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The Jewish Chronicle

Simply splendido

May 9, 2002 23:00

ByJan Shure, Jan Shure

4 min read

A simply splendid time in Italy following in the footsteps of European royals and celebrities

One of the sad things about being a grown-up is that few events or places actually live up to expectations.

It is with a little frisson of delight, therefore, that I report that the splendidly named Hotel Splendido, in Portofino on Italy’s Mediterranean coast, actually lives up to its billing as one of the top hotels in Europe.

A terracotta-washed gem perched on a wooded, flower-strewn hill high above a navy-blue sea, it is a secluded and quietly luxurious hotel whose stone-flagged floors have been trodden by royalty and stars as diverse as the Duke of Windsor, King Constantine of Greece, the Rainiers, Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna, Naomi Campbell, John Malkovich, Sting, Billy Crystal and literally hundreds of others whose names regularly adorn the diary pages and gossip columns.

Indeed, this former monastery, built in the 16th century, has been visited by so many celebs and garlanded with so many awards (number one in Condé Nast Traveller top 15 hotels; eighth in Best 25 Small Hotels, etc), that one fears the kind of intimidating atmosphere that can make a holiday feel more like penance than pleasure.