Splendido Mare, a Belmond Hotel, Portofino is slated to reopen next month following a comprehensive renovation led by Parisian design practice Festen Architecture. Nicknamed the Mare, the Italian retreat will reemerge with a new look inspired by the destination’s maritime history and reinterprets traditional craftsmanship through a contemporary lens. “We like to work on the transformation of classical spaces—delving into a storied past to conceptualize its future,” says Festen Architecture cofounder Charlotte de Tonnac. “For Splendido Mare, we are cherishing its humble beginning as a guest house for fishermen and the cinematic setting of Portofino.”
Midcentury furnishings infuse nostalgic glamour across the hotel’s interiors, along with walnut armchairs and soft Italian fabrics to instill an elegant sense of place. A curated art collection of cinematic photography and abstract pieces also punctuates the design, and the traditional pastel colorways of the harbor buildings—amber, terracotta, sea green, and more—accent archways and ceilings. A total of 7,000 locally crafted terracotta tiles span the floors of the onsite restaurant to create a feeling of walking on water.
Each of the property’s 14 guestrooms and suites are adorned with locally sourced and hand-varnished wood that references the local nautical history. The theme is further amplified via rope patterns woven into the marquetry of the handmade headboards. Wooden floors also draw inspiration from the town’s San Giorgio church. “The redesign evokes a stylish home where contemporary and vintage pieces coexist to provide a timeless feel,” de Tonnac adds. “We want guests to feel comfortable, at ease, but also feel the historical spirit, and we want them to feel the coherence we try to create between the design of the hotel and its surroundings.”
