Italy · Tuscany · Monte Argentario
Il Pellicano:
luxury that knows how to whisper.
The most expensive hotel we have ever stayed in — and a place where rock drops into perfectly clear water, service reads wishes between the lines and la dolce vita feels less like scenery than a natural state of being.
The quick Good Direction
Il Pellicano at a glance.
- Where
- On the rocky Monte Argentario coast above a small cove near Porto Ercole in southern Tuscany.
- What
- An iconic five-star hotel with a main house, seven cottages, fifty rooms and suites, a sea-level beach club and a pool.
- Why go
- For the setting itself: the lift down through the cliff, turquoise water, complete privacy and service that never feels rehearsed.
- Food
- The Michelin-starred Il Pellicano restaurant by chef Michelino Gioia, the relaxed Pelligrill and several bars for a slow aperitivo.
- Best moment
- The first view from the terrace into the cove — then realising that you genuinely need nothing else for the day.
Some hotels make you avoid saying the price out loud during your stay. Il Pellicano was precisely that hotel for us.
After the first descent to the bathing terraces, however, the question briefly dissolves into the sea. Not because cost ceases to matter, but because you finally understand what you are paying for: an exceptional setting, quiet, continuity and a team that fulfils wishes without theatre. Il Pellicano is not a display of luxury. It is a perfectly organised feeling of ease.
From private club to icon
It began with a love story at Pelican Point.
In the mid-1950s, British RAF pilot Michael Graham and American socialite Patsy Daszel met at Pelican Point in California. They later searched Italy for somewhere to host their friends and discovered this wild corner of Monte Argentario. In 1965 they opened Il Pellicano as a private club by the sea.
Charlie Chaplin, Henry Fonda, Gianni Agnelli, Emilio Pucci and photographer Slim Aarons came to stay. Roberto Sciò acquired the hotel in 1979 and the family still runs it. His daughter Marie-Louise Sciò has gradually reshaped both the interiors and visual world so that history never becomes a museum and the present never erases the place's character.
Read the official history ↗
The largest room has no walls
Rock, sea and white parasols.
A lift built into the slope carries you from the hotel to the water. There is no sandy beach below, but a series of stone terraces, ladders into the sea and water so clear that every rock is visible beneath the surface. Loungers are spaced generously and service appears exactly when wanted — never a minute too early.
A heated seawater pool sits above the coast. We would still descend all the way down: swimming from the rocks is the essence of Il Pellicano.
Service without a single sharp edge
Wishes you never need to express twice.
Ultra-luxury can feel cold. Here we experienced it as invisible precision. Someone notices where you like to sit, which water you drink and when you need help — without ever making you feel part of an operation.
We also loved the uniforms. Their clean lines, colours and confidence reminded us of an elegant crew from an era when flying itself was an occasion. They are not costumes; they belong to the hotel's visual language, just like terracotta, striped towels and its iconic yellow.
Il Pellicano on a plate
One star, many ways to eat well.
Il Pellicano restaurant holds a Michelin star and its kitchen is led by Michelino Gioia. His cooking looks to contemporary Italy, the seasons and small producers. It is a celebratory dinner without stiffness: assured flavours, the sea behind you and a team that holds the evening in perfect rhythm.
Pelligrill covers easier lunches, while Bar All’Aperto and Bar Roberto handle aperitivo. The photographs below come from different stops on our wider Tuscan journey, so they are not a catalogue of the hotel's menu. They simply remember how good the road around Il Pellicano can taste beyond its gates too.
Beyond the hotel gates
Argentario is an island that remained joined to the mainland.
It is easy never to leave Il Pellicano. If you do, the peninsula offers harbours, forts, wild coves and roads best suited to confident drivers and trained cyclists.
Harbour · aperitivo · forts
Porto Ercole
The little harbour is the nearest evening outing. Walk the promenade, climb to Rocca Spagnola or Forte Stella, then return for a late dinner. Caravaggio died here in 1610, giving the town a peculiar and slightly mysterious extra layer.
Sea · on foot or by boat
Argentario coves
Cala del Gesso, Cala Piccola and smaller beaches along the western coast have almost implausibly blue water. Access can be steep; the finest way to discover them is from a small boat.
Hills · views · e-bike
Cycling the coast
A loop around the peninsula is beautiful and hilly. Sections are narrow and surfaces vary, so choose a gravel bike or e-bike, carry water and leave early. You will stop more often for views than from fatigue.
Full-day trip · thermal water
Saturnia
Cascate del Mulino lies inland and deserves a day of its own. Warm sulphurous water tumbles through natural travertine pools; arrive as early as possible and remember that the place's beauty is no secret.
Before you go
Practical — without pretending it is inexpensive.
- Address
- Località Sbarcatello, 58018 Porto Ercole, Monte Argentario, Italy.
- Season
- The hotel is seasonal and dates change each year. For 2026 it lists an opening from 2 April to 26 October.
- Room
- Rooms and suites sit in the main house and separate cottages. Sea views cost more, but they are a fundamental part of the experience.
- Sea
- The beach club occupies rock terraces reached by the hotel lift. Ladders lead into the water; this is not a conventional sandy beach for small children.
- Reservations
- Arrange restaurants, transfers, boats and treatments in advance. The concierge is among the hotel's greatest strengths — use it.
- Price
- It is exceptionally high, especially in peak season. We would choose a shorter stay with a sea view over a longer visit spent leaving the hotel every day.
Where it is
Hotel Il Pellicano
Monte Argentario · Italy
Località Sbarcatello, Porto Ercole
Drawing the map…
Good Direction verdict
The greatest luxury? Solving nothing — and still having everything to remember.
Il Pellicano is extraordinarily expensive and we will not pretend that disappears. It is also extraordinarily beautiful, exact and impossible to confuse with anywhere else. The bill and the number of stars fade. What remains is the lift through the rock, the first dive into transparent water, the hush before breakfast and the peculiar sense that someone has removed every small obstacle between you and summer.