Belmond Hotel Splendido - Portofino

This year, my husband and I have made several trips to Italy as this is one of our favourite countries; who doesn’t like traditional Italian cuisine and exquisite Italian red wines?! A few weeks ago, we returned once again to the land of pasta. This time, the flight destination was Genoa airport and there we were picked up by a black Mercedes (sent by the hotel) which drove us to our final destination. The sunny and picturesque fishing village of Portofino is nowadays one of the world’s most glamorous holiday destinations, and the grandiose Belmond Hotel Splendido is the village’s focal point where sunbathing and dining next to actors and designers are everyday happenings.

With extremely high expectations on this star studded hotel, we arrived in style and were greeted warmly by the bell boy as well as the reception desk and shown up to our room. Our Deluxe Junior Suite with sea view was located on the first floor, in the middle of the building. We entered our room and fell in love immediately! In front of us was a vast and open space bedroom built like a bridge with a king size bed, a small table with two chairs as well as a working area with a desk and a sitting area with a sofa and a television in front of each window/balcony door. Upon opening the balcony doors, we were met by a large balcony divided in two areas (one with two lounge chairs and the other perfect for a romantic breakfast in the sunshine). If the impressive room was not enough, the view from the balcony was taken straight from a painting! Opposite the hotel was the beautiful bay of Portofino filled with impressive yachts and sailing boats. Instantly, I understood why Richard Burton had chosen Belmond Hotel Splendido to propose to Elisabeth Taylor. Back inside, the room tour is not yet completed as I must also mention the roomy bathroom, elegantly decorated in white marble and brown wood panels. Double basins were accompanied by a separated shower and bathtub as well as a toilet and a bidet. And as if luxurious and generous Bulgari products are not sufficiently impressive, you also find Molton Brown mouth wash and makeup remover as well as English Penhaligon’s shampoo, soap and body wash. I had arrived to the bathroom amenities’ paradise!

From the body to the feet, the hotel provides his and her slippers (two sizes and two colours), elegantly wrapped and presented in cotton bags indicating Gents’ or Ladies’ slippers. Furthermore, my passion for good quality laundry bags was further stimulated due to the beautifully embroidered laundry bag made of organic cotton. And to my surprise, there was not only one but three laundry bags in our room (triple score!). Generosity is definitely a keyword at Belmond Splendido Hotel! Another great detail (more fun than required in my opinion) is the safe cleverly hidden behind a painting on the wall. I have never seen that in a hotel (it’s like stepping into a film). The overall decoration is classically Italian with wooden furniture mixed with floral bed linens, sofa cover, vases and paintings. Due to Portofino’s pleasant weather climate, the hotel is beautifully decorated with colourful flowers everywhere. The hotel exterior is as magic as the inside with its clear blue infinity pool, relaxed pool restaurant, classy gourmet restaurant and stone-paved paths taking you through the lush gardens passed the Dolce Vita suite to the spa reception. The scenery is taken directly from a romantic Italian film. 

Also the atmosphere is calm and quiet, perfect if you are seeking to recover after a hectic period in your life or if you just want to leave all your stress at home. And I must not forget the impeccable service from all staff members who elegantly treat you like royalty and as if you are the only guests. During our stay, my husband and I tried both restaurants and the piano bar and we were amazed by the rapidity and effectiveness of the staff who did not let us wait a single time before giving us tables and providing us with the various menus etc. Regarding the food, the quality is very good, with the use of excellent fresh and local products such as squid, fish, pesto and pasta. The pool restaurant offers a small A la carte consisting of pizzas and fresh pasta dishes, but the main event is the generous salad buffet with endless variations of mozzarella, tomatoes and mixed salads and fresh vegetables and fruits. And the best part; eat as much as you want! On the contrary, the A la carte pasta dishes are delicious, but rather small portions (especially for men!). Nevertheless, the pizzas are amply decorated and the dough is thin and crispy (just like it should be!).

We also enjoyed a romantic dinner at the La Terrazza Restaurant with the stunning views of the Portofino bay. Knowing that the portions are slightly small, we opted for a four-course dinner (Antipasto, Primo, Secondo, and finally Dolci) accompanied by a powerful Brunello wine (my favourite). The dishes were appealingly presented and exploded with flavours, particularly the Roasted Lobster with Garden Vegetables and Local Black Olives, Thinly sliced warm sea bass with cherry tomatoes and capres, and the Homemade John Dory ravioli served in a delicate red mullet sauce. However, the meat dishes lacked some refinement and were less interesting than the starters. On the other hand, the cheese selection was outstanding! Or are you not impressed when I tell you that there was even a à la carte for the cheeses!? My husband decided to taste two types of Pecorino which were both delectable. 

