Iconic coastal resort with jet-set pedigree and beach club































































"For 60 years Il Pellicano has been an icon of Italian hospitality. Opened on the wild slopes of Monte Argentario in 1965 by the English American couple Michael and Patsy Graham, it was purchased in 1979 by Roberto Sciò, who had been in love with the place ever since he first frequented it alongside the jet set of the time. The guest list has always been a strong point, but with the arrival of Roberto’s daughter Marie-Louise Sciò as new leadership, the hotel’s image has been refreshed thanks in large part to the book Hotel Il Pellicano, which contains photos by Juergen Teller (in addition to earlier ones by Slim Aarons). The volume has helped to attract a new generation of bohemians from all over the world. This corner of Tuscany is far from Positano; here, there are no designer boutiques. Instead, those who travel here do so because of its slightly magical atmosphere paired with impeccable service, meticulous design, a Michelin-starred restaurant, a new boat, and a boutique that wonderfully expresses the style of the hotel and, more broadly, a certain vision of an Italian holiday. From $700. —Sara Magro" - CNT Editors

"For 60 years this has been an icon of Italian hospitality. Opened on the wild slopes of Monte Argentario in 1965 by the English American couple Michael and Patsy Graham, it was purchased in 1979 by Roberto Sciò, who had been in love with the place ever since he first frequented it alongside the jet set of the time. The guest list has always been a strong point, but with the arrival of Roberto’s daughter Marie-Louise Sciò as new leadership, the hotel’s image has been refreshed thanks in large part to the book Hotel Il Pellicano, which contains photos by Juergen Teller (in addition to earlier ones by Slim Aarons). The volume has helped to attract a new generation of bohemians from all over the world. This corner of Tuscany is far from Positano; here, there are no designer boutiques. Instead, those who travel here do so because of its slightly magical atmosphere paired with impeccable service, meticulous design, a Michelin-starred restaurant, a new boat, and a boutique that wonderfully expresses the style of the hotel and, more broadly, a certain vision of an Italian holiday." - CNT Editors

"Guided by longtime chef Michelino Gioia, this MICHELIN-starred, on-site restaurant at the historic Il Pellicano hotel in Porto Ercole takes a classic, by-the-book Italian approach: sipping sodas and sugary drinks through a meal is considered bad form (a Coca‑Cola with courses is a no from Gioia, even in a trattoria, with pizzerias an exception), and the kitchen champions seasonal products for their better flavor, lower cost, and reduced environmental impact." - Mary Gray

"Set on a clifftop overlooking the limpid Mediterranean, this storied Tuscan hotel that came to define Mediterranean glamour helped crystallize the dream of the quintessential Italian summer: fuchsia bougainvillaea climbing terracotta-red facades, fragrant rosemary lining meandering walkways, and, down a steep staircase carved into the rocks, towel-draped sun beds beneath yellow-striped umbrellas. For 60 years it has held an ineffable, magical quality as a historic bolthole near Porto Ercole, with allure fueled by languid candlelit dinners and late poolside night discos—like at its raucous 60th-anniversary celebration attended by Margaret Qualley, Jenna Lyons, and Haider Ackermann. Under creative director Marie-Louise Sciò—who took the mantle in 2006 after her father Roberto purchased the hotel in 1975—the place has become a modern icon of cultivated leisure shaped by her design-and-fashion vanguard circle (she studied architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design and worked in New York). As Harris Reed noted, “There are very few people in the world—let alone hoteliers—that have the ability to cultivate not just a family while away on holiday but truly a community of creatives,” a sentiment echoed by Elizabeth Saltzman, who called the endorphin injection here “unmatched.”" - Laura May Todd

"Chef Michelino Gioia from Campania, now a Tuscan by adoption, is in charge of fine dining at the famous resort Il Pellicano, whose terrace overlooking the sea, enhanced by the scent of rosemary in the air, makes it one of the most romantic addresses in Italy. Michelino, thanks to a good technique, is highly skilled in creating different textures in the same dish while retaining the precise flavours of the excellent ingredients used, both land and sea (excellent, for example, the cooking of the pezzogna, which remains soft, accompanied by small quenelles of pappa al pomodoro in a creamy version, mussels and lovage). His work is - finally - enhanced by a very extensive wine list and, above all, by the friendly and professional service offered by the numerous staff." - Michelin Inspector