The History

It’s 1889, and a boat slowly enters the bay of Portofino. The Ligurian coastline grows clearer with each passing moment, every detail beginning to come into focus above the waves that rhythmically kiss the rocks of Santa Margherita Ligure. But this time, as the gaze rises from the bow, something new emerges on the horizon: an elegant villa decorates the seascape, adding an unprecedented touch of refinement to the natural setting. This is the residence of the noble Costa family, originally from Corsica, who chose to build their home in the Pearl of Tigullio.

Six years pass, and the villa is expanded to include a first wing dedicated to hotel use. The hospitality vocation becomes ever clearer, and in 1910, additional spaces are added: the building now grows into the Imperial Palace Hotel, one of the most prestigious hotels on the Ligurian Riviera.

These are the years at the peak of the Belle Époque, and the hotel’s salons transform into an elegant crossroads where sovereigns, nobles, renowned artists, and thinkers gather, choosing Santa Margherita Ligure to enjoy the respite and beauty of the place during the summer season. Queen Elena of Savoy stays for long periods in the Imperial Suites, while major figures from the cultural and theatrical scene—ranging from Pirandello to Eleonora Duse—breathe life into the rooms of the noble floor. Through their presence, the palace relives the splendor of a time long past, wrapped in an aura of nostalgia and glory.

From a stage for high society and elite vacationers, in the next century, the Imperial Palace Hotel quietly becomes the protagonist of a pivotal episode in European history.

On April 16, 1922, to the astonishment of the international press and delegates attending the Genoa Economic Conference, in the oval salon later renamed the "Treaty Room," one of the most significant pages of post-war diplomacy is written. Here, the German Foreign Minister Walther von Rathenau and the Soviet Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Georgij Vasil’evič Čičerin sign the Treaty of Rapallo: an agreement designed to rebuild relations between the two nations on the international stage. In the shadow of one of the Liguria's most luxurious hotels, a separate peace is sealed between Germany and Russia: on the diplomatic front, the hostilities of the Great War come to their end.