 

 

After our dinner, we walked past the bar filled with people dancing to live music and song by a true entertainer in a flashing green sequined jacket! We could not resist but to enter, have a drink and embrace the cheerful atmosphere, before heading upstairs to our room for a good night’s sleep. Every night, the room was prepared for the night and on each beside table there was a bottle of still water and the room-service breakfast menu was awaiting us on the bed. I have rarely seen such an extensive room-service breakfast menu such as the one at Belmond Hotel Splendido. There was everything that you could possibly wish for, from eggs and pancakes until French toast and Parma ham.

With all the eating during the weekend, my husband and I had the intention of burning some of the newly acquired calories in the hotel fitness room. However, to our slight disappointed the fitness room was not as glamorous as the rest pf the hotel. There was one bike and one thread mill for cardio and some other machines for working the muscles. For couples, or even friends, it is more convenient to have at least two of each so that two people can do the same thing at the same time. I have to admit that this fact discouraged us from working out and thus visiting the fitness room was our only time spent in there during our weekend.

Next up, we had to discover the spa and its treatments and thus we had reserved (in advance) two aromatherapy massages. The spa receptionist was kind and welcoming and our two female therapists arrived on time to fetch us and show us the way in to our couple’s treatment room (to our surprises they had organized for us to be together). The massages were relaxing and we were asked to select our oil prior to the treatment (something which I appreciate and thus depending on my mood and physical wellbeing I can alter the effect of the massage). The spa also offers a sauna, which unfortunately is not located in the spa but next to the fitness room which is two floors down with no inside access but you have to access it by passing by the pool area). As already repeated several times in my previous posts, my husband and I enjoy going for a sauna or steam room session after a day in the sun and before dinner time. However, due to the misfortunate (and inconvenient) location of the hotel sauna, this is not really possible at Belmond Hotel Splendido.

Nevertheless, and I emphasise on that word, the hotel is truly impressive and you feel like a film star when staying here. Everything, from the basics down to the very small details, oozes Italian luxury. The rooms are spacious and romantically decorated with magnificently lush balconies. Do not forget that it is absolutely vital to indulge the breakfast on the balconies with the amazing views of the luxury yachts anchored in the Portofino peninsula. And last but not least, you must take a drink the hotel bar with live music! What a romantic dream for couples! This is definitely not to miss!

Learn more about the hotel here.  

Hôtel Belles Rives - Juan-Les-Pins, France

A few weekends ago, we headed down to the Riviera to celebrate the union between two of our friends in sandy Juan-Les-Pins. During our extended weekend of three days, my husband and I stayed in the former house of Mr. and Mrs. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hôtel Belles Rives. Currently a SLH member, this five-star hotel is perfectly located on the beach overlooking the shores of the Mediterranean. Entering the hotel, you instantly voyage back in time to the fabulous Gatsby era thanks to the hotel’s lavish art deco styling and old-school charm. 

The check in process went smoothly; however, due to our late arrival we learnt that our planned (double) upgrade (thank you SLH) had unfortunately been changed and we were instead given one of the smallest hotel rooms I have ever seen (red. The upgraded room number 94 had been tippexed and instead another number had been added by hand). There was a king-size bed and a small desk. Nevertheless, the disappointment was soothed when I stepped out on the tiny one-step balcony. 

In front of me, there were miles and miles of clear blue water and far away in the horizon I could see the beautiful Lérins islands. Another positive aspect of the room was the spacious, green and white marble bathroom with double sinks, a bathtub and the toilet (which thus was the size of half the room). The bathroom was very well presented with his and her bathrobes hanging on the door (with the hotel logo on the breast pocket), classy Penhaligon’s products nicely presented in between the two sinks as well as differently sized towels strategically placed across the bathroom. Contrarily to the beautiful presentation, the bathroom does not offer a massive storage space. The only space available to store items such as toilet bags, makeup case etc. consists of two small glass racks located above the toilet. Similarly, the shower protection wall is less than convenient as it lets through water underneath and thus creates a flood on the floor during every shower. 

