What is Hotel Portofino about?
Hotel Portofino takes place in the mid-1920s and follows the Ainsworth family after they relocate from England to the Italian coastal city of Portofino to open an upscale hotel. This period drama takes place after World War I when the world is in a global upheaval in the aftermath of the war. The charming Italian seaside town with its warm climate and enchanting culture and townspeople provide the perfect respite for the elite British traveler.
Meet the Hotel Portofino cast
Natascha McElhone (Bella Ainsworth)
Bella Ainsworth is co-owner of Hotel Portofino with her husband, Cecil, and the spirit behind the family’s Italian adventure. Bella has persuaded her father to lend Cecil and her the money to buy and renovate the hotel, believing the fresh start it represents will help her family recover from the traumas experienced during WWI and give her a chance to save her marriage. She is determined to succeed and subsequently finds liberation for herself and others in the novelty of Italy’s climate, cuisine and culture. McElhone is probably best recognized for her roles on The Truman Show, Californication and Designated Survivor. She currently stars as Dr. Halsey in Halo, the televisions series based on the popular game, on Paramount+.
Mark Umbers (Cecil Ainsworth)
Cecil Ainsworth, co-owner of Hotel Portofino and Bella’s husband, has been excused from active duty in WWI and has gradually lost patience and sympathy with the scars the conflict has left on his children. As the youngest son of an upper-class family, Cecil’s overriding concern is money, and he is constantly initiating ill-advised schemes to fund his dilettante (“dabbler”) lifestyle. Umbers previously appeared on shows such as Mistresses, Collateral and Home Fires.
Anna Chancellor (Lady Latchmere)
Lady Latchmere is a high-handed, hard-to-please British dowager with an Edwardian outlook and attitude, summering in Italy for her health. Her niece and companion, Melissa de Vere (Imogen King), comes from an impoverished branch of the family and, as a result, is constantly at her beck and call. Chancellor is best known as “Duckface” from Four Weddings and a Funeral. She starred as one of the leads in FX’s Trust. She has been nominated for BAFTA awards as well as Golden Globes.
Adam James (Jack Turner)
Jack Turner is an American art dealer specializing in Renaissance painting and makes a living authenticating work by the Old Masters and selling them to American collectors. James previously starred in Julian Fellowes’ series, Belgravia. He also starred in Life, opposite former Doctor Who Peter Davison.
Assad Zaman (Anish ‘Nish’ Sengupta)
Anish Sengupta is a close friend of Lucian’s who played a critical role in his recovery after the war. He takes a break from his medical studies and opens himself to all the experiences that Italy has to offer while deciding whether he wants to be a doctor or live a less conventional life.
Claude Scott-Mitchell (Rose Drummond-Ward)
Rose Drummond-Ward is a beautiful young socialite struggling to find her path and forge a distinct personality in the shadow of her overbearing mother.
Oliver Dench (Lucian Ainsworth)
Lucian Ainsworth, Bella and Cecil’s son, enlisted at 18 in the last months of the war but was immediately injured and removed from the front line. Physically and mentally scarred by his experiences, Lucian is slowly recovering under the benign influence of Italy. He is a talented artist who organizes painting lessons and artistic excursions for the guests. He would love to stay in Italy and make his living from art, but he is under pressure from Cecil to go back to England, take up a career and agree to an advantageous marriage. Fun fact:If you’re wondering if he’s related to another actor named Dench, then wonder no more! Dame Judi Dench is his great-aunt!
Olivia Morris (Alice Mays-Smith)
Alice Mays-Smith is Bella and Cecil’s daughter and the widowed mother of a six-year-old girl, Lottie, whose father was killed during the war. Alice knows her chances of marrying again are slim, given the lack of available men of the right age and standing. She is unable to live independently on the small income her husband has left her. Religious and class-conscious, she is frustrated with her lot and ambiguous about Italy but is gradually seduced by the charms of Italian culture.
Louisa Binder (Constance March)
Constance March is a young woman from a humble background who arrives to take up a role as Lottie’s nanny and general help around the hotel. She is determined to liberate herself from her unpromising beginnings through an open mind and relentless self-improvement, escaping personal misfortune and seeking adventure and a fresh start in Italy.
Elizabeth Carling, Louis Healy (Betty and Billy Scanlon)
Betty Scanlon is a no-nonsense woman from the north of England who is deeply skeptical of all things Italian. She is hardworking, fiercely proud of her roots and cooking and, under it all, soft-hearted. Betty has worked in service since she was a girl and is an old friend of Constance’s mother. Betty’s son Billy, who works as a bellboy for the hotel, falls in quickly with a gang of local youths who lead him into adventure and, ultimately, trouble.
Lucy Akhurst (Julia Drummond-Ward)
Julia Drummond-Ward is Cecil’s family friend and childhood sweetheart who arrives for an extended stay to evaluate a possible marriage between Lucian and her daughter, Rose.
Lily Frazer (Claudine Pascal)
Claudine Pascal is Jack’s lover who epitomizes modern womanhood and is liberated by the social changes the war has unleashed and thus takes charge of her destiny.
Daniele Pecci (Count Carlo Albani)
Count Carlo Albani is an Oxford-educated, aristocratic Italian widower who loves all things English. He is courtly, old-fashioned and willing to go to extraordinary lengths if called upon for help.
Pasquale Esposito (Signor Danioni)
Signor Danioni is Deputy Chairman of the Communal Council. He makes it his business to know the business of everybody connected to the hotel while trying to profit from it.
How many episodes of Hotel Portofino are there?
There are six episodes in season 1 of Hotel Portofino.
How many seasons of Hotel Portofino are there?
There is currently one season of Hotel Portofino, but the show has already been picked up for a second season.
Where did Hotel Portofino film?
Hotel Portofino filmed in Portofino, Italy as well as in Croatia.
When does Hotel Portofino premiere?
Hotel Portofino premieres Sunday, June 19 at 8 p.m. ET on PBS with episodes dropping weekly on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
Where can I watch Hotel Portofino?
You can watch Hotel Portofino on PBS or through the PBS app with a Passport subscription.
Is there a trailer for Hotel Portofino?
Yes! Check out the teaser for Hotel Portofino below.
