I get asked quite often about my favorite destination, and Portofino is one of my top two places in the world. I first vacationed in Portofino three years ago, as part of my Northern Italian adventures. A close friend and colleague of mine got married in Verona, so my husband and I made a vacation of the wedding trip. Less hyped up than its cousin the Amalfi Coast in the south, Liguria is every bit as gorgeous, and far less discovered. The drive itself in Liguria is in my humble opinion, the most beautiful in all of Italy.

Where Portofino is one of my top two places, it’s because of Splendido, which is one of my top two hotels in the world. I’m not a relax on the beach vacationer, but this is a place I completely decompressed. Days can be spent just by Splendido’s infinity pool, where you feel like you can swim directly into the Mediterranean. I never wanted to leave Splendido, unless it was to hike 12 miles through the Cinque Terre, or yacht in the Mediterranean. This is an unforgettable place; Madonna thought so too. The week after we left, she invaded with her entourage and took over the entire floor we stayed on in the hotel. Hope you get a chance to invade too.

All the Best,