Hotel Portofino
Hotel Portofino
Now Showing

Hotel Portofino

6.6
Yr 2022
Rt 54m
Status Returning Series
Drama Mystery
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

1920s, the Italian Riviera: British matriarch Bella Ainsworth runs a hotel for wealthy travellers while navigating personal challenges, family drama, and the rise of Fascism.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 62 /100

Hotel Portofino received mixed to moderately warm reviews, with many critics framing it as an enjoyable, glitzy period piece that provides easy escapism. Reviewers praised the show's lush Italian scenery, glamour, and absorbing atmosphere, noting that it delivers an alluring getaway and works well as a light drama for fans of British costume series.

However, the show faced criticism for relying on formulaic storytelling. Some reviewers characterized it as a derivative attempt to capture the magic of shows like Downton Abbey and The Durrells, arguing that it suffers from an uneven mix of banal drama and social commentary despite its attractive production values.

“the kind of glitzy guilty pleasure I needed this summer”

“It is a drama serial which draws so heavily from The Durrells and Downton Abbey that it could have been assembled from an ITV kit, although it is a pale imitation of both.”

“always watchable, scratching that itch of easy familiarity.”

“an unequal mix of banal storytelling and relevant social commentary”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel
US • CA
iciTouTV
CA
Sky Go
UK
Show 4 more
Channel 4
UK
ITVX
UK
UKTV Play
UK
STV Player
UK
Why fans love it

Hotel Portofino leans into the elegance of the Italian Riviera during the 1920s. Against the backdrop of a luxury establishment, the series layers the quiet tension of personal secrets with the encroaching political volatility of Mussolini’s Italy. While Natascha McElhone anchors the narrative as an outsider navigating local dynamics, the drama unfolds through shifting alliances and the fraying nerves of an era defined by rapid transition.

The appeal lies in how the show balances its polished aesthetic with the unsettling reality of rising fascism. Every social interaction in the quiet resort town is underscored by the fragility of the peace kept there. It is a slow-burn study of how national instability quietly poisons private life, turning the routines of a high-end hotel into a stage for suspicion and cautious survival.

Production Board

Crew

Creator
Adam Wimpenny
Director
Adam Wimpenny
Editor
Natasha Wilkinson
Stunt Coordinator
Goran Stjepanovic
Writer
Matt Baker
Director of Photography
Erol Zubčević
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Hotel Portofino overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

fascism female protagonist whodunit class differences period drama turin italy battle of the sexes seaside town 1920s interwar period italian riviera social struggle rise of fascism
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
January 27, 2022
Status
Returning Series
Episode Runtime
54 minutes
Origin
GB
TMDB Votes
34