When Belmond throws open the doors to a century-old villa that once hosted the Agnelli family and Vespa inventor Enrico Piaggio, you know it's going to be special. Villa Beatrice, which opened in July 2025, marks Belmond's first private villa offering, and it's genuinely unlike anything else on the Italian Riviera. This isn't just another luxury rental – it's a piece of living history where Italian industrialists and artists have gathered for more than a century, and now you can too.
An Architectural Fantasy Come to Life
Photos by Matthieu Salvaing
The villa was designed in 1913 by celebrated Tuscan architect Gino Coppedè for Ligurian entrepreneur Attilio Odero, and it shows every ounce of Coppedè's theatrical flair. This was a man who moonlighted as sculptor, decorator, and architect, and he poured all of that creative chaos into one extraordinary building.
The result fuses Art Nouveau, Neo-Renaissance, and Gothic Revival styles into something that looks like it belongs in a particularly lavish fairy tale.
The location is equally jaw-dropping. Perched high above Punta Caiega, the villa commands views over the Gulf of Tigullio, spanning from Paraggi and Cinque Terre in the east to Portofino in the west. And if that's not enough, a rare 360-degree perspective awaits from the Gothic torretta, offering sweeping views across the surrounding landscape.
Intricate stucco work, wrought iron motifs, whimsical frescoes, arched windows, marble columns, and a signature torretta (little tower) make this place stand apart from the typical patrician villas dotting the coast. Where other historical homes play it safe, Villa Beatrice goes full romantic drama. The villa is a clifftop landmark, beloved by locals for its distinctive silhouette and breathtaking panoramic views of the bay.
Brudnizki's Restrained Hand
Martin Brudnizki Design Studio reimagined the interiors with a relaxed yet refined European sensibility, resisting the urge to go full maximalist (though there are plenty of gorgeous details to feast your eyes on). The approach here was all about restoration over renovation. The villa's original internal frescoes and external geometric and floral murals have been restored, while terracotta and Graniglia alla Genovese grit marble flooring honors Italian heritage.
The living spaces feel like you've been welcomed into a cherished family home rather than a hotel. Local auction and estate finds mix with artisan-crafted items, including bedside tables inlaid with Vienna straw that pay homage to the iconic Chiavari chair, invented in the region. Ceramics from Albisola Superiore appear as lamp bases and decorative plates, while surfaces have been finished in scagliola, a Baroque technique that uses humble materials to imitate marble and stone.
The color palette pulls directly from Portofino itself – greens, terracottas, sandy yellows, and lobster pinks that echo the painted houses lining the harbor. Palissandro blue marble offsets original features in the bathrooms, and custom Italian textiles, produced at local mills, appear throughout in furnishings.
The Dining Experience
Food here isn't just about eating – it's about the full Ligurian experience. You'll have a private chef on site, available 24 hours a day, ready to prepare everything from traditional pesto (made the proper way, with mortar and pestle) to whatever strikes your fancy. The villa includes a first-floor pantry where you can enjoy cooking classes or indulge in casual pleasures at every hour of the day.
Want something different? You can head to La Terrazza at Splendido to try Spaghetti alla Elizabeth Taylor, the Hollywood icon's favorite dish, or visit the reimagined Splendido Grill for oven-baked delicacies and signature pizzas. Down by the harbor, DaV Mare at Splendido Mare serves seafood classics that'll make you understand why Italians get so precious about their fish.
Where You'll Sleep
Mimosa suite
Villa Beatrice spans three floors with four generous suites in the main building, each one feeling like its own little world. The villa can host up to 10 guests total, making it perfect for extended family gatherings or friend groups who actually like each other.
Rosa suite
Each suite benefits from the same meticulous restoration work that defines the rest of the villa. Expect frescoed ceilings, Graniglia alla Genovese terrazzo flooring, and bedroom headboards inspired by Chiavari rattan tradition, upholstered in Genovese Lampasso fabrics.
The bathrooms are particularly striking, featuring Palissandro blue marble that offsets original frescoes and mosaic patterns, along with scalloped iconography throughout.
Hand-painted floral motifs adorn bedroom cabinets, telling tales of Italianate antiquity, while bejewelled mirrors and precious porcelain sourced from local estate sales and auction houses complete the picture.
And then there are those glorious windows framing views that make you want to spend half the day just staring out at the bay.
La Casetta: Your Secret Garden Escape
Hidden within the villa's main garden, La Casetta is a Ligurian stone guesthouse with another bedroom, a second outdoor plunge pool, a vine-covered pergola, and sun terrace. This standalone cottage is where you go when you want privacy within your already private villa. It's the kind of spot where honeymooners disappear for days, emerging only for gelato and sunset aperitivos.
La Torretta: Your Private Watchtower
The villa's signature Gothic torretta serves as a furnished rooftop space, perfect for catching the sunset with a Portofino Spritz in hand. Intimate yoga classes for 4-6 people can be enjoyed in the Torretta, though honestly, the view alone is meditation enough.
On request, an astronomer can lead you on a stargazing experience high up in the Torretta with the help of a high-powered telescope, turning those twinkling lights into actual planets and galaxies.
The Show-Stopping Terrace
The first-floor panoramic terrace is a theatrical main space that can host up to 30 guests. This isn't some modest balcony – it's a proper entertaining space with an ornamented bar where your personal bartender can mix up cocktails while you and your friends take in the sweeping bay views.
It's furnished with a bar counter and drinks station, perfect for authentic Italian aperitivo as the sun goes down.
Gardens That Cascade to the Sea
The villa sits within 6,000 square meters of private and protected parkland, brought to life through the work of landscape architect Marco Bay. These aren't just pretty gardens – they're lush terraces that cascade to the Mediterranean shore, filled with umbrella pines and the kind of Mediterranean vegetation that makes you understand why people have been coming here for centuries.
The stone-clad plunge pool, at 9 meters long and 2 meters wide, is sheltered by rocky cliffs and ancient pines on one of the lower garden terraces. There's also a wellness pavilion where you can enjoy spa treatments, and a private gym kitted out with state-of-the-art equipment tucked into the verdant garden.
Want to get your hands dirty? Complimentary in-villa painting classes let you tap into your inner artist to capture the Ligurian landscapes that inspired Monet and Gauguin. Or you can simply wander through the terraced gardens, where time is measured by the play of sun on the water, the scent of surrounding umbrella pines, and afternoon shadows on cotto antico floors.
Your Private Slice of Portofino Bay
View of Portofino Bay from the sea
Here's the real kicker: the villa offers private sea access to your own pebble beach, complete with sun loungers and butler service. No fighting for space with day-trippers or jockeying for position on crowded beaches. Just you, the Mediterranean, and someone bringing you cold drinks.
The villa is just a short stroll from Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino, meaning you get all the exclusivity of a private residence with the amenities of a five-star hotel whenever you want them. Complimentary chauffeur service in electric vehicles connects you to Splendido, Splendido Mare, and Gelateria San Giorgio, though honestly, the walk through those hillside paths is half the fun.
Your stay includes a two-hour sunset cruise with aperitivo, because apparently the views from land weren't enough. Additional experiences range from sailing with a marine biologist to exploring the underwater world where the famous Christ of the Abyss statue sits submerged at 17 meters.
Via Duca degli Abruzzi, 60, 16034 Portofino GE, Italy
