Royal Hotel Sanremo is something to behold. Perched above the sparkling bay, the stunning Belle Epoque palazzo dominates the San Remo landscape with its unquestionable opulence.

rid Piscina e facciataThe supremely elegant, fine art adorned lobby with its sweeping stairway and marmorino columns, the deep white sofas, the views from each successive reception room and finally, the attentive staff, all make an unmistakable statement: this is a grand hotel in the time-honoured sense of the word, rather than a fly by night modern pretender.

Our suite on the 5th floor looks over the palm-fringed garden of the restaurant and beyond that, the huge diamond shaped pool that looks like 3 connected pools.

The sheer size of it all is impressive but it is the unadulterated beauty of the views from the suites, the sun, scents and colours of the Mediterranean that add up to a sense of perfect happiness.

Our bathroom is almost the size of the suite and although we seldom write about amenities, B Beyond being entirely dedicated to reviewing the absolute best, it is noteworthy in its own right.

Sipping from the bottle of Prosecco, compliments of the management, relaxing on the balcony, we decide to stay an additional night rather than move further up the coats the next day.

I am keen to try out the candle-lit garden restaurant, Il Giardino, and what a good decision that is!

Cena

Our dinner included:

– a delicious cream of beans soup from Pigna with mussels and clams, a combination I hadn’t encountered before but one that works extremely well

– Goose liver terrine with black truffles in Muscat jelly, a rich and flavoursome dish just as the name suggests, the sweetness of the Muscat giving it added sophistication

– salads and a selection of rare cheese, washed down with a Bardolino rose, Cà de Frati

– and finally, a rich raspberry Vacherin

Food 3    Food III

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The spa

The spa, on the ground floor of the hotel offers Payot treatments, a fitness room and an indoor hot pool. A daily ‘menu’ of specials on offer is posted and although we didn’t get a chance to try them out, they all sounded eminently covetable.

07 Spa

The hospitality

When it comes to hospitality and service, the Italians do it better every time and so it is hardly surprising that most grand hotels around the world employ Italian staff.

Whether through training or natural instinct, they combine warmth with professionalism and quite literally brighten your day.

B Beyond has to admit here to a strong partiality to all things Italian and to Italians in particular. We have been returning to the country over and over again – with or without TasteMaker (www.thetastemaker.org) subscribers – and each time, we find something new and amazing to write about.

Royal Hotel is a case in point.

Even though we know San Remo extremely well, this trip was something of a revelation.

The elegant city has been a hub of wealthy Russians who have already colonised everywhere from Cap Ferrat to Ospedaletti and lifted real estate prices. This is a trend set to continue because, quite simply, the Italian Riviera is no less beautiful than the French – and the Italians… well, this cannot be overstated, they do do it better.

 

ROYAL HOTEL SANREMO
CORSO IMPERATRICE 80
18038 SANREMO (IM)
ITALY

Tel. +39 0184 5391
reservations@royalhotelsanremo.com

http://royalhotelsanremo.com/

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