Hotel Portofino (2022– ) User Reviews

Beautiful Scenery good performances lacklustre script

[tm-sheehan · 6/10 · 15 February 2022]

My Review - Hotel Portofino - Streaming on Foxtel

My Rating 6.5 /10

Wonderful scenery filmed on location in Portofino, Italy as well as Rijeka, Lovran, and Rovinj, Croatia and some impressive performances in my opinion are spoiled by a muddy and lack lustre script.

Just when you think it may take off it crash lands on some odd unexplained plot line that centres around one of the many characters to include the seemingly necessary forbidden subjects of the time illegitimacy, homosexuality, infidelity and domestic violence plus the usual class snobbery and romantic trysts .

I can't fathom why this series has already been picked up for an encore season while Julian Fellowes fine period series Belgravia looks like it won't have an encore?

The quality and detail that Julian Fellowes the creator of Downton Abbey , Belgravia and The Gilded Age are missing in Hotel Portofino . The creator and script writer Matt Baker and Director Adam Wimpenny have missed the opportunity to develop a storyline that is worthy of the fine cast .

This period drama series set in the era of Mussolini's Italian riviera in 1926, Hotel Portofino tells the story of matriarch Bella Ainsworth, who has relocated to Italy . Bella has opened a fine hotel that she wishes to be a home from home for wealthy English travellers.

As well as demanding guests, she struggles to contend with an errant husband, and being blackmailed by the local fascist politician.

Natascha McElhone is delightful as Bella Ainsworth the hotel proprietress who struggles with a boorish and domineering husband while trying to keep the Hotel Portofino operating .

The delightful talents of Anna Chancellor as Lady Latchmere are wasted as she could have been used as effectively as Dame Maggie Smith was in her role as Violet Crawley Dowager Countess of Grantham . Her character has a few eccentric one liners and only features in a brief plot twist at the end.

I did enjoy Oliver Dench as Lucian Ainsworth looks like he is following in his Aunt Judi's thespian footsteps.

His character role as the son of Bella and totally unpleasant father Cecil who taunts him about his artistic temperament I thought was the best developed but even it fizzled out at the end .

I'll follow Oliver Dench's career with interest at only 27 years old I think we will see more of this fine actor.

If you want some light entertainment in beautiful settings I'm sure you'll enjoy Hotel Portofino .

I enjoyed the more contemporary sensational trashier thriller series Riviera much more because even though it was high dynasty melodrama the characters interested me and until it got silly and off the rails in Season 3.

Light escapist drama that's a winner

[JRB-NorthernSoul · 7/10 · 27 January 2022]

The Durrells meets Downton (but not quite on a par with either of those just yet) in this new Britbox series following a British family who open the Hotel Portofino on the Italian Riviera in the 1920's, starring Natascha McElhone.

It's very watchable, helped by the beautiful setting with Croatia doubling for Italy. Production values were OK and the large cast were good, everyone seemed to be 'rather attractive'. Its definitely a traditional period show pitched at an older audience but there's no harm in that, though critics will probably disagree.

I rather liked it. The opening episode had an awful lot of characters to introduce and consequently was a bit too slow moving but the pace picked up as the series developed and there were some interesting plots and themes.

Not an instant classic, but as a light drama in a beautiful setting it does what is says on the tin. A diverting watch for cold Winter evenings.

Enjoyed watching.

[garysyms-14865 · 8/10 · 2 February 2022]

Enjoyed watching Hotel Portofino. Beautiful setting and when relaxing down having time to oneself with a lovely cup of tea this is just right to watch.

Off to a Slow Start

[drednm · 2 July 2022]

Scenery is more interesting than the script so far.

Is it just me or are the costumes and hairstyles wrong for 1926? The Anna Chancellor character dresses like it's 1918 but all the other women look more like 1936 than 1926. All that long hair and long skirts.

Otherwise, this one starts off with a thud. The son still has gaping raw wounds on his back 8 years after the war ended?

Better pick up fast or 23 skidoo.

