Hotel Il Pellicano

Hotel Il Pellicano has been the summer retreat of the international jet set since 1965, when it was founded by American socialite Patsy Daszel and her British husband Michael Graham. The 50-room hotel clings to a cliff above the Tyrrhenian Sea at Porto Ercole, with a saltwater pool carved into the rock and a terrace restaurant that is one of the most beautiful in Italy. The interiors — chintzy, colourful, and entirely personal — have barely changed in 60 years, which is precisely the point. Il Pellicano is for those who understand that the best luxury is the kind that does not try too hard.