Grand Hotel Portovenere – A truly lovely place

Jonathan and I had the pleasure of visiting one of our newest accounts, Grand Hotel Portovenere, in late October. The property is led by General Manager, Antonio Polosel, and we were struck by just how friendly and professional the team at the property truly are. This really is a genuinely lovely place.

We flew into Pisa airport in neighbouring Tuscany which offers easy access to the Portovenere. The town is located very close to La Spezia on the Levante coast of the Liguria region. It’s just a little more than one hour by private transfer from Pisa. The other local airport is Genoa which offers great access to the region too.

Portovenere

Portovenere, a beautiful and charming destination, is known for its colourful houses, medieval architecture and most picturesque harbour. Portovenere also offers easy access to the famed Cinque Terre.

We enjoyed a lovely stroll through the old town which is set just outside the hotel. We visited Portovenere’s Church of St. Peter; a most striking church perched on a rocky promontory, offering panoramic views towards the Gulf of Poets and over the Mediterranean.

Cinque Terre

We enjoyed an early alfresco lunch back at the hotel overlooking the harbour. Soon we were on our half day excursion by private boat up the coast to visit some of the Cinque Terre seaside towns including Riomaggiore, Corniglia and Vernazza. These towns are so small, yet full of character, each with their own personality and particular charm.

Later, we returned to Portovenere to enjoy the sunset. Portovenere faces south west so the setting sun beautifully highlights the local buildings which are so colourful.

Back at Grand Hotel Portovenere, we started our evening with pre-dinner drinks at the hotel’s Venus Lounge followed by a delightful dinner overlooking the now beautifully lit harbour. Palmaria restaurant (named after the island just opposite) offers wonderful cuisine with many Ligurian delights to choose from such as seafood pasta, and fish stews paired with fine Ligurian white wine and foccacia bread on the side This delicious bread of course originates from Genoa, the principal city of the region

We headed back to Palmaria Restaurant for breakfast.  This was a lovely buffet, again with plenty of local specialities and hot food cooked to order. The waiting team were so welcoming and helpful.