Big news from Italy's luxury scene today: Marriott International has announced plans to open a resort on the private island of Sacca Sessola, located in the Venetian lagoon.
The 266-room JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa will operate under a management agreement with an affiliate of Aareal Bank AG and is expected to open in 2014. Just a short boat ride from Venice, the resort will be the JW Marriott brand’s first hotel in Italy. JW Marriott already has hotels in London, Bucharest, Cannes and Ankara with the fifth joining just last year in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Tucked into Sacca Sessola’s private gardens and olive groves, the JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa will have 266 guest rooms and suites designed by Matteo Thun & Partners of Milan. The resort will offer a health club, spa, and indoor, outdoor and rooftop swimming pools.
The resort will also offer several distinct dining experiences in an array of restaurants and bars as well as unique event and wedding space in the form of a beautifully restored church. In addition to attracting leisure guests, the hotel is expected to be popular with the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) market with over 13,000 square feet of meeting space across a variety of meeting rooms.
Man-made in 1860, Sacca Sessola is one of the largest islands in the Venetian lagoon covering an area of approximately 40 acres. Today, just 15 minutes by boat from the historic heart of Venice, St Mark’s Square, the island offers unique access to the city’s cultural gems. Known as the gateway to the Orient, Venice is embellished with historical monuments and intricately decorated buildings, making it infinitely popular with visitors.