Last Updated on July 25, 2026 by Daniel Globe
Hotel Portofino may look like it was filmed entirely on the Italian Riviera, but the production uses two countries to create its glamorous 1920s setting. The story takes place in Portofino, Italy, while most of the series was filmed in Croatia, where historic villas, coastal towns and Adriatic views stand in for Liguria.
Quick Answer
Hotel Portofino is set in Portofino, Italy, but most filming took place in Croatia. The main hotel scenes were shot at a historic villa in Lovran near Opatija. Other Croatian locations include Rijeka, Rovinj, Bale, Zagreb, Grožnjan and Mošćenička Draga, while some genuine Portofino footage was also filmed in Italy.
Key Takeaways
- The Hotel Portofino seen in the television series is fictional rather than a real Portofino hotel that viewers can book.
- Most of the series was filmed in Croatia, even though the story is set on the Italian Riviera.
- A historic villa in Lovran, near Opatija, provides the main setting for the fictional hotel.
- Rijeka, Rovinj, Bale, Zagreb, Grožnjan, Belaj, Mošćenička Draga and other Croatian locations have appeared across the three seasons.
- Portofino itself was not completely absent: genuine Italian locations and landscape imagery, including views from Castello Brown, were used in the production.
Where Was Hotel Portofino Actually Filmed?
Hotel Portofino is a period drama about the Ainsworth family, who operate an upscale hotel for wealthy travelers on the Italian Riviera in the 1920s. Although its fictional story is firmly rooted in Portofino, the television production relies heavily on Croatia.
PBS confirms that most of the series was filmed across Croatia. Croatian locations were selected because their historic architecture, steep coastal landscapes and blue Adriatic water can convincingly represent the Ligurian coast on screen.
The most important filming area is around Lovran and Opatija on Croatia’s Kvarner coast. Additional locations have been used in Rijeka, Rovinj, Bale, Zagreb, Grožnjan, Belaj, Mošćenička Draga, Draguć and elsewhere.
Note: The place where the story happens and the place where the cameras were actually positioned are not the same thing. Portofino, Italy, is the fictional setting; Croatia supplies most of the physical locations seen in the finished series.
Is Hotel Portofino a Real Hotel?
No. The luxurious Hotel Portofino run by Bella Ainsworth is a fictional property created for the drama.
Series creator Matt Baker explains in the ITV production press kit that there is not a Hotel Portofino “per se,” although real Portofino villas that became hotels during the early 20th century helped inspire the setting.
This distinction matters because descriptions of the fictional hotel’s rooms, spa, pool or guest services should not be treated as information about a real business in Portofino.
The Historic Villa Used for Hotel Portofino
The main building representing Hotel Portofino is a historic villa in Lovran, Croatia, close to the resort town of Opatija.
According to ITV’s production material, the villa was built in 1904 by Austrian architect Carl Seidl and was owned by Austrian Baroness Louise von Wiesenburg. Its preserved period architecture made it particularly suitable for a drama set during the 1920s.
The location sits along the Croatian coast overlooking the Adriatic. On screen, careful framing, set dressing and visual effects help the property read as an Italian Riviera hotel rather than a Croatian villa.
Hotel Portofino Filming Locations by Season
Croatia’s official Filming in Croatia database provides unusually useful production figures for all three seasons. Those records show that the Croatian shoots were much larger than the original article suggested.
| Season | Filming days in Croatia | Crew / extras | Listed locations |
| Season 1 | 61 days | 224 crew + 353 extras | Lovran, Opatija, Rovinj and Bale |
| Season 2 | 60 days | 221 crew + 832 extras | Lovran, Zagreb, Grožnjan, Belaj and Rijeka |
| Season 3 | 60 days | 256 crew + 414 extras | Lovran, Rijeka, Mošćenička Draga, Draguć and Zagreb |
The figures come from the official Croatian production records for Season 1, Season 2 and Season 3.
Across its first three seasons, the official Croatian production records list a combined 181 filming days in Croatia.
Season 1: Lovran, Opatija, Rovinj and Bale
The first season’s Croatian shoot lasted 61 days. The official location list includes the Lungomare coastal promenade in Lovran, the Opatija Riviera, Rovinj’s Old Town and Bale in Istria.
These places provided the production with historic architecture and Mediterranean-looking streets without requiring every scene to be staged in busy modern Portofino.
Season 2: More of Croatia
Season 2 expanded the production footprint. Filming in Croatia lists 60 filming days and locations including Lovran, Zagreb, Grožnjan, Belaj and a waterfront panoramic view in Rijeka.
The larger location mix allowed the production to represent settings beyond the hotel itself while keeping the show’s Italian period atmosphere.
Season 3: Rijeka, Lovran and New Locations
Season 3 also recorded 60 filming days in Croatia. Its listed locations include the Lungomare promenade in Lovran, waterfront and elevated views in Rijeka, a beach in Mošćenička Draga, Draguć and Zagreb.
By this point, Croatia had become firmly established as the visual foundation of the series.
What Was Actually Filmed in Portofino, Italy?
Croatia may provide most of the footage, but the production did make use of genuine Italian locations.
The ITV press material says that houses, historic interiors, churches and villas were used in both Opatija and Portofino. It also states that Portofino landscape shots and important branding imagery were filmed from Castello Brown, the historic castle overlooking Portofino’s harbor.
Castello Brown is owned by the Municipality of Portofino and occupies a commanding position above the bay. That elevated viewpoint explains why it is particularly useful for establishing shots that immediately identify the Italian setting.
Exploring the Real Town of Portofino
The real Portofino is a small coastal settlement in Liguria, northwest Italy. Its compact harbor, colorful waterfront buildings and steep surrounding hills create the visual identity the television series is trying to evoke, even when the actors are actually performing hundreds of miles away in Croatia.
