Travel :: The Gritti Palace - Venice, Italy

As I mentioned last week, our last night in Venice was one of the most memorable of my life -- much because of our fantastic evening at Venice's most celebrated hotel, The Gritti Palace.  The five-star hotel, located along the prestigious Grand Canal, was first built as a royal residence in 1525 and converted to a hotel in 1948.  It has been a favorite of celebrities such as Ernest Hemingway and Peggy Guggenheim {both of which have glamorous suites named after them}, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.  The hotel recently underwent a $50 million dollar refurbishment and chose to restore rather than alter, housing sometimes upwards of 150 skilled artisans a day who painstakingly restored the hotel to historical context.  Everything from the art to the furniture to the textiles {reproduced from the hotels archives} were deliberately chosen to be true to the hotel's regal history.  And let me tell you, it was exactly how I imagined Venice -- elegant, opulent, romantic, and sumptuous.

The hotel houses 82 luxurious guest rooms and suites, a gourmet restaurant {we had the most amazing dinner there}, and an Epicurean School.  Rooms are filled with luxurious linens, Murano glass chandeliers, antique furniture, and offer stunning views of the Grand Canal and San Giorgio Maggiore.  The service was impeccable and the ambiance absolutely dreamy.  I can only hope that someday we will return to Venice and will be able to splurge on a couple of nights at the unforgettable Gritti Palace.