Photo: Marina di PortofinoPortofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo and Sestri Levante
Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Portofino
Italy
7 dog-friendly luxury hotels.
Search with dates and filters →Where can my dog actually go?
Portofino is tiny, four hotels in all, and three of them take dogs beautifully. Splendido, the Belmond up the hill, charges nothing for the dog and offers massages in the garden, grooming, dog-sitting and a doggy concierge who'll arrange walkers. Splendido Mare on the piazzetta takes small dogs free and shuttles you up to the sister hotel for the spa treatments. Eight Hotel on a quiet lane leaves a bed and bowls and can book a sitter.
Dogs stay out of the pools, restaurants and beach clubs at all three, so plan on the room, the gardens and the village. That's no hardship. The walk from the piazzetta up to Castello Brown and on to the lighthouse is the best half hour on the coast, and the trail over the headland to San Fruttuoso is a real hike with the dog on a lead.
Weight limits are small-dog only at the Belmonds and 7 kg at Eight. Nobody in the village takes a big dog.
Along the coast the list grows to seven, with Hotel Metropole in Santa Margherita Ligure, the Excelsior Palace in Rapallo, and Hotel Vis à Vis and Grand Hotel dei Castelli in Sestri Levante. Metropole lets dogs into breakfast and both its restaurants at a side table for EUR 20 per dog per day, and the Excelsior gives small dogs a reserved area at its beach club, the only written dog-at-the-sea option on this coast.
Daisy's picks
Where Daisy would book
01Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, PortofinoNo fee, a bed and bowl in the room, and a menu of dog massages, grooming and sitting. The Portofino park trails start at the gate.
Free · max Small dogs only kg
02Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel, PortofinoFourteen rooms on the piazzetta, small dogs free, and the shuttle up the hill for the dog spa at Splendido.
Free · max Small dogs only kg
03
Hotel MetropoleDogs at breakfast and in both the hotel and beach restaurants at a quieter side table, with a welcome kit and a dog soup menu served in proper bowls. EUR 20 per dog per day, small and medium dogs only, two small or one medium per room, no kg limit published. No dogs on the beach or at the pool. In Santa Margherita Ligure, on the coast road to Portofino.
EUR 20 · max Unknown kg
Before you go
What happens when you get there
- Small dogs only
- Both Belmond hotels accept small dogs only. Eight Hotel caps at 7 kg. There is no big-dog option in Portofino.
- Pools and restaurants
- Dogs are not allowed at the pool terraces, restaurants, bars or beach clubs at any of the three village hotels.
- Paraggi beach
- The beach at Paraggi bans dogs in season. The Baia Cannone path and the harbour are the seaside walks.
- Beach clubs
- Hotel Metropole in Santa Margherita keeps dogs off its beach and pool under harbour authority and town rules. The Excelsior Palace in Rapallo is the exception, with a reserved, equipped dog area at its beach club for small dogs, booked in advance at extra cost, up to four dogs at once.
- Ferries
- Boats to Santa Margherita and San Fruttuoso take small dogs on a lead. Ask at the kiosk.
- Fees
- Free at both Belmonds. Eight Hotel may charge, confirm at booking. Sitting and grooming cost extra.
- Best walks
- Piazzetta to Castello Brown and the lighthouse, the headland trail to San Fruttuoso, and the Baia Cannone path.
- When to go
- April to June and September to October. Eight Hotel closes November to March.
Dog-friendly hotels in Portofino
Daisy CuratedEight Hotel Portofino
Quiet village boutique with free pet beds and bowls in-room
Unknown · max 7 kg · 1 dogs
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- Daisy Curated
Excelsior Palace Portofino Coast
Small dogs welcome, with their own reserved corner of the beach club
Unknown · max Unknown kg · Unknown dogs
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- Daisy Curated
Grand Hotel dei Castelli
Small dogs welcome in a castle hotel set in a headland park
Unknown · max Unknown kg · Unknown dogs
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- Daisy Curated
Hotel Metropole
Dogs at breakfast and dinner, with their own soup menu on the side
EUR 20 · max Unknown kg · 2 dogs
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- Daisy Curated
Hotel Vis à Vis
Dogs welcome on the sky bar terrace and the restaurant terrace
Unknown · max Unknown kg · Unknown dogs
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- Daisy Curated
Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino
Harbourside Belmond bolthole, dog-friendly rooms steps from the piazzetta
Free · max Small dogs only kg · Unknown dogs
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- Daisy Curated
Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino
Hilltop Belmond icon with dog beds, bowls and doggy massages
Free · max Small dogs only kg · Unknown dogs
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Questions we get asked
Dogs in Portofino
Does Belmond Splendido accept dogs?+
Yes, small dogs, with no pet fee. The hotel provides a bed and water bowl and offers dog massages, grooming, sitting and a doggy concierge. Dogs are not allowed at the pool, restaurants or bar.
Can dogs go to Paraggi beach?+
Not during the bathing season. Walk the harbour and the Castello Brown path instead.
Which Portofino hotel takes a bigger dog?+
None in the village. Splendido and Splendido Mare accept small dogs only, and Eight Hotel caps at 7 kg. Along the coast, Hotel Metropole in Santa Margherita Ligure takes small and medium dogs, up to two small or one medium per room.
Does Hotel Nazionale Portofino take dogs?+
Yes, free, with bowls provided, but it's a 3★ and isn't in our luxury catalogue.
Does Imperiale Palace in Santa Margherita take dogs?+
No. Its own services page says pets aren't allowed. Hotel Metropole, on the same stretch of seafront, takes dogs at breakfast and in both its restaurants.
Is Portofino dog friendly?+
For small dogs, very. Three of the four hotels take them, both Belmonds for free, and the village and coastal paths are walkable on a lead.
How much does Belmond Splendido charge for dogs?+
Nothing. Small dogs stay free with a bed and bowl. Massages, grooming and sitting cost extra.
Research updated 2026-10-19. Policies change, always confirm with the hotel.