Benvenuto to the world of Hotel Portofino! Starring Natascha McElhone as Bella Ainsworth and Mark Umbers as Cecil Ainsworth, the show is a heady, period drama about a British family who runs a hotel on the magical Italian Riviera during the glamourous ‘Roaring 20s’ and backdrop of Fascist Italy.

All three seasons of the show are available to watch, with Season 3 recently premiering on PBS. For a refresher about the series, check out our article on everything you need to know about Season 3.

Now, without further ado, let us meet some of the staff and guests at Hotel Portofino, "A Very English Hotel on the Italian Riviera”!

Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers about events in Seasons 1 and 2 of Hotel Portofino, and introduces characters from Season 3.

The Ainsworths

Meet the Ainsworths, the family behind the luxurious Italian hotel.

First, our fearless leader, Bella Ainsworth (played by Natascha McElhone), owner of the Hotel Portofino, host extraordinaire, and family matriarch.

This hotel is Bella's dream, and she works hard to make sure her guests have the best experience possible.

This isn't always easy considering how much drama her guests and her family can bring.

But in spite of all the stress, Bella remains a romantic at heart, a trait which can get her into trouble.

Next up is Cecil Ainsworth (played by Mark Umbers), Bella's husband. A perfect English gentleman...in public at least.

Cecil loves the good life, a trait that consistently leads him into shady dealings with dangerous people. Let’s just say that executing a successful business deal isn’t exactly his forte.

This, naturally, creates conflict between him and the rest of his family, particularly his wife Bella, and son, Lucian.

In Season 1 of the show, Cecil is insistent that Lucian (played by Oliver Dench) marries Rose Drummond-Ward, a young woman with enough money to make all his dreams come true.

Lucian dreams of a different life, one where he can pursue his passion for painting and a love of his choosing.

By the end of Season 1, he and Rose end up tying the knot, though the couple soon learn they are far from compatible (plus, his heart truly lies with Constance, one of the hotel’s staff members).

On top of that, he's still dealing with physical and mental scarring from WWI, something he tries to hide from the family.

Meanwhile Lucian's sister, Alice (played by Olivia Morris), seeks a fresh start in Portofino after being widowed.

Alice wants a better life for her and her daughter, but being around her family 24/7 proves to be more chaotic than expected. And while she is interested in the idea of finding a new husband, she holds a poor track record of pursuing men with strong moral compasses.

Romantic Interests

When in Italy, there’s no shortage of amore – and Portofino is no exception.

In Season 2 of the series, we meet the dashing, charismatic Marco Bonacini (played by Giorgio Marchesi), a local architect who offers his services to renovate the hotel.

The job requires spending a lot of time with Bella… and needless to say, a strong connection develops between the two.

Speaking of Italian men, enter Vito (played by Leonardo Pazzagli). Constance is introduced to the charming, polite Vito, a chemist in town. Although her heart still harbors some feelings for Lucian, Vito offers an opportunity for a fresh start at romance.

And then, of course, there’s Carlo (played by Daniele Pecci), an aristocratic widower who has proven time and time again to be a supportive friend to Bella… and an admirer of Alice.

But sometimes love isn’t always in the air, as is the case with Rose (played by Claude Scott-Mitchell). Forever burdened by the pressure imposed by her mother, Rose struggles to find happiness with Lucian, and ultimately her despondent state leads to a tragic end in the Season 2 finale.

The Staff of Hotel Portofino

The secret to having a reputable hotel? Answer: a dedicated, competent staff to keep up day-to-day operations.

Fortunately, the Ainsworths have a lot of help, including Betty (played by Elizabeth Carling), a top rate English cook who's worked for the family for years.

Billy (played by Louis Healy), her well-meaning, hardworking, but sometimes hot-headed son.

Paola (played by Carolina Gonnelli), an independent-minded Italian maid, who knows way more than she's letting on.

And last, but certainly not least, Constance (played by Louisa Binder), the kind-hearted nanny and general staff member, who's still finding her way in the world.

Portofino Locals

The people of Portofino are lovely to be around… as long as you know who to avoid.

1920s Portofino is as dangerous as it is beautiful, full of new threats from the rising fascists, and men like Vincenzo Danioni (played by Pasquale Esposito) who’s never afraid to get his hands dirty…

Another person to steer clear of is Luigi Farrino (played by Joseph Balderrama), an Italian-American, who opens a new casino in Season 2. But, with Cecil being Cecil, he seizes on an opportunity to “work” with Luigi – which proves to backfire.

Noteworthy Guests

While staying at Hotel Portofino, you never know who you’re going to meet.

Hosting family members is never an easy task, especially when there’s already underlying tension. When Amelia (played by Camilla Rutherford), Bella’s seemingly cold, reserved sister, comes to visit Portofino with their father, the trip presents a chance for the two sisters to potentially reconcile.

Accompanied by his daughter Amelia, George Livesey (played by David Schofield) is a man obsessed with status and money. Much to Bella’s disdain, George is taken by Cecil’s aristocratic status and looks to Cecil for financial advice.

Now, a moment for one of our American guests: Claudine Pascal (played by Lily Frazer), a world-class performer and true fashion icon. You can always leave it to her to inject some levity and fun.

Claudine is seeking a home abroad after tiring of the racial oppression back in the US, and luckily, finds close friendship with Bella.

In Season 1, Claudine is accompanied by Jack Turner (played by Adam James), a bombastic art-dealer who's at the hotel for business and pleasure.

Another friend of the family is Dr. Anish "Nish" Sengupta (played by Assad Zaman), Lucian's dear friend from their days in the British military service.

Nish provides the family with much needed moral support as they struggle with their traumatic pasts. However, as Nish becomes more wrapped up with the fight against Italian fascists, his efforts lead him down a more dangerous, unfortunate path.

Meanwhile, in the Season 3 premiere, Virat (played by Gurjeet Singh), Nish’s shy brother, arrives at Hotel Portofino to uncover a mystery that could flip everything upside down

Another guest in search of answers is Julia Drummond-Ward (played by Lucy Akhurst), a childhood sweetheart of Cecil’s and a wealthy guest who hoped to find a suitor for her daughter, Rose in Season 1.

However, even after Julia’s wishes come true and Lucian and Rose wed, she can’t help but throw her high expectations on her daughter.

Among the other Season 1 visitors who knew how to make an impression was Lady Latchmere (played by Anna Chancellor), an old-fashioned grande dame with strong opinions and a flair for the dramatic (as you can see).

Lady Latchmere visited Hotel Portofino with her niece, always holding high expectations for her accommodations.

These characters are just the beginning. There are many more people to meet and secrets to uncover during your stay!

So be sure to check in with us as our valued staff and guests navigate these dangers and have some fun along the way!

We are pleased to welcome you to Hotel Portofino.

Megan Hearst, an intern with the Multiplatform Production team at PBS, contributed to this article.