In brief:
First impression: Private villa by the sea full of beautiful people.
Staff: Darlings, all of them.
Food & drinks: Ace cocktails, fab food.
Bed & bath: Classic, cool, comfortable.
The crowd: It’s not cool to be seen rubbernecking, but it’s tempting here.
In a nutshell: A legendary retreat that is as relevant and stylish today as when it opened more than half a century ago.
Set the scene
An Italian coastal classic, yet fresh as a popsicle, Il Pellicano continues to convince with a well-judged mix of retro glamour, glorious seafront location and choreographed service. Its beach club is one of the coolest summer hangouts in the Mediterranean.
What’s the story?
The hotel started life in 1965 when glamorous Anglo-American couple Patricia and Michael Graham (he an ex-fighter pilot, she an American socialite) built a sprawling cliff-side villa on the Monte Argentario peninsula in southern Tuscany. They filled it with friends and friends-of-friends; the set-up was that of a house party (although guests paid), and this feel was maintained when they sold it to present owner, entrepreneur Roberto Sciò, in 1979. Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, Sophia Loren all came.
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What can we expect from the bedrooms?
Either in the main villa or a more private cottage, set in the mature Mediterranean gardens. Some have sea views, others overlook the gardens. All have some kind of terrace or balcony. The decor is inspired by the sea and Tuscan hues with the odd pop of bubble-gum pink. Beds are huge and made up with crisp white linens. Bathrooms, some done in Carrara marble, others tiled, are mostly vast and kitted out with bath products custom-made for the hotel by maître parfumeur Maria Candida Gentile with names such as ‘Windswept Hair’, ‘A Place in the Sun’, ‘First Dive’.
How about the food and drink?
Pelligrill has been a classic long lunch stop-off for yachties and Romans for decades: spaghetti with clams and courgette flowers and sea bass baked in a salt crust. Michelin-starred Il Pellicano for Michelino Gioia’s creative take on Tuscan and Italian classics such as John Dory with gallinacci mushrooms and a wild sorrel sauce and pigeon breast with foie gras and Campari ‘profumo’.
Anything stand out about the service?
Totally charming, with that hard-to-achieve balance between professionalism and familiarity. At a solo lunch at the Pelligrill, the waiter thoughtfully delivered a couple of magazines.
What type of person stays here?
Star-struck couples, smooth young Italian aristos, older folk treating themselves to a stay at one of Italy’s best-known hotels and the tanned regulars for whom casual-chic is second nature.
What’s the neighbourhood scene like?
Although Monte Argentario and Porto Ercole are quite built up, the Pellicano is positioned in such a way that once inside, you are completely unaware of any nearby buildings. Porto Ercole is no longer the chi-chi enclave it once was, but it is a pretty little town set around a harbour which fills up with yachts and gin palaces in summer.
Anything we missed?
Getting to the sea involves a steep staircase or lift that plunges down the cliffside. The spa uses Santa Maria Novella products from Florence.
Is it worth it – why?
The staff are terrific, the barman is a cocktail whizz and the food is superb. Il Pellicano is truly a beautiful hotel in an incredible spot. By Nicky Swallow
Address: Il Pellicano, Località Sbarcatello, Porto Ercole 58018, Tuscany, Italy
Telephone: +39 (0)564 858111
Wi-Fi: Fast and free Wi-Fi comes as standard.
Price: Double from £414
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This hotel is one of our favourite in the world, and included in our Gold List 2019. Discover more of the best hotels in the world 2019 now.