Also positive are the spacious cupboards which are big compared to the room size, with one double-door cupboard for hanging items and another double-door for folded items such as jumpers, polo shirts, accessories etc. Nevertheless, the room lacks of drawers fit for items such as lingerie, socks, and swimwear. And the washbag is made of 100% plastic (not very luxurious)!     

Leaving storage space behind and moving on to the hotel features, the hotel does unfortunately not offer a spa, but massages can be reserved, if made in advance, with external therapists who come to the hotel for you. Otherwise, you are directed to the hotel’s sister hotel, Juana, located a few minutes-walk from Belles Rives. Due to our saturated planning, my husband and I did not have the time to test a massage and we had no interest in going to Hôtel Juana only to enjoy a few minutes of steam bath. It has to be stressed that the whole idea of a spa is to be able to take your bathrobe and go from your room down to the spa without leaving the hotel and thus being forced to get dressed, don’t you think? Instead of offering a swimming pool, the hotel benefits from its beach location and thus offers a “so called” private beach. Yes, it seems better than it is. The beach does not boast much sand, but mainly concrete, and there is even a concrete wall in the midst of everything, making it less than glamorous. And this is something for which you need to pay even as a hotel guest! 

I would rather recommend two other private beaches nearby (also for a fee, the same as the hotel beach), “Les Pirates” (neighboring beach) and “Les Pêcheurs” (a five minute-walk from the hotel towards Antibes). Here, the sand is soft and light, it is spacious and you eat very well.

Speaking of food, the hotel’s beach restaurant is a real disappointment! Do not think that just because you are in the hotel and on the beach, you do not need to book in advance as you are lucky if you are able to have a table without a reservation. My husband and I thought, because it was Monday, that we could just arrive when the hunger set in. However, we were rejected and instead offered a table in the lounge area right next to the restaurant. We were given the menu immediately, but disappointingly had to wait more than 30 minutes before a waiter acknowledged us and came to take our order (despite several reminders from us). After a while, the food arrived, but still no drinks nor any cutlery in sight! We had to reclaim both as the waiter did not notice that something was missing. The food was also far from satisfactory. I had composed my own salad from the salad bar (offering each client to select his/her ingredients) and what I received was a plate with all ingredients served separately and not mixed into a salad. My husband tried the club sandwich which arrived crispy (well done!) but cold and with guacamole and not a traditional mayonnaise dressing. The accompanying chips were colourless, soft, and not even hot. 

During our short stay, we also tried the more upscale gastronomic restaurant “La Passagere” for dinner. Thanks to mild weather that evening, all tables had been dressed outside on the beautifully charming and very romantic terrace. As I had booked in advance, we were given a front row table overlooking the gorgeous bay of Cannes and Juan-Les-Pins. The food was very good and well proportioned, almost too generous (2 appetizers, delicious bread, starter, main course, pre-dessert, dessert and chocolates). But the overall rate plummeted due to the pretentious waiters. It was very evident that the staff aim for a Michelin star which should be positive but at this occasion it became too much and thus faulty. A good example is the champagne that we ordered at the very beginning of the evening. The waiter served the champagne in our glasses and when we drank it there were no bubbles. Due to this fact, we did not finish our glasses and thus before serving the wine, the waiter removed our half empty glasses asking us if we did not like the champagne. We kindly explained that there were no bubbles and therefore, we did not want to finish. The "highly service-minded" waiter's answer was: Yet, the bottle was opened at the beginning of the evening at 7 pm (noteworthy, this event took place after 9pm). As a result, we could never imagine that the two glasses of champagne would be charged on the final bill. However, and very surprisingly, the champagne was written on the bill!  

 

Both mornings, we decided to indulge in the breakfast in our room which we had to enjoy sitting on the bed due to the lack of space and table in our tiny room. The room service staff were very polite. The woman on the phone even remembered our special order of fresh fruit (as opposed to the normal fruit salad always loaded with sugar) from one day to another despite the fact that we forgot to mention it over the phone. Unfortunately, the breakfast took almost 30 minutes to arrive. Therefore, if you are in a rush you should take it in the restaurant downstairs. Nevertheless, the servings are generous, the coffee is good and the bread basket is versatile and mouthwateringly exquisite (what do you say about a selection of croissants, pain au chocolats, muffins, apricot tarte, chocolate cookies, baguette, and donuts?!). If you have a sweet tooth, the breakfast at Hôtel Belles Rives, is definitely a must! 

