Grand Hotel Bristol Resort & Spa

Approaching the Grand Hotel Bristol, the black iron gates and light pink Art Nouveau facade take you back to the early 20th century. Chamberlain stayed here for a meeting with Mussolini, and Hemingway, after whom a suite here is named, wrote a short story set in a hotel in Rapallo. Modern art is on display inside and out: Just outside the hotel’s revolving door stands a sculpture reminiscent of a balloon animal. The hotel was completely refurbished in 2008, and the bright lobby is also strikingly modern, with beige marble tile, high ceilings, and a leather-accented check-in counter. Seating areas have streamlined leather furniture, with large, bold paintings throughout.

The Grand Hotel Bristol is located on a hill over Rapallo, which is a five-minute drive or about a 15-minute walk along a pleasant coastal path. A lively Italian Riviera town, Rapallo has many restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops, as well as an inviting beach. The Rapallo Golf Club is an eight-minute drive from the hotel, and the church of Santuario di Montallegro, popular for its cable car ride and spectacular views, is a 25-minute drive away. The train station, with service to the gorgeous Cinque Terre, is a four-minute drive or a 23-minute walk from the hotel; Cinque Terre's towns are about an hour away by car or an hour and 15 minutes by train. By car, Portofino is 20 minutes away and La Spezia is about an hour away. It’s a 35-minute drive to Genoa, which has the nearest airport.

The Grand Hotel Bristol’s 79 rooms and suites range in size from just a bit snug to palatial, but all are bright and airy. Many rooms have small French balconies, the best with wide-open views of the Ligurian Sea. Decor is simple and elegant if not super modish, with blond-wood furnishings and gold and white curtains and pillows. Gold fabric hangs over the bed from a simple crown canopy, and headboards are gold-and-white fabric. Each room has a small table with a mirror -- more a makeup table than a writing desk -- and a small flat-screen TV on a round, tablecloth-clad table. Closets hold programmable safes and offer plenty of storage for clothes; most rooms also have a valet stand. Bathrooms are generic, with beige stone floors, white porcelain, and chrome fixtures. Some have tubs and separate showers, while others have just smallish showers; all have bidets, as well as hairdryers, swing-arm mirrors, and robes and slippers. Most rooms come with stocked minibars, but in-room Wi-Fi costs extra.

The hotel’s well-reviewed and quite expensive restaurant, Le Cupole, under the eponymous cupola on the roof, serves carefully presented Ligurian dinners in a lovely, white-linen setting. The true star, though, is the panoramic sea view, so outdoor seating is popular. The large pool area, surrounded by a wood deck, looks out over the water but sometimes suffers from street noise. Just above the pool, the outdoor bar area is also a pleasant place to have breakfast and lunch. The GHB spa is strikingly modern, with bright yellow walls and funky colored lights. The wellness center has a good sauna and a large tiled area with a whirlpool. While its former grandeur is still apparent, parts are now old and unwelcoming -- the tile is aging terribly. The fitness room is attractive, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the pool, but not very well equipped; it has a treadmill, free weights, and a couple of exercise machines. Pets are welcome, with no extra fees, but parking and in-room Wi-Fi cost extra.