‘Hotel Portofino’ Season 2: Everything We Know So Far

Fans of PBS’s new series Hotel Portofino can count on making a return trip to the Italian coast. The sun-dappled period drama wraps up its first season on July 24, and the show has already been renewed for season 2. 

[Warning: This article contains mild spoilers for Hotel Portofino Season 1.]

‘Hotel Portofino’ renewed for season 2

Prior to airing on PBS, Hotel Portofino premiered on BritBox in the U.K. earlier in 2022. The six-episode series was one of the streaming service’s top-rated originals, according to Deadline. A second season was ordered in April.

“Hotel Portofino became an instant hit with audiences worldwide and the second season will feature another heady mix of romance, intrigue, and dangerous ambitions,” said executive producer Joe McGrath.

Hotel Portofino Season 2 will have six episodes, all written by creator Matt Baker. Adam Wimpenny will return as director. No premiere date has been announced. 

Filming has already begun on the second season, Natasha McElhone revealed 

Hotel Portofino stars Natasha McElhone as Bella Ainsworth. She’s a British expat who runs a hotel on the Italian Riviera catering to English travelers. In a July 17 tweet, she revealed that she’s back at work filming season 2 in Croatia. 

​​”Here in Croatia shooting Hotel Portofino season #2 can’t wait for people to see this one, it’s feeling good,” she wrote. “‘Bella’s’ balcony -a view that never fails :)”

Aside from McElhone, several other season 1 cast members will return for the new episodes, Foxtel Australia reported. They include Mark Umbers as Bella’s shady husband Cecil Ainsworth, Claude Scott-Mitchell as Rose, and Lily Frazer as the American dancer and hotel guest Claudine Pascal.   

A recent Instagram post from Frazer appeared to confirm that she was also back in Croatia filming a new episode. She shared an image of herself on a balcony along with the hashtags #hotelportofino, #croatia, and #italianriviera. 

What will ‘Hotel Portofino’ Season 2 be about?

By the end of Hotel Portofino’s first season, Bell and Cecil’s marriage was on the rocks. His attempts to make up for his past bad behavior by giving her the check he’d just received for selling his family’s fake Rubens went over poorly. 

“I don’t want to be friends,” she told him. “And I’ll never take another penny from you.”

Meanwhile, Bella and Cecil’s son Lucian (Oliver Dench) caved to his father’s pressure to marry Rose, even though he was really in love with Constance (Louisa Binder). And Anish (Assad Zaman) left town for Turin after realizing he could never confess his true feelings for his friend Lucian.

In season 2, Cecil’s questionable business dealings will cause more problems for Bella and may even put the future of Hotel Portofino in jeopardy, Foxtel Australia reports. Plus, the rise of fascism in Italy will continue to play a role. New guests will also arrive at the hotel, creating the potential for new twists and turns in the Ainsworth family’s story.

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