Hotel Portofino Kulm

A golden autograph book, brimming with signatures and enthusiastic entries bears testimony to the presence of the illustrious guests who enjoyed the hotel?s refined hospitality from the time of its inauguration in the spring of 1906. This album attests to the frequent stays in the Hermitage suite, in the most exclusive wing of the hotel, of the Queen Mother Margherita and her entourage, as well as other important nobility from Genoa, Piedmont and elsewhere. Kings, princes, heads of state, Italian and foreign ministers selected Portofino Kulm as their meeting place, thanks to its comfortable and reserved atmosphere. The circle of visitors soon grew to include important personalities from the world of entertainment, science and culture. Alleluia! The poet Gabriele D?Annunzio proclaimed after an exquisite dinner at the end of a sunny May day spent in Portofino Vetta. The hotel, recently restored to its original Liberty-style splendour, is located in a unique position. Guests can admire the vast views and beauty of the two gulfs, the Tigullio to the east and the Paradise to the west, and beyond, to the extreme limits of the Maritime and Appenine mountain ranges which embrace Liguria. This grandiose panorama marked by the harmonious fusion of land and sea immediately struck the founder of the Portofino Kulm, Sebastiano Gaggini, a Genoese trader who was one of the most active agents operating on the Paris exchange. This enterprising businessman who spent a good deal of time in the French capital, was impressed by the refined way of life in Paris and was convinced that he could re-create an enhanced version of Parisian lifestyle in this unique location on the Ligurian promontory.