The Portofino coast has long been heralded as the jewel in the Italian Riviera's crown, attracting A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio and Madonna to its shores.
But away from Hollywood royalty, there’s another star in town — the five-star Grand Hotel Bristol.
Where is it?
The Grand Hotel Bristol is in Rapallo, a lovely town, a short boat trip or drive, down the coast from the town of Portofino itself, close to Genoa.
Rapallo, while still blessed with the idyllic picture postcard views and stunning patchwork of pastel-coloured buildings and beautiful piazzas of its more famous neighbour, feels like a far more authentic Italian experience.
The hotel itself is easily reachable by road, rail and plane. Genoa Airport is just 35km away. Milan is a picturesque two hour, 150km drive away. The transfer will treat you to stunning views of the countryside and Italian coast.
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Style
There is something of a movie glamour to the 120-year-old period hotel, its pastel-pink exterior channels Wes Anderson’ s Grand Budapest Hotel, while its chic interior makes you feel like you could be in HBO hit The White Lotus.
Recently renovated, it sits on a secluded spot on a sweeping hillside that plunges down into the Mediterranean below. The art nouveau building is surrounded by a lush Mediterranean garden and boasts breathtaking views from its beautiful pool, gourmet restaurants and balconied sea-view rooms.
Leather chesterfields in the lobby, chandeliers and modern art from the hotel’s gallery exude chic sophistication alongside the ultra-luxurious spa.
Food and Drink
It’s hard to over-exaggerate that your stay the Grand Hotel Bristol will be a gastronomic journey you won’t want to end. As you would expect in Italy the food is taken very seriously, and the restaurants are fantastic, with the hotel boasting three.
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You’ll begin the day with a full hot breakfast buffet and eggs made to order. There’s also a mouth-watering range of fruit, cured meats, cheeses, pastries and breads.
For other meals, the rooftop Le Cupole, is a haven of Italian fine dining already celebrated in the Michelin guide. La Veranda, with its bistro ambience, offers exceptional traditional regional dishes.
While the Flamingo and Silk Lounge bars offer a mix of international and Italian favourites, including pizza, offered all day from its stunning poolside location.
The restaurants chefs are incredibly passionate – concocting seasonal menus that celebrate the best of local ingredients and the area’s rich food heritage. To give you an idea of their passion, I got to meet the chefs, and was told how they and senior management had spent the day discussing and tasting the next season’s menu. They revealed a 20 minute discussion had been had about whether there was enough chestnut in one dish, and that they will be meeting again — and tasting again — until it is perfect.
You can be confident that what you eat in the hotel will not only be exciting and delicious but will have been created with 100% dedication to the craft. Highlights we enjoyed include a seafood risotto with black ink sauce and champagne foam, the red mullet, grilled potatoes, and Choron butter and the lamb rack, herb bread, porcini mushrooms, carrots, and mint jus.
No visit to Italy is complete without a Tiramisu – and La Veranda’s ‘live’ experience, where the dish is created at your table, is a wonderful showstopper and an experience you won’t forget. We’re told guests can expect more ’live’ deserts to be added to the menu.
Facilities
The generously-sized swimming pool at the Grand Hotel Bristol is one of the hotel’s highlights.
Offering the same stunning vista of the bay as the hotel balconies, the only thing to do here is to lie back on a sun lounger and let the chill-mix soundtrack from the pool side bar let any stress slip away. Hungry? Order from the Flamingo and Silk Lounge bars without having to leave the poolside.
When you’ve finished soaking up the rays and want to relax further, visit the 2,000 square metre ERRE Spa. One of the largest on the Portofino coast, it’s equipped with a Finnish sauna, Turkish bath and Kneipp path.
Robes, slippers and towels are all provided — grab a drink from the tea corner, and lie back in one of the relaxation areas. You’ll be able to visit everyday during your stay, and if you want to indulge further with a massage or treatment, these are are on offer too.
If you want to visit the beach, the hotel has its Marina di Bardi Beach Club just three minutes away by complimentary shuttle. Sitting in a beautiful spot on a secluded cove, you can access the beach, enjoy the stunning views from the panoramic jacuzzi pool, or enjoy a cocktail or seafood from the private restaurant.
The beach club is a wonderful place to watch the sunset and the stars come out over the Mediterranean at the end of the day.
Extracurricular
You’ll be sure to want to explore Rapallo, whose historic centre is just a short walk away.
It’s an authentic Italian town, where locals outnumber the tourists, and you can happily lose yourself wandering around its network of pedestrianised streets, watching as authentic Italian life goes by.
Try the ‘foodie’ tour run by local deli ParlaComeMangi – you’ll be shown the town with charming guide Guido, trying typical regional dishes and wines from various bakeries and restaurants. You ‘ll also get a masterclass in making authentic Italian pesto.
A cable car takes you 600m up to the Montallegro Sanctuary, with stunning view of the coastline.
Portofino itself is just a charming 20 minute ferry away. Enjoy its beautiful cobbled streets and harbour, lined with boutiques, cafes and restaurants. It takes about the same to reach Portofino by road, where you’ll take in other beautiful villages like Santa Margherita, with gorgeous beaches dotted along the way.
Which room?
The 78 rooms, including 11 suites, are all recently renovated. Most of the spacious rooms, suites and their balconies look out towards Portofino and the enchanting panorama of the bay.
The rooms themselves combine comfort and class; light-coloured walls married with with wooden furniture and comfy chairs and cushioned benches.
They have stunning mosaic-floored luxury bathrooms — with a ‘monsoon’ shower you wont want to get out of. Some also have baths.
Best for?
The luxurious spa, relaxed ambience and romantic setting of the Grand Hotel Bristol make it perfect for couples searching for ‘la dolce vita’ — but families would no doubt have a great time.
Visitors could spend days simply relaxing at the hotel and beach club — but its also a wonderful location to explore the Italian Riviera.
Details
Room from €227 (£197), grandhotelbristol.it
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