Hotel Il Pellicano

"Porto Ercole The location: Porto Ercole, a coastal town in Southern Tuscany situated around a yacht-filled harbor, halfway between Florence and RomeTop amenities: The beach club—one of Italy's best oceanfront properties, and a 2023 Michelin-starred restaurant Il Pelicano is one of Italy's most legendary and best-known hotels, one which has been open since 1979 and where Sophia Loren and other Hollywood royalty have stayed. The bedrooms are crisp and bright: some have ocean views, some have balconies and terraces, and some have floors made of Carrera marble. The more casual restaurant, Pelligrill, is considered a classic with the yacht crowd and overlooks the pool and ocean, perfect for sunset; while the 2023 Michelin-starred Restaurant Il Pellicano earned accolades for its creative uses of ingredients from land and sea including pigeon, lobster, and shrimp." - Alex Erdekian

"The story of this legendary escape began in 1965 when a British pilot and his American socialite wife built a large house above the sea near Porto Ercole and opened it up to guests. After it was bought by present owner Roberto Sciò in the 1970s, it became a magnet for international A-listers, and 50-plus years on, Il Pellicano is as alluring as ever. The 50 airy bedrooms, divided between the main villa and six cottages hidden among olives and cypresses, have polished terracotta floors and a color palette reflecting the surrounding land and seascapes. The retro yellow-and-white-striped beach towels are still laid out around the heated saltwater pool and along the famous bathing platform over the sea, but there’s a fresh feel to the place, too, with Fornasetti-inspired wallpaper, jazzy fabrics, a great spa, and a boutique selling super-chic Eres swimwear. Lazy lunches of octopus salad and chilled local Ansonica roll on into pre-dinner Pelican Martinis and suppers of risotto with pears and summer truffles on the candlelit terrace of the Michelin-starred restaurant. This is Tuscany’s most exceptional seaside retreat by miles." - Nicholas DeRenzo, CNT Editors

"At Hotel Il Pellicano, which the entrepreneur Marie-Louise Sciò runs out of a pair of burnt umber palazzi on Tuscany's Argentario coast, even the subtlest details—lithe Gio Ponti chairs, wrought-iron patio furniture stacked with striped cushions—evoke the easy glamour of the hotel's midcentury origins."

"Set the scene for us: Where is this place, and what's the vibe? 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. Intriguing! What’s the story behind it? 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. A real hot-spot, then. 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,’ and ‘First Dive.’ Evocative, indeed. 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. That's a nice touch. 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. Of course. Can you tell us a little more about the area? 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 harbor which fills up with yachts and gin palaces in summer. Got it. 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. Nice! So, is it worth it—and 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." - Nicky Swallow

"The point is, for seemingly everyone, it was an extremely singular and not-taken-for-granted pleasure to be in residence. For its reputation (and price...), the hotel's not super fancy, but everything is exactly right. If you've read this far into this magazine feature, you know what I mean. Because the difference between super fancy and exactly right is the difference between a one-off and a place you think about pretty much every other day, and put money in the piggy bank to get back to as soon as possible." —Daniel Riley