I remember vividly every detail of my first trip to Venice, more than a decade ago. I arrived by train and then sped through the canals on a vintage mahogany speedboat, my eyes staring wide as I attempted to take in the architecture of the palaces, the fabulous fashion, the painted boats of the gondoliers, the magnificent stonework of the churches, and everything else which dazzles you in La Serenissima. I disembarked at Gritti Palace and was completely overwhelmed.
Fortunately, I have been privileged to return many times since to Venice’s most exceptional hotel. The location, of course, is incomparable: Gritti Palace is right on the Grand Canal, looking straight across the Basilica Santa Maria and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. It is a 10-minute walk from St Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace. Had you visited Venice in the 16th century, however, Doge Andrea Gritti actually lived in the palace that still bears his name. After all, for more than 550 years, this has been Venice’s most exclusive address.
Gritti Palace began life as a private residence, but has been a hotel since 1895. Generations of royals and politicians, writers and celebrities have walked through its doors. The 10 signature suites all overlook the Grand Canal, the gondolas passing so close you could almost reach out and touch them; and the furniture, fabrics, and paintings are so opulent that they rival those in any Venetian museum. Sit at a writing desk and perhaps you’ll be inspired by the spirit of John Ruskin, who penned his famous treatise on Venetian art and architecture whilst staying here in the mid-19th century.
The Club del Doge Restaurant, restored by Venetian artisans, is sumptuous, and it is where I’d want to dine on a winter’s night. But when the days are long and the evenings warm, nothing beats eating outside on The Gritti Terrace. You must dress up in your most fashionable attire – the people-watching is sublime, and you are part of the spectacle – and then sip cocktails languidly as the sun sets over the lagoon.
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