Has its good points and its not so good

[moonmark-52817 · 7/10 · 23 July 2022]

I did enjoy watching this. The scenery and production values are spectacular. The acting is variable but mostly good. But as others have noted, this is no Jullian Fellowes. The script and writing were a little wanting. The storyline fell into cliches at times. But I will watch the next season, hoping it picks up.

Spectacular scenery great cast, but storyline slow to spark intrigue

[angelamountford · 7/10 · 28 February 2022]

The Brit box tv trailer promised a lot.... beautiful scenery, great cast, intriguing characters, and story which enticed me to check it out but having watched the series, although it was beautiful to watch for the scenery and costumes, I thought the storyline and characters were terribly slow to grow. For me it wasn't until the last two episodes that the series showed some spark and grit and warranted another series. So much potential... next series would need to be faster paced.

Don't give up

[grahamf-55542 · 9/10 · 8 February 2022]

This series didn't have a great start. After E1 I was close to dismissing it as a rather inferior cross between Downton and The Durrells. I still wasn't convinced after E2. I was finding the short snappy clips rather annoying, the dialogue sometimes excruciating.

But then it got better. Or perhaps I just got used to it. Whatever it was, by the end I was very happy with it, and I'd definitely watch S2 if it is being planned.

Natascha McElhone was outstanding as Bella. Apart from her my favourite character was Imogen King who played Melissa. A caricature, as were many of the others, but this was really amusing.

Not bad but the sets are ridiculously fake!

[bellab1972 · 6/10 · 10 February 2022]

I have just started watching Hotel Portofino and it's based on an upper class family who move to Italy and renovate and run a hotel with limited funds. The characters are ok.. but a bit too predictable! The nanny who arrives from England will eventually hook up with the owners son.. It hasn't happened yet but I guarantee it will happen.. so no real thought has gone into the storyline, just the typical predictable stuff.. maybe I am wrong and the nanny won't win the son over.. but.. I love period shows but the town sets are beyond terrible and incredibly FAKE! There has been absolutely no effort to create realistic sets or get decent actors to play the part of stall owners or shop keepers.. they all look ridiculous.. I think a high school play could create a more realistic 1920's village scene and whoever signed off on the sets should be fired.. it's a massive distraction.. At this stage I have no idea how far the hotel is to the FAKE village/town and I still have a lot of questions that might be answered later on.. but at the moment the storyline is all over the place! The husband of the owner of the hotel was away when the initial guests arrived.. what was he doing and what is the relationship between the couple.. I don't know! Apparently the husband is a scammer and will do anything to make money.. and he is very cruel to his son.. that's about it.. I started describing the other guests at the hotel but got bored because the characters are boring.. I hope this show improves because some of the acting is very good especially the female owner of the hotel.. Bella.. So far it's ok but I really wish whoever approved the town sets knew what they were doing.. and had a better eye for realism..

This is nicely done, a very pleasant binge thanks

[mosquitobite · 8/10 · 26 February 2022]

Only 20 reviews? That's a bit poor. Anyway I liked this, its not nor does it try to be wildly groundbreaking. The charactors and well drawn and engaging all performances strong, some will say its cliche but really what does that mean. There are typical traits to be portrayed and this is done with care and in a genuine heartfelt way. Cecil is a great cad though we see his soft underbelly, loved Melissa she was the perfect pre debutante, best giggly, silly endearing girl in a period piece I think Ive ever seen in a very long time, Claudine was excellent, Lucien an absolute delight along with Nish, no one over-did their portrayal, staying within character confines which was awesome.

Def hope there's a Season 3.

Oh and gosh so beautiful visually. Well done all.

Beautiful but slow

[errerajohn · 6/10 · 15 July 2022]

I must say that the scenery is the essence of the Mediterranean, sundrenched and lush. As far as the story goes, it can be difficult to follow at times as it meanders to and from different story lines. Because of this I find it hard to get to know who the characters are and what they are all about. I still will continue to watch this series because it is peaceful albeit boring at times. Also, it takes me back to my time visiting Italy and falling in love.

