By Jamie Knee
When travelers dream of the Italian Riviera, they often picture the pastel perfection of Portofino or the glittering allure of Monte Carlo. Yet just beyond those icons, along a sun-drenched stretch of coast, lies Sanremo, the storied “City of Flowers.” Nestled between mountains and sea, Sanremo reveals the Riviera’s soul: sandy beaches kissed by the Mediterranean, palm-lined promenades that whisper of the Belle Époque, markets bursting with color, and the romantic glow of old-world Europe.
Sanremo sits at a crossroads of coastal luxury. Just 45 minutes from Nice, 90 minutes from Genoa, and a short sail to Menton or Portofino, it is a destination in itself and an elegant gateway to the wider Riviera. Its medieval villages are alluring: Dolceacqua, known for Monet and its Rossese wine; Apricale, perched on a dramatic hillside; and Bussana Vecchia, an artists’ refuge reborn from ruins.
A Cultural Riviera: Music, Legends and the Sanremo Festival
Sanremo offers more than flowers and sea breezes. Each February, it becomes the center of Italy’s musical universe as host of the Sanremo Music Festival, a spectacle of glamour and song that launched legends and inspired Eurovision. While there, we could not help dreaming of returning to witness the event in person.
Music lingers year-round. Founded in 1905, the Sanremo Symphony Orchestra remains one of Italy’s most respected ensembles, performing seasonal concerts and, in summer, often gracing the gardens of the Royal Hotel Sanremo.
Royal Hotel Sanremo: The Grande Dame of the Riviera
At the heart of Sanremo’s cultural and coastal splendor stands the Royal Hotel Sanremo, a member of Leading Hotels of the World. Inaugurated in 1872, it quickly attracted aristocracy and artists drawn to its climate, elegance and sweeping Mediterranean views.
Its guestbook reads like a volume of European history:
Empress Elisabeth of Austria, King Farouk of Egypt, Gustav V of Sweden, Grace Kelly, Prince Rainier of Monaco. Later came Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti and Sting, transforming the hotel into both sanctuary and stage.
The Penthouse Suite: Sanctuary Over the Sea
When my husband and I opened the doors to our penthouse suite, the wraparound balcony took our breath away. Below us stretched the endless Ligurian Sea, sunlight glittering as sailboats and yachts drifted by. With glasses of Italian bubbly in hand, we lingered there for hours, watching the horizon fade into gold. It was a view that quieted every thought, making us feel both small and infinite.
Inside, elegance continued: two marble bathrooms, a serene bedroom drenched in light, a sitting room made for unhurried evenings. Yet nothing rivaled the balcony, a throne from which to admire the sea.
Dinner Beneath Murano Glass
Evenings at the Royal Hotel are as memorable as the days. Dinner at Fiori di Murano was a symphony of cuisine and artistry. Designed as delicate flowers, the restaurant’s Murano chandeliers cascade overhead like a garden of illuminated blossoms. Dining beneath this shimmering canopy felt like experiencing theatre and history through food, with each bite elevated by the glow of Venetian artistry above.
A Pool That Flows Like the Sea
By day, the hotel’s saltwater pool offered its own form of Riviera magic. Commissioned in 1948 by the famed architect Giò Ponti, the lagoon-like design curves in soft lines, suspended between subtropical gardens and the Mediterranean. Ponti believed water should flow with nature, never confined to rectangles. Floating beneath the sun, surrounded by lavender, rosemary and palms, I could not agree more. It felt alive, organic, luxurious.
It echoed the landscape we know at home on California’s own “American Riviera” in Santa Barbara, a connection that made the experience feel both familiar and far away.
A Crown Jewel of the Italian Riviera
Sanremo deserves to be a cornerstone of any Riviera itinerary, not just for its beaches or medieval streets, but for its wines, music and deeply rooted culture. Yet the Royal Hotel elevates the journey into something rare: a feeling of belonging to history, of stepping into a world where elegance still matters.
As we toasted our final sunset from the balcony, we understood why royalty, artists and travelers return. The Riviera may be lined with glamorous addresses, but the Royal Hotel Sanremo remains its true crown jewel.
https://www.montecitojournal.net/2025/10/21/sanremo-the-royal-hotel-a-riviera-dream/
https://www.royalhotelsanremo.com/en/royal-luxury-hotels-italian-riviera