Fans who visit Portofino can see the harbor and walk uphill toward Castello Brown, one of the confirmed locations connected with the production’s Italian imagery.
The important distinction is that visitors will not find Bella Ainsworth’s Hotel Portofino standing in town. The fictional property was created by combining Croatian and Italian locations with production design and screen effects.
Behind the Scenes: How Croatia Becomes the Italian Riviera
The choice of Croatia is not as surprising as it may first sound. Lovran and Opatija have grand villas, historic hotels, gardens and seafront promenades dating from the period when the northern Adriatic was a fashionable destination for wealthy European travelers.
The geography also helps. Both the Kvarner coast and Liguria combine steep green hills with towns positioned close to the water.
In a PBS behind-the-scenes tour, actor Mark Umbers points across the water toward Rijeka and explains that the city is removed with CGI so the finished view appears to be part of the Italian coastline. The comment offers a useful example of how real Croatian scenery and post-production work are combined.
Pro Tip: When comparing scenes with real-world maps or photographs, look at the architecture and immediate shoreline rather than distant skylines. Background features may have been altered digitally.
The Coastal Landscapes Seen in Hotel Portofino
The series deliberately creates the impression of one continuous Italian Riviera landscape, but viewers are actually seeing coastlines from both sides of the Adriatic region.
Portofino’s genuine Ligurian views establish the story’s Italian identity. Croatia then provides much of the day-to-day production environment, including the hotel villa, coastal promenades, beaches, towns and period-compatible streets.
This mix is one of the reasons the illusion works so well. Unless a viewer already knows the Kvarner and Istrian coastlines, locations such as Lovran, Opatija and Rovinj can easily read as Italian on screen.
Can You Stay at Hotel Portofino?
You cannot book a room at Bella Ainsworth’s Hotel Portofino because the hotel in the series is fictional.
The production’s main hotel building is a real historic villa in the Lovran area, but it should not be confused with a functioning resort offering the fictional hotel’s rooms and services. Claims about a Hotel Portofino spa, infinity pool, concierge or guest packages therefore should not be treated as real travel information.
Travelers who want to stay in Portofino, Opatija or Lovran will instead need to choose from the genuine hotels and other accommodations operating in those destinations.
Dining and Leisure Around the Filming Locations
The filming locations can still inspire a real coastal trip, even though the fictional hotel itself is not bookable.
In Italy, Portofino offers its famous harbor and walking routes toward Castello Brown and the surrounding coastline. In Croatia, Lovran and Opatija allow fans to experience the architecture, coastal promenades and Adriatic views that form much of the series’ visual backdrop.
Visitors interested primarily in the television production may find Croatia particularly rewarding because so much of the hotel and street-level material was created there.
Tips for Visiting Hotel Portofino Filming Locations
Start by deciding which side of the production interests you most. Visit Portofino if you want to experience the genuine Italian setting and the landscape seen in establishing imagery. Choose Lovran, Opatija and Rijeka if your priority is finding the Croatian architecture and coastline used for much of the actual filming.
Castello Brown is an especially relevant stop in Portofino because the show’s production material specifically identifies it as a viewpoint used for landscape and branding imagery.
In Croatia, the Lungomare promenade around Lovran is one of the most consistently documented locations across the series. Rijeka also appears repeatedly and supplied both waterfront scenery and urban period locations.
Warning: Some buildings used for filming are working properties or private locations rather than public attractions. View them only from places where public access is permitted and respect gates, signs and private property.
If you are planning other types of trips as well, you can also read our guide to the best ski travel bags for winter travel planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was Hotel Portofino filmed?
Most of Hotel Portofino was filmed in Croatia. Major locations include Lovran, Opatija, Rijeka and Rovinj, with additional Croatian locations used across later seasons. Some genuine footage was also filmed in Portofino, Italy.
Is the Hotel Portofino in the TV series a real hotel?
No. Series creator Matt Baker has explained that there is no Hotel Portofino “per se.” The fictional hotel was inspired by historic Riviera properties and is represented on screen primarily by a historic villa in Lovran, Croatia.
Where is the villa used as Hotel Portofino?
The main villa used to represent Hotel Portofino is in Lovran on Croatia’s Kvarner coast, near Opatija. ITV’s production material says the villa was built in 1904 by Austrian architect Carl Seidl.
Was any of Hotel Portofino really filmed in Italy?
Yes. Although most production took place in Croatia, genuine Portofino locations were also used. ITV’s production press material specifically says that Portofino landscape footage and important branding imagery were filmed from Castello Brown.
Were the interior hotel scenes filmed in Portofino?
Not primarily. The production used genuine historic houses, churches and villas in both Croatia and Portofino, but the main hotel property is the historic villa in Lovran. Croatia therefore supplies much of the hotel’s recognizable interior and exterior environment.
Why did Hotel Portofino film in Croatia?
The Kvarner and Istrian coasts provide historic architecture, villas, promenades and steep Mediterranean-style coastal scenery that can convincingly represent the Italian Riviera. The preserved Lovran villa is also particularly well suited to the show’s 1920s setting.
Sources
- PBS — Hotel Portofino Season 3 and filming overview — confirms that most of the series is filmed across Croatia.
- ITV — Hotel Portofino production press kit — confirms that the hotel is fictional, describes the Lovran villa and explains the production’s use of Portofino and Castello Brown.
- Filming in Croatia — Hotel Portofino Season 1 — official filming days, crew figures and Croatian locations.
- Filming in Croatia — Hotel Portofino Season 2 — official production figures and locations.
- Filming in Croatia — Hotel Portofino Season 3 — official production figures and locations.
- Comune di Portofino — Castello Brown — official information about the Portofino landmark used for production imagery.