Finally, two other points to raise are the cleaning service and the taxi service offered. Firstly, the cleaning service is generally good but what I did not like is that the turn down service did not prepare the room for the night. Thus, the staff did not close the shutters nor the curtains as they should do every night (or at least I expect that from a luxury hotel). Secondly, we encountered a taxi problem during our stay and learnt a shocking truth about the relationship between the hotel and the local taxis. Namely, the hotel rarely calls for taxis but prefers to contact drivers (which probably pay commission to the hotel) to take guests from point A to point B. As a result, you ask for a taxi and receive a driver who charges more. Moreover, there are not enough drivers to meet the demand during peak season, this leads to long waiting times for us (the clients). Therefore, I recommend that you emphasise to the concierge that you want a taxi and not a driver, otherwise you are going to get played like we did.

To summarise our stay, Hôtel Belles Rives oozes glamour and aristocracy, but under the surface there is an important lack of luxury details. With whopping room prices even outside of August, you would expect more (than an exquisite breakfast, and luxurious marble bathrooms with quality products to justfy the room rates) from this villa with its spectacular view and long history. However, a strong advice before booking your room, you should definitely pay the extra cost of having a sea view; this changes everything!

Read more about the hotel here or directly on the hotel website.

L'Andana - Castiglione della Pescaia, Italy

After a week of relaxation in the south of Italy, it is time to move north to one of my favourite regions known for its delicious wines, Panzanella and stunning countryside, as well as its much reputed and culturally rich capital, Florence. Of course, I am referring to the region of Tuscany, located in the centre of Italy. Since the beginning of time (almost) there has been a constant battle between France and Italy as to which country possesses the best cuisine. When asking my husband (who is French) or other fellow countrymen of his, the 12 points always go to France, whereas my Italian friends vote for (surprise, surprise) Italy. However, there is at least one Frenchman who can proudly admit that he is passionate about Italy and its heavenly cuisine. Therefore, in 2004, he teamed up with the Moretti family and opened a true luxury haven in the very heart of Tuscany. Meet L’Andana, Alain Ducasse’s Italian pearl.

 
(Photo from Leading Hotels of the World)

My husband and I were recommended this small countryside resort by a friend of ours a few years ago. However, it was not until this year that we rediscovered L’Andana when searching for a romantic luxury hotel in the Tuscan region on LHW (Leading Hotels of the World), and thus decided to explore the hotel.

Having been in Puglia, we took a flight from Brindisi up to Rome from where we had a two-hour drive to L’Andana and its neighbouring city, Grosseto. The former hunting lodge transformed into an hotel is situated off a small road, at the far end of a long driveway which takes us past the resort’s very own cattle and vineyards. We arrive at the car park in front of the resort where we are shown the way up the stairs to the main entrance. The reception desk is located in a spacious and light lobby/bar furnished with black and white chairs and sofas, as well as dark brown wooden tables around the big fire place. A gold chandelier is hanging in the middle of the ceiling, adding even more chicness to the room. The staff behind the check in desk are friendly and welcoming, and the entire check in procedure is fast and efficient. Moreover, thanks to my husband’s Leaders Club membership (which includes complimentary continental breakfast, complimentary nights, room upgrades upon availability, complimentary Internet access, early check-in and late check-out upon available, etc.), we are happily being told that we receive a triple (!) upgrade to one of the hotel’s Prestige Suites! 

While I did not know what to expect from the room, I must say that I was shocked when opening the door to our suite! In front of us, in the midst of the living room, there was a humongous bathtub (for at least 10 people)! I have never seen anything like it! When my husband went to get a massage, I turned on the two existing taps in order to surprise him with a romantic bath with the hotel’s scented and luxury ETRO products before dinner. An hour later when he got back, the tub was not more than half full (!), but as it was more than enough to turn on the bubble features, I decided that half full was adequate. Based on my husband’s reaction when he got back to the room and saw what had been prepared for him, I confirm that the tub does not have to be full in order to be perfect.

