Il Pellicano Hotel

Italy
Europe

The Experience

Tucked away between cypress and olive on a rocky promontory on the secluded Argentario peninsula in coastal Tuscany, Il Pellicano, as the gallery of black-and-white photographs in the bar testifies, has long been an exclusive hideaway for reclusive Hollywood divas, rock stars and European royalty. The refined old-world glamour of the resort, its peace and privacy amid scented gardens tumbling down to the sea, cements Il Pellicano as one of Italy’s most romantic retreats.

The Rooms

The resort is made up of a collection of “villas,” painted a signature oxblood red and linked by little paths that wind down to a sunbathing platform above the sea. The villa suites are decorated in homey, cottage-style, with exposed wooden beams, plain furnishings, terra-cotta floors and a slightly old-fashioned decor that features inoffensive but rather dated framed floral watercolors. Standard rooms are in the main building, with sea views, balconies and terraces, and good, spacious bathrooms, while all the suites and junior suites are in the villas. Cocooned within separate walled gardens, dripping bougainvillea and lavender, these suites are worth the upgrade.

The Service

The waiters could not be more professional, attentive and charming in the Michelin- starred restaurant, offering to rest your handbag on a separate footstool, dispensing sensible advice to guide you through the 1,000-label-strong wine list. Expect white gloves and formality. However, considering the room rates, surely the fact that room service is not available after 10 p.m. is an oversight.

The Highlights

If the pure sea air and guaranteed tranquility don't work their rejuvenating magic, check out the anti-stress, detoxifying treatments in the excellent Thalassotherapy and Bulgari spa. When the mobile phoning gets too much around the free-form swimming pool (attendants rarely impose the ban), head for the large sunbathing platform at the base of the hill (accessible by an elevator cut into the rock) and break with an alfresco barbecue lunch and buffet beneath the vine-clad terrace. Or, play 18 holes on the stunning seaside Argentario golf course.

 

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