The Belmond Hotel Splendido is a hotel in Portofino, Italy. The site was formerly home to an Benedictine monastery which was ransacked so many times by Saracen pirates that the monks abandoned it in the 16th century. The four-storey high building subsequently fell into disrepair. In the 19th century the property was purchased by Italian aristocrat Baron Baratta, who renovated and converted it into a family summer house. In 1901 the building was purchased by Ruggero Valentini who transformed it into a hotel which opened in 1902. Since its inception, the hotel has played host to various famous people and noble families. . The 1950s witnessed the discovery of Portofino by American visitors who made the hotel their accommodation of choice.