Il Pellicano

Where the Tyrrhenian Meets the Terrace

The approach to Il Pellicano tells you what kind of hotel this is before you reach reception. The road to Porto Ercole's Argentario Coast narrows as it descends, the Maremma's macchia pressing in on either side, until the Tyrrhenian opens up below and the hotel's terracotta-roofed buildings appear in their clifftop position above the water. This part of southern Tuscany remains conspicuously undiscovered relative to the Chianti corridor or the Amalfi Coast, and that relative obscurity is structural to the hotel's appeal. Il Pellicano opened here in the 1960s precisely because the Maremma offered something the grand tour circuit did not: genuine privacy, at scale, in a setting that competes with anywhere in the Mediterranean.

The hotel sits at No. 26 on the 2025 World's 50 Best Hotels list and holds 98.5 points on the 2026 La Liste Leading Hotels ranking, placing it in a small cohort of Italian properties that combine serious culinary credentials with resort-format hospitality. Among its domestic peers, it holds a Michelin 1 Key (2024) — the same tier as Bulgari Hotel Roma, though the settings and formats are entirely different. Properties like Rosewood Castiglion Del Bosco and Four Seasons Hotel Firenze sit one tier above at Michelin 2 and 3 Keys respectively, which maps roughly to the scale and urban infrastructure those properties bring. Il Pellicano operates at a different register: smaller, more seasonal, with a character that belongs to this particular stretch of coast and nowhere else.

The Dining Programme: From Terrace to Tasting Menu

Hotel's dining operation is the clearest expression of how Il Pellicano positions itself within the Italian luxury market. Ristorante Il Pellicano holds a Michelin star under chef Michelino Gioia, and the kitchen's orientation is firmly coastal: the percorso mare seafood tasting menu is the primary reference point for guests wanting to experience the restaurant's range. The terrace setting, with views down to the Tyrrhenian, makes the room itself part of the meal in a way that enclosed dining rooms at city hotels like Portrait Milano or Aman Venice cannot replicate.

Italy's coastal hotel restaurants occupy an interesting position in the broader dining conversation. The leading of them do not compete with destination restaurants in Florence or Rome on intellectual complexity; they compete on ingredient quality, setting, and the coherence between what arrives on the plate and what surrounds you. Ristorante Il Pellicano sits at that intersection, where the Tuscan Archipelago on the horizon and Gioia's seafood-focused kitchen reinforce each other rather than pull in different directions.

The bar programme operates on two tracks. Bar All'Aperto runs outdoors during the warmer months, timed around aperitivo hour, where mixologist Federico Morosi runs the programme. The indoor Bar Il Pellicano has a mid-century aesthetic that places it closer in spirit to a private club than a hotel lobby bar. Cocktail recipe cards are available from reception, a detail that says something about the confidence the bar has in its own output — and about the kind of guest the hotel expects to find interested. Both bars serve the same function as the restaurant terrace: they are places where the hour slows down rather than passes.

The Property: Rooms, Layout, and How to Read the Booking

Il Pellicano runs 50 rooms in the main building and 27 more distributed across six cottages, making 77 keys in total. The database also notes 31 rooms as a separate figure, likely reflecting the core bedroom count without suites and cottage units. Décor across the property moves away from the predictable Tuscan palette: airy neutrals carry flashes of colour, and marble bathrooms anchor the standard of finish. Every room includes an Illy coffee machine, a Brionvega Bluetooth radio with period-correct styling, and a complimentary minibar. Sea view suites with private terraces sit at the leading of the room hierarchy and represent the clearest way to maximise what the property offers.

The hotel is a Leading Hotels of the World member and operates seasonally, from mid-April to late October. Occupancy patterns follow a tight repeat-guest logic: many guests return annually and target the same room or cottage. For first-time visitors wanting flexibility on accommodation category, bookings a year ahead are the operational reality rather than an exaggeration. This is the same dynamic found at small, high-demand seasonal properties like Il San Pietro di Positano or Borgo Santandrea on the Amalfi Coast, where capacity is limited and the audience loyal. The hotel does not accept guests under the age of eight, which effectively defines the clientele: couples, groups of adults, and families with older children.

Beyond the Room: The Beach Club and the Spa

The private sundeck sits at water level, accessed via terraced gardens and winding paths from the main building. Lounge chairs, a juice bar, paddleboat excursions, snorkelling, water skiing, and sunrise yoga are all organised from the sundeck, making it more operationally active than the typical luxury hotel beach club. The swimming pool occupies a higher position on the cliffside and carries its own set of views, distinct from the sundeck's waterline perspective.

Pelliclub Health and Beauty spa uses Lisa Corti textiles and Santa Maria Novella cosmetics , two Italian references with their own distinct followings , which gives the spa a personality consistent with the rest of the property rather than the interchangeable finish common to larger hotel wellness operations. The in-property boutique, curated by creative director and vice president of Pellicano Hotels Group Marie-Louise Sciò, stocks merchandise that reflects the hotel's aesthetic sensibility, including past brand collaborations with A.P.C. Paris and Birkenstock.

The Wider Area and the Case for Porto Ercole

Maremma's relative obscurity is worth understanding in practical terms. Porto Ercole sits in a region that lacks the tourist infrastructure of the Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast, which means the surrounding area rewards exploration without requiring much management of crowds. The hotel staff maintains a map of nearby restaurants and local experiences, available from reception alongside the Pellican Post Daily, a property newsletter covering local events and programming. For guests who want to move beyond the hotel's own considerable offer, this is the most efficient starting point.

Porto Ercole's dining scene beyond the hotel is covered in our full Porto Ercole restaurants guide, and those wanting to understand the property's immediate neighbourhood context should consult our full Porto Ercole hotels guide. The nearest comparable hotel in Porto Ercole itself is La Roqqa. For drinking and bars in the area, see our full Porto Ercole bars guide; for local wine producers, our full Porto Ercole wineries guide; and for curated local activities, our full Porto Ercole experiences guide.

For those building a broader Italian itinerary, relevant reference points include Castello di Reschio in Umbria, Borgo San Felice Resort in the Chianti, Corte della Maestà in Civita di Bagnoregio, Casa Maria Luigia in Modena, JK Place Capri, Passalacqua on Lake Como, Bellevue Hotel & Spa in the Aosta Valley, and Bellevue Syrene 1820 in Sorrento. For international context beyond Italy, Borgo Egnazia in Puglia shares a comparable Italian coastal sensibility, while Amangiri in Utah, Aman New York, and The Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York represent analogous positions in their respective markets: properties where the physical setting and the operational programme are as much the offer as the accommodation itself.

Planning Your Stay

Il Pellicano operates from mid-April to late October. Children under eight are not accommodated. Given the volume of repeat guests who pre-book the same rooms annually, reservations for sea view suites should be made well in advance, and a year ahead is a realistic baseline for high-season stays. The hotel's address is Località Sbarcatello, 58019 Porto Ercole GR. For specific room availability, rates, and current booking windows, contact the hotel directly or consult its official website.