 

Let’s get back to the rest of the room, the living room opens up to an equally grand bedroom with a king size bed, working desk, library (with a great deal of fashion and cultural magazines in various languages) as well as a beautiful fire place. The bedroom is connected to a walk-in closet/corridor leading in to the marble bathroom with double sinks (for him and her), a shower and separate toilet. The overall style is romantic with Roman sculptures and paintings mixed with French-style furniture in warm dusty and beige tones decorating the room. One important criterion of mine determining the level of luxury of a hotel is the quality of the laundry bag. At L’Andana, this criterion is met with ease as the hotel’s laundry bags are made of finest cotton. However, I give the hotel a small minus due to its lack of women’s sized slippers (I highly appreciate hotels which offer this as it is relatively rare amongst luxury hotels). 

During our brief visit at L’Andana, we also tried the spa (in collaboration with ESPA) which contains a sauna, a steam room, a Jacuzzi, one indoor and two outdoor pools as well as several treatments. To our disappointment, due to a technical problem the Jaccuzzi had no hot water during our visit. Nevertheless, the spa is not bad for a non-Germanic spa (often Germanic spas contain sauna landscapes with several saunas and steam rooms with different themes, temperature and style, which is rare outside of Germany, Austria and Switzerland). The entire spa area is lit up with large candles and soft music is played resulting in a calm and relaxing ambience. Furthermore, the sauna and steam room are rather small, but at a good temperature and relatively charming, and towels are generously distributed inside the spa (at a self-service basis) and by the outdoor pools. Surprisingly (and scandalously!), this is not always the case at luxury hotels, for example at Les Thermes Marins in Monaco (the newly refurbished spa of hotel L’Hermitage and Hôtel de Paris where guests must ask for towels and are allowed one per guest). Moreover, the swimming pools (both indoor and outdoor) could have been slightly warmer. Unfortunately, and due to our late arrival (and last minute decision to book spa treatments), only my husband was able to have a 60-minute full body aromatherapy massage (the spa had no other treatments available for me) of which he was satisfied. I wish that we would have been able to test more of ESPA’s beauty and therapeutic treatments at L’Andana in order to provide a better opinion and recommendation, but this will have to wait until next time. Concerning refreshments, water can be found next to the sauna as well as herbal tea by the spa reception, but neither fruits nor other snacks such as dried nuts and fruits are offered at the spa (another luxury detail that I personally value high). Moreover, the outside pool next to the spa offers a bar with several alcoholic and non-alcoholic refreshments.

(Photo from Leading Hotels of the World)

From spa refreshments to the hotel breakfast which is served in the Fattoria kitchen and can be devoured on the sunny terrace in front of the hotel chapel. As expected with a French chef at the helm, the fresh pastries and donuts (beignets) are crispy and deliciously rich in butter (like it should be), and the fruit tartes are plentiful. Should you wish a crêpe or an omelet, the chef is waiting to take your order and cook it in front of you, which is an amusing animation. Try also the homemade yoghurts! There are not a great variety of fresh fruits and sadly, the juices are not freshly squeezed (as can be expected from a hotel of this standard). Also, the cappuccino lacks more foam and could have been creamier (but that is my opinion). Nonetheless, Ducasse’s breakfast is delicious and very good.

Finally, and almost most importantly during a stay at L’Andana, you must not miss the Michelin starred TrattoriaToscana which is Ducasse’s Italian pearl. The staff are kind (with the French Maître d’hôtel and Sommelier being especially welcoming and sociable) and the Italian cuisine is simple and authentically Tuscan yet rich in flavours (you must try the Ricotta and Spinach Gnocchis as well as the Panzanella and Mozzarella di Buffala Sandwich). Take a stroll through the hotel gardens in order to reach the restaurant and former granary which is the epitome of rustic and and elegant Tuscan charm, and enjoy a romantic dinner here with great local wines.  

Frankly, L’Andana is an enchanting resort. Everything, from the rooms and service down to the very small details such as laundry bags, toilet amenities and welcome gifts (crunchy cookies, fruits and a bottle of wine), oozes luxury. Despite our efforts, finding imperfections are very difficult. Only minor weaknesses such as the lack of women’s sized slippers, the non-functional Jaccuzzi at the time of our visit (which should be functional at the time of publish), as well as the lack of lunch possibilities before 12.30pm (however, the hotel made an exception and prepared some light dishes for my husband and I in order for us to catch our flight on time) can be found. I can easily say that this is one of the most luxurious hotels that I have ever tried, and thus one of my favourites! Bravo Alain Ducasse and L’Andana!

Read more about the hotel and book it here or through LHW.