Villa della Pergola, Alassio, Italy

A club sandwich with quite the view, this one was enjoyed poolside at the incredible Villa della Pergola!

I’m sitting taking in the moment. Many, many months of planning have culminated in this serene setting, club sandwich in front of me, warm air wafting over my hands and skin as my smile beams down upon the gorgeous town of Alassio and the Mediterranean behind it.

I had literally started planning this trip 11 months prior. My 40th birthday vacation, one I would spend both on a quiet, romantic getaway as well as full of revelry with 26 close family and friends. Alassio, as you may have guessed, was the quiet portion of the tirp.

Villa della Pergola was sourced via Relais & Chateaux, a boutique association of individually owned and operated luxury hotels that I generally use to find 5-star properties that provide bespoke and unique hospitality. The town of Alassio, no one I knew heard of the destination, but I put my faith in Relais and off we went, a two hour drive from the Nice airport car rental.

Up winding, steep hills that hugged the town of Alassio, Villa della Pergola is a respite away from the busy yet sleepy streets of the welcomed summer oasis this town provides so many Italians. A true gem of just 19 rooms, this epically manicured property exuded relaxation that would be unmet during the rest of our trip. A 19th century villa, there was no way the developers would get their investment back on the property – and that meant guests like us would get to enjoy it to its fullest extent, before they decided to raise prices in the future.

The pool, perched well above, came to the property just a year before our arrival (2024), a stunning addition to the villa. This is where the hotel’s club sandwich and I met, face to face, to enjoy each other’s company. No ingredients on the menu, I ordered blindly, soaking up the sun and the sublime feeling of no kids around to distract my calm mind.

Somewhat dry and unflavored chunky chicken. Crusty, soft bread smeared with a light of a touch of tangy mayonnaise. A divine tomato, one you would expect from Italy to moisten and tenderize each bite down. A giant, erect toothpick holding it all together with well laid thin cut French fries displayed before it, bowing down to the meal.

Overall this sandwich could have used a lot of improvement, but it was hard to judge so critically in this exceptional hour. Sadly, this would be my most disappointing meal of my trip… but I promise it did not detract from Villa della Pergola, Rachel and I very much hope to be back!

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