Lacking

[fandomfatale · 5/10 · 14 April 2022]

Beautiful scenery and lots of potential in the characters and overall vibe but I felt like it was lacking something. A lot of the plots made me wonder why anyone would want to be watching something like this happen. A show is for entertainment, so shouldn't scenes be enjoyable to watch? It felt like jumping from one uncomfortable or unpleasant moment to the next.

Fantastic stories, great plot twists and so beautifully made

[bobbywoo-05838 · 10/10 · 27 January 2022]

Really enjoyed the show. Cast were great and if you love the classic British dramas with beautiful settings, this is definitely the series for you.

In a year full of COVID and non vacations, it's fantastic to be transported back to 1920s Italy and emerge ourselves in a wonderful story.

This is not a whodunnit

[Kiki-kiki-123 · 7/10 · 31 January 2022]

I love whodunnits and this is not one, which was greatly disappointing because that was the whole reason I watched the show. The only meagre mystery was in episode 4 and 5 out of 6. Other than that, it is an entirely watchable show. Nothing brilliant. I would have given just 6 stars but added one extra for for fine acting from so many of my favourites. I only wish I had not been misled by the tagline on imdb and even the trailer.

Hotel Anachronism

[slowpulse · 5/10 · 17 May 2022]

If a high school theater ensemble made a Riviera rehash of "Downton Abbey", with a reverential scent of Jane Austen on everything, this is probably very close to what the finished product would look like.

It's not completely bad, but everything feels slightly campy and counterfeit all the time. The "bad guys" are almost all cartoonishly shady, bordering on old-school mustache-twirling villains - even the women, constantly displeased and scheming.

And the many anachronisms surely don't help either. Back in the 1920's, Italians didn't speak English: it was not taught in school, it was not heard on the radio and was not read anywhere. So it's utterly lazy writing to have them magically understand the show's English characters. Even worse, this was when religion and fascism ruled unopposed: the show's young black woman wouldn't have been allowed to sashay around like she owned Portofino. In reality, she would've been arrested, or even publicly beaten by Mussolini's Black Shirts. Simply put, several of the characters don't make much sense.

Very enjoyable

[chipcoppola · 7/10 · 15 August 2022]

A solid 7.5 IMHO. It's not off the chart good, but a very enjoyable miniseries. As some have said, it's Downton Abbey in Portofino. What's wrong with that? If you didn't like Downton, then don't bother. But if you did, this is similar with fantastic scenery. Acting is solid. A great binge. And they wrapped up the storyline by the end. I'll watch season 2 for sure.

... coming from watching one great series there can be letdowns

[bjarias · 6/10 · 7 February 2022]

... most important part of a new series is the very first episode... it has the responsibility of making you want to continue watching... as pretty as Hotel Portofino might be to look at, it's lacking in that reason-spark for continuing on with it... maybe there's just too many characters introduced too quickly employing-choppy-dialogue that's really just too boring at the start of a brand new series

... with several other new shows competing for viewer's time... maybe it'll be one that'll come back around into view sometime-somehow... right now though there are others waiting, that hopefully will prove more entertaining... just coming from streaming the latest-season of Five-Bedrooms most anything-everything would be hard comparing-matching-up.

Wonderful dreamy show!!

[walter-94829 · 10/10 · 29 January 2022]

I don't normally watch period pieces but I thought I would give this a try as it felt different from all the dreary crime dramas currently out. I was sucked in from the first five minutes and ended up streaming the whole series in two days. It is sheer bliss. Lush, beautiful Italian landscapes, a fantastic cast, and really elegant storytelling. It reminded me of A Room With a View and all those wonderful Merchant Ivory movies which capture the spirit of englishness in a foreign setting, except the story here had greater complexity and refinement. An upper class English family opens a hotel on the Italian Riviera at the end of the 1920s to escape the horrors of the first world War and the wounds this has left on their loves ones, but the new idyllic life they were hoping for is full of problems and tensions. Behind the deceptively charming facade the series deals with complex themes of sexual identity, political repression, racial discrimination. But it does so without ever losing lightness of touch and a real sense of joy. I will watch it again as like a good book or movie this deserves to be savoured more than once.

