GETAWAYS
AHH‘ VENICE’ – JUST THE WORD CONJURES UP AN UNRIVALLED ROMANTICISM, AN ENCHANTED MAGICAL ALLURE AND A DEEP URGE TO LOSE YOURSELF AMONGST ARCHITECTURAL SPLENDOR, THE LABYRINTH OF WATERWAYS AND CANALS, AND TINY STREETS AND SECRET CAMPI( SQUARES) THAT MAKE THIS PLACE REALLY QUITE SPECIAL.
And when travelling to a location that is so unique it really pays to stay somewhere quite special too … as I truly appreciated as I fell under the enchanting spell of the
BELMOND HOTEL CIPRIANI, VENICE
BY SAMANTHA READY
The Belmond Hotel Cipriani opened its lavish doors back in 1958 under the watchful eye of namesake Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry’ s Bar in Venice and inventor of the Bellini no less. Whilst the hotel changed hands in the 70s and rebranded to Belmond in 2014, his legacy for the finest luxury and the finest of times continues to be seen all around the stunning 95-room abode which is set on Guidecca Island at the heart of the Venetian archipelago.
Arriving at Marco Polo airport after a short 1-hour 40-minute flight from London, I opted to transfer to the hotel via the Alilaguna public water taxi. The trip is one of the cheapest options and takes about 75 minutes as it stops at each ferry point on route, and whilst you could instead opt for private water taxis or boat transfers, we used this time to find our bearings, plan some activities and take in our first( awe-inspiring) glimpses of the city.
Our destination was St Mark’ s, or San Marco, the epicentre of Venice’ s tourist hub home to Doge’ s Palace, St Mark’ s Basilica and the Campanile Bell Tower, and of course the superb location of the Cipriani’ s private launch. We boarded the sleek wooden boat, taking prime seats at the rear and sped the five minutes across the lagoon to the hotel – what a way to arrive!
And the awe didn’ t stop there. Belmond says that Venice is“... a glorious, theatrical experience that touches all the senses. And if Venice is a theatre, Belmond Hotel Cipriani is the Royal Box,” and that is still probably an understatement!
The hotel offers that wonderful( and often unattainable) combination of not only being a luxury residence, but also of commanding a prime location affording the hotel, and us as its welcome guests, not only unrivalled views of the lagoon itself with its stunning calming vistas, but also to the wonderful buildings beyond including Doge’ s Palace, Basilica di Santa Maria and the church and bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore. It is truly breathtaