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| Club del Doge terrace looks out onto the stunning Grand Canal. |
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| LA Fenice Heritage Suite has Jacquard and Lorenzo Rubelli custom fabrics that were originally created for the Teatro La Fenice. |
It seems as though we’ve been hearing about the unveiling of The Gritti Palace, Venicefor months now, but we are finally happy to announce that this Luxury Collection Hotel has reopened its doors, following a $55 million restoration.
The project, which lasted more than a year, is part of a larger plan to invest $200 million in the restoration of Starwood’s most iconic Luxury Collection hotels in Europe. (You may have heard of the recent renovations of Hotel Alfonso XIII, Seville and Hotel Maria Cristina, San Sebastian, as well as Prince de Galles, Paris.)
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| Palace Somerset MaughaM Royal Suite is inspired by the famed British author, who was also a regular here. |
The Gritti Palace’s new look comes with 61 guest rooms and 21 suites, including suites with canal views. The interior design of signature suites takes inspiration from renowned personalities (think Ernest Hemingway, Somerset Maugham and Peggy Guggenheim). Guests will be impressed by the Redentore Terrazza Suite, which spans 818 square feet and includes a reception room, bedroom, living room and dining area, and a 2,691-square-foot rooftop terrace. Cool Touch: The roof has a spa pool, entertaining spaces and views over the city.
To add a truly pampering experience, the hotel has also unveiled Blu Mediterraneo Spa, a new spa concept by Acqua di Parma.
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| Peggy Guggenheim Patron Grand Canal Suite, is named after the legendary art collector, whose museum is seen across the Grand Canal. |
Steeped in history: The hotel faces the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute and is close to the Piazza San Marco and Teatro La Fenice. History buffs would love to know that The Gritti Palace was built into its current Gothic shape by the Pisani family in 1475 and became the private residence of the Doge of Venice, Andrea Gritti, in 1525. It continued to house other noble families for the next few hundred years and was converted into a luxury hotel in 1895. In 1947, The Gritti Palace was bought by Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi (CIGA), to which The Luxury Collection brand traces its roots.
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| Redentore Terrazza Suite includes a 2,691-square-foot rooftop terrace. |
Design Chatter: Starwood reports that the look of the hotel’s restored interiors was inspired by its historical role as a private residence. The protected landmark building’s interior design was done by Donghia Associates, part of the Venetian fabric house Rubelli. The architectural restorations were led by Italian engineering firm Venice Plan Ingegneria s.r.l. and the Regional Board of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Environmental Conservation of Venice and Lagoon. Good to know: Local architects and artisans were engaged to restore the hotel. The restoration process included the incorporation of modern hydraulic engineering to protect the building during high tides, allowing the hotel to maintain its usual operations. Environmentally-friendly measures were adopted, such as the use of LED lighting throughout the hotel’s public areas and guest rooms, the recycling of waste water and the replacement of windows to improve thermal and acoustic insulation.
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| Ruskin Patron Grand Canal Suite features an authentic oil painting of the renowned art historian. |
Luxury travel advisors seeking to put their top clients here can contact Account Director Federica Oriente ([email protected]; 011-0039-0041-2400-802) for special attention.
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| Hemingway Presidential Suite has imposing design features that evoke the sense of place of a Venetian Palace. |