Great cast, costumes and scenery

[philipowheeler · 6/10 · 22 July 2022]

When the first few minutes of this series opens, I was filled with wonderful imagination. The locations and scenery are dreamy and the cast superb.

The storyline took a few interesting arcs tying British social sensibilities, and American boorishness interplaying with local residents of a small Italian village. Up to this point I would have rated it a 9.

My main unapologetic criticism was the story pushing a certain social agenda I find unappealing and frankly repulsive. I would have scored this a 1 if the rest of the series wasn't so appealing.

Perfect entertainment

[mail-16-73297 · 10/10 · 30 January 2022]

Lavish settings, good writing, great acting. Anna Chancellor as Lady Lachmere is the highlight for me. And watch out for Olivia Morris, a star in the making.

Beautiful scenery, that's all

[groovabenz · 6/10 · 29 July 2022]

My rating was far too generous. The directing and writing did a great disservice to the actors who deserved better. Don't waste your time watching this dull series.

Beautiful but boring

[marylou_booth · 4/10 · 2 February 2022]

This is gorgeous to look at. The scenery, fashion and attractive people are a strong feature of this series.

That's not enough for me though. I need strong story lines and there weren't any.

Half way through episode three I gave up. It was too slow and I just didn't care.

Average and boring

[bszorad · 8/10 · 12 August 2022]

This looked promising as it was compared to Downton Abbey. The scenery is beautiful. However, nothing really happens. The storyline is boring. Actually I'm only at episode 4 and I have fallen asleep several times when watching this show. It's a pity.

Hard to follow for me even though not much happens

[lbowdls · 7/10 · 27 February 2022]

The biggest problem I have with this series is that my usual mild face blindness has revved up a few notches and I can't tell anyone apart. If it was a production with mainly black characters and I said that I would probably be called racist - even with my reason- and anyway usually it's not that bad with any persuasion if I concentrate. However, it kicks in, in a lot of period pieces or in fact film from that time period.

I digress - so anyway to me all the young white girls look alike, all the young white men, even all the older white ladies the only ones I can tell apart is the Indian doctor, the black woman and thankfully the main woman of the hotel because I know Natascha McElhone very well. So I can never tell whose story arc I'm witnessing, I can't tell whose being dumped, and whose in love with who etc. I can only reason that because I usually- despite my face blindness- can follow most characters in most stories that they are not using the names enough or the pacing just doesn't work well. I don't know, so despite an interesting, but rather uneventful storyline I find my mind confused. So if you don't suffer from face blindness and you can decipher the characters you might like the show a bit better, but right now I'm also up to episode 6 and waiting for something a little more thrilling than a stolen painting and some unfortunate violence from fascists to take place. I do like the different characters even though I can't keep up with each of them and their life lessons, but it's more a scenery piece for the 20s and lovely seaside of Italy. But still a fine production that is holding my interest as well as my confusion.

$$$ not well spent

[ldmede-48385 · 5/10 · 4 July 2022]

Multiple storylines; too many, in fact. Perhaps if the characters were not cut from the same piece of cloth we might have a watchable series. The setting is gorgeous, if a little too polished and artificial, but it's not enough to makeup for tepid writing and cookie cutter characters.

If you want a really binge-worthy experience, try the Spanish series, Grand Hotel.

Who did what?

[R-Marshall-1 · 6/10 · 30 January 2022]

"A classic whodonit mystery" says the IMBD headline, but ai wonder if anyone can tell me what "it" was, let alone who did it.

Coming off watching Ozark, this was bland, even in its most "exciting" parts. The writing is nit up to the standard of the cast, who are brilliant, and they perform the 1920s stereotypes with consummate skill, dressed in beige and white linen against a backdrop of the Croatian coastline. Lily Fraser catches the eye. Some of the wooden parasols look to be of a rather modern construction, with a bit of used gaffer tape wrapped in strategic places. But on a big screen, it provides lovely wallpaper.