One&Only Portonovi in Montenegro has been named one of the world's top 10 best hotels in the La Liste Awards, scoring 99.5 out of 100 in a 10-way tie for first place. The hotel, located on the Bay of Kotor, joins prestigious names such as Badrutt's Palace Hotel in St Moritz, La Réserve Paris, the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok and The Peninsula Shanghai. However, senior lifestyle reporter Alice Giddings, who stayed for two nights, found several flaws that made her question the accolade.
Privacy and Room Issues
Giddings reported that her Portonovi room, costing about £1,600 per night in summer, faces directly into opposite rooms. The floor-to-ceiling windows required constant curtain closure for privacy, but the provided privacy curtain was see-through. This prevented her from fully relaxing or enjoying the sea view. Additionally, the bathtub had a persistent draining issue that made a soak impossible, a problem also noted by other guests. Metro approached the hotel for comment but received no response.
Breakfast Buffet Falls Short
Giddings found the breakfast buffet at La Veranda underwhelming for the price. While it offered fresh fruit, Montenegrin cold meats, cooked options and a juice bar, she compared it unfavorably to Atlantis, The Royal, which has 17 live cooking stations including dim-sum, English breakfast, gluten-free, vegan, fresh bread, pizza, fish, tarts and pastries, and a made-to-order coffee bar. Nevertheless, she praised the allergy labelling and delightful service.
Wellness and Dining Excellence
Despite these issues, the hotel excels in wellness and dining. The Chenot Espace spa offers a health-optimising program with medical consultations, advanced diagnostic tests, a low-calorie plant-based nutritional plan, and targeted treatments under strict medical supervision. A week-long Advanced Detox plan costs £3,602 plus 10% service charge, on top of accommodation. The food is exceptional: Tapasake, a waterfront Mediterranean-Japanese fusion restaurant, serves sushi, spicy edamame, crispy rice with beef tartare, salmon nigiri, and sashimi. Sabia, the Italian restaurant, offers lamb rack, ravioli capresi, panna cotta, and tiramisu, though Giddings noted the gluten-free pasta was not handmade.
Final Verdict
Giddings concluded that while the hotel is wonderful, the top 10 accolade among 339,091 hotel and resort businesses worldwide seems too generous given the minor but significant flaws. She acknowledged her pickiness but maintained that for the price, guests should expect perfection.
