24-Hour Room Service: Hotel Splendido, Portofino

The Hotel Splendido is the sort of place whose reputation precedes it. You may not be aware of its precise location, but the very mention of its name evokes images of sun-soaked glamour. Of course its actual location is, in part at least, the key to its fame. The small fishing village of Portofino on Italy's Ligurian coast has become a byword for everything glamorous about the Italian Riviera. Pretty burnt-umber and sienna-hued houses crowd around its tiny harbour and are framed by wooded, green hills and the azure waters of the Gulf of Paradise.

The Hotel Splendido is the sort of place whose reputation precedes it. You may not be aware of its precise location, but the very mention of its name evokes images of sun-soaked glamour. Of course its actual location is, in part at least, the key to its fame. The small fishing village of Portofino on Italy's Ligurian coast has become a byword for everything glamorous about the Italian Riviera. Pretty burnt-umber and sienna-hued houses crowd around its tiny harbour and are framed by wooded, green hills and the azure waters of the Gulf of Paradise.

The hotel, a grand villa on a hill overlooking the harbour, opened in 1901 and quickly cemented Portofino's reputation as the playground of the rich and famous. Since then, there has been a steady stream of famous faces. Grace Kelly, Humphrey Bogart, Greta Garbo, Richard Burton, Groucho Marx and, more recently, Madonna have all lounged by its spectacularly-situated seawater swimming pool.

Besides the location, most people come for the seclusion, food and service. At the top of the succession of hairpin bends from the village, a sentry guards the entrance and, while it's a perfectly welcoming kind of place, you get the impression that rubberneckers aren't really encouraged. Even the air in the Splendido is different: thick with the intoxicating fragrance of frangipani, jasmine and pine. The annual May blossoming of the bougainvillea that drapes almost every surface of the hotel has also become a major event, for which people book in specially.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

The hotel overlooks the tiny harbour of Portofino from its eyrie high on a hill, surrounded by four acres of semi-tropical gardens. Salita Baratta 16, Portofino, Italy (00 39 0185 267 801; www.splendido.orient-express.com).

Time from international airport: The hotel is a 40-minute drive from Genoa airport. Private car transfers can be arranged for €115 (£82). Alternatively, take the train from Genoa's Brignole station to the town of Santa Margherita, €2 (£1.40) one-way. From there you can take a boat for about €3.50 (£2.50) or the bus for €1 (70p) for the remaining 6km journey to Portofino.

ARE YOU LYING COMFORTABLY?

The interiors of its 66 rooms and suites are the type you might expect - reassuringly expensive looking, with beds swathed in white linen. Most have balconies. Our room had a trompe l'eoil scene on the wall over the bed, wooden floors, painted antique furniture and a fine view.

Freebies: Hotel Splendido toiletries, frangipani-scented bath salts, fruit and a daily newspaper. There is also a complimentary taxi to and from the village every 20 minutes - guests would never be expected to navigate the calf-busting hill.

Keeping in touch: If you feel an irrational need to make contact with the outside world, all rooms have their own direct-dial telephones.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Exclusivity comes at a price. Double rooms start at €925 (£660) for a standard double room on a half-board basis. Suites start from €1,485 (£1,060).

I'm not paying that: The Hotel Eden (00 39 0185 269 091; www.hoteledenportofino.com) in Portofino village offers double rooms from €150 (£107).