Review: The Venice Venice, Venice Italy
Amenities
The Felix Amina spa that centers body and spirit,
A one-of-a-kind bar shopping experience at Venice M’art
The rustic, grungy, and artistic vibes of the hotel is unlike nonother
The Review
Mother and Son by Fabio Viale sculpture at the hotel entrance | Photo provided by Venice Venice Creative Team
Background
The hotel is owned and designed by art collectors, fashion connoisseurs, and spouses Alessandro Gallo and Francesca Rinaldo, the duo who founded the Italian sneaker brand Golden Goose (which they sold in 2017). In an age where luxury fashion is realizing it must stretch its arms to the broader reaches of lifestyle with curated experiences, interiors, lodging, food, and the like, it seems Gallo and Rinaldo have been light years ahead. Housed in a 13th century palazzo, it was previously a hotel in the 16th century that saw guests from Mozart to Voltaire. Slowly but surely, Gallo and Rinaldo purchased the building and turned it into a hotel. Their art from a poignant sculpture Mother and Son by Fabio Viale to works by Jannis Kounellis are featured in the hotel.
Where Is It?
Located on the Canal, the hotel is a stone’s throw from the famed Venetian Rialto Bridge. It’s a 10-12-minute walk to San Marco square, and centrally located in the city. From the Venice Venice, you can easily get to where you need to go.
What’s It Like?
The hotel is a mix of history, intrigue, and glamour. Quite simply, it’s divine. It’s familial, creating a sense of fellowship and community. You can liken a good hotel to being like a living room in a neighborhood, where guests and visitors to the hotel should feel a sense of belonging, conducting whatever business that they see fit, from dining, to having a meeting, hosting an event, attending an event, or just staying in their room. When you’re at the Venice Venice, you feel a sense of belonging.
And if the walls could talk, they would tell the history that has passed through the hotel and city for the past 8 centuries. Venice has a refined mysteriousness about it, a darkness but not in a bad way. Both Gallo and Rinaldo understand this dark luxury with refined touches, and the brick detailing, the dark exterior with well-lit candles, and the moody ambience are all what make the hotel inviting. If you compare the hotel with other hotels in the city, that are perched on islands with 360 sunlight and a resort feel, you won’t get the Venice Venice. But if you take the time to try and understand the hotel on its own merits, you will discover something so unique and most likely unlike anything you’ve ever seen in a hotel.
Rooms
Room 08 | Photo provided by Venice Venice Creative Team
Room 08 | Photo provided by Venice Venice Creative Team
There are 43 rooms, and no two rooms are the same. We stayed in rooms 6 and 8. Room 08 is spacious. When you enter, there is a short entryway that leads directly to the bedroom, where you’ll find a king bed. The windows overlook a slender alleyway so there’s not much of a view, but the spacious room does provide an opportunity to sit and unwind. The bathroom is also spacious. A large iron and muted glass wall with a matching door separates the bedroom from the bathroom.
Room 06 | Photo provided by Venice Venice Creative Team
Room 06 | Photo provided by Venice Venice Creative Team
Room 06 is spacious and overlooks the canal. Sunlight pours into the room and you can easily feel the life of the city passing by on boats. A long entryway leads you into the room. The vanity surrounded by a tri-fold mirror is adjacent to the bed, while the bed faces a shiny silver bar cart, which is next to the balcony. The bathroom is also spacious with its own special WC and walk in closet. There’s also a deep soaking tub made out of tin. Hands down, the best part of the room is the balcony and when at any moment you look up, you notice the glistening water on the Grand Canal.
The Terrace | Photo provided by Venice Venice Creative Team
Food and Drink
Venice M’Art is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast (from 7am to 11am) is included with room stays, but if you’re not a guest, breakfast is $76. The nice thing about breakfast is that it’s à la carte and you can order to your heart’s desire items like Eggs Benedict (salmon, spinach, lobster), Avocado toast, Fruit salad, Cheese platter, or the Fried egg, bacon, and hash brown. There’s nothing like starting your day, sitting on the terrace first thing, eating a Venice M’Art breakfast.
Lunch is the most affordable meal option, with Eggplant parmigiana ($18) and Venetian Pea Risotto ($20). Because the terrace is so amazing, it’s a great place to take a cocktail or lite bite item from the pre-dinner menu. The Aperol Spritz is divine and is topped with a meringue-foamy-sweet white concoction. The dinner menu includes antipasti (appetizer), primi (first course), secondi (main course), and dolci (dessert) courses. Items range from the Venetian sardines, to gnocchi with Muscovy duck ragu, Venetian style fried seafood, and tiramisu.
The Felix Anima Spa | Photo provided by Venice Venice Creative Team
Leisure
The Felix Anima Spa is decorated with artist’s Victoria Zidaru’s unique installation “O Felix Anima.” With a tree’s roots as inspiration, flax and hemp structures descend from the ceiling to the floor, as a nod to the healing that comes from massage therapy. Using natural extracts, tailored treatments, and an intimate space, guests will feel a sense of well-being.
Verdict
Best For dimly lit and rustic presence.
Don’t Miss taking a meal, or having a cocktail or coffee on the terrace.
Price A midweek rate in mid-September starts at $1,075.
Contact Sestiere Cannaregio, 5631, 30121 Venezia VE, Italy | +39 041 097 0300.
