Only 45 minutes by car, but light years away from the busy city of Genoa, Santa Margherita Ligure, the Italian Riviera of Hollywood fame, attracts the rich and famous looking for a cool (and Kool) place to hang out. From spring through autumn, the beautiful seaside resorts, gourmet dining and elegant shops seduce visitors into leading La Dolce Vita.
The Santa Margherita harbor attracts luxurious yachts that are moored next to traditional fishing boats. It is the center for maritime sports that include sailing, rowing, and scuba diving and it hosts international regattas.
La Dolce Vita
To experience “the good life”, there is only one hotel that meets global standards for elegance and sophistication, the Grand Hotel Miramare.
The owner and manager of the Miramare, Andrea Fustinoni, adds to the Hollywood aura of the location and the hotel. When I was introduced to him at his property I thought that he had just stepped away from a GQ or Armani photoshoot. Gorgeous and impeccably dressed, Furstinoni is an icon for the Italian Riviera. Although he was born in Milan, the Miramare was his childhood playground as this Grand Hotel has been in his family since 1945.
Although he was an art and literature major at Genoa University, his career path was directed to the hotel industry and he has been associated with European Leading Hotels of the World and managed the Splendid Royal Hotel in Lugano, the Savoy in London and the Grand Hotel La Pace in Montecatini, Italy.
In the 1990s Fustinoni returned to Santa Margherita Ligure and established a business relationship with the family enterprise, assuming responsibility for the public relations and press office at the Grand Hotel Miramare.
His passion for contemporary art and culture has not been lost and he is currently the President of the Italian National Trust (FAI) for the region of Liguria. Started in 1975, the purpose of FAI is to promote and protect the culture and customs of Italy, including art, history and traditions.
Fustinoni is also a member of the International Board of the Modern Art Museum of Tel Aviv and founder of the MiramART, a non-profit organization that operates within the hotel and is dedicated to producing art exhibits and programs.
Grand Hotel Miramare (a member of Leading Hotels of the World – LHW)
A luxury hotel in the center of Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy’s Riviera, the Miramare is steps from the blue water of the Tigulilo Gulf. With a gleaming white art nouveau façade and trompe l’oeil frescoes (think early 1900s), this old world elegant property offers furnished terraces, a polished Barracuda Piano Bar, Mediterranean gardens, a saltwater pool and gourmet dining (along with a terrific wine list) – all within walking distance of boutiques and delicious local restaurants and only 3 miles from Portofino. It is also near the cliff side Cinque Terre towns, and the beaches of the Italian Riviera.
A fabulous location for conferences and meeting, the Congress Center has 8 unique spaces that can seat up to 380 people.
Recent awards include: Best Resort Hotel, Italy 2016 (Travel + Leisure), 29th Top Hotel, Italy 2015 (Conde Nast Traveller), 4th Best Hotel, Italy; 13th Best Hotel, Europe – 2014 (Conde Nast Traveller), and the Certificate of Excellence – 2014 (TripAdvisor).
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PICTURED: Andrea Fustinoni, Managing Director, Grand Hotel Miramare, Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy
