed by archeologists at different points during years of renovation, but the Caruso has wears it all with grace, having settled into its status as a landmark and overlooking the coast like a queen.
Gore Vidal called the view from Caruso’s terrace the most beautiful in the world, and the rooms are bright, many with vaulted ceilings or blue and white tiled floors. But the most dramatic viewpoint on property is from the epic infinity pool, which disappears into the Tyrrhenian Sea beyond. The pool and its surroundings have been renovated in the off season, meaning when the hotel opens its doors for 2025 on March 27, it will be harder than every to tear yourself away from the the never ending expanse of blue.
