PORTOFINO: SPLENDIDO MARE CELEBRATES NEW OPENING
The exclusive hotel in Liguria combines tradition and luxury.
11 March 2021
In April 2021, Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino, will reopen after a complete renovation. Guests can expect a luxury hotel that meets the Italian charm directly on the Ligurian coast and invites you to stay.
Diving into the past
The reopening, led by Paris-based design agency Festen Architecture, is the first renovation undertaken by LVMH as Belmond's new owner. Charlotte de Tonnac, co-founder of FESTEN Architecture: "We love to transform classic spaces by delving into a building's past and developing a concept for the future. With Splendido Mare, we pay tribute to its humble beginnings as a guesthouse for fishermen and sailors, but also to the cinematic setting of Portofino. We fuse contemporary with vintage to create a timelessly elegant living environment. It's important to us that guests feel comfortable, relax, while feeling that light touch of history and noticing the local color that goes into our design."
Nautical echoes
Throughout the building are reminders of the area's nautical history. All 14 rooms and suites feature furnishings made from handcrafted wood, locally sourced and traditionally used to build the fishing boats. The classic patterns of boat stowaways are incorporated into the marquetry of the headboards, and the fabrics are hand-woven in the ateliers of renowned textile designer Veronique de Soultrait. The nautical knot is the emblem of the hotel and one encounters it again and again: on the specially made glasses, the cutlery or on the room keys.
The colors of Liguria
The typical colour palette of Liguria, which can also be found in Portofino's harbour, varies between ochre, terracotta and sea green. For generations, these colours have been used in the region for facades and shutters, and in the Splendido Mare they accentuate the ceilings and passages. The design of the wooden floors was inspired by the village church of San Giorgio. And for the bathrooms, the designers found their inspiration in the beach cottages of the surrounding area. They combine geometric tiles in white and yellow, laid in bold stripes, with pure white marble floors.
Mid-Century Modern
"Mid-Century Modern" celebrates the 1950s, which represent Portofino's glamorous history and were also an important decade for Italian design. All rooms and suites feature original pieces of furniture from the period, such as the famous armchairs by Paolo Buffa and Gio Ponti, or the walnut armchairs by Ulrich Guglielmo and table lamps by Oscar Torlasco.
One of the suites is dedicated to Hollywood diva Ava Gardner. She was a symbol of mid-century glamour and a welcome guest at the guesthouse on the harbour when she filmed "The Barefoot Contessa" with Humphrey Bogart in 1954.
Relaxed elegance
Festen combines echoes of the past with contemporary design through the reinterpretation of traditional craftsmanship and the combination of vintage and custom-made new furniture. Every detail has been thought through, all materials sourced, manufactured and finished locally, right down to the Carrara marble in the bathrooms and the slate floors of the terraces. The soft, high-quality upholstery fabrics are by Loro Piana and Ribelli, and the sconces are made of Murano glass.
The names of the rooms and suites refer to the nautical history and the peculiarities of the surroundings. They are called La Marea (tide), Fioco (jib), Gozzo and Riva (boat types) or La Baia (bay), Aurora (dawn), Libeccio (southwest wind) and Tramontana (north wind).
Art & Fashion
The young fashion designer Arthur Arbesser designed the matching uniforms for the hotel. He creates timeless fashion with references to origin and surroundings. For the new Spendido Mare, the focus was on elegant silhouettes in Mid Century style, including geometric patterns, nautical details and botanical motifs that take up the nature of the Ligurian coast. Art lovers in particular will get their money's worth at the hotel. Works by Italian artist Gabrielle Cappeli were commissioned for the specially curated art collection. Reduced, modernist, abstract - his works are a perfect match for Portofino's relaxed elegance. Cinematic photographs and abstract works by Ligurian artists were also selected. They make references to the history of the place, to the surrounding nature and landscape of the Ligurian coast.
Belmond Splendido Mare
Via Roma, 2, 16034 Portofino GE, Italy
Tel: +39 0185 267801
Picture Credits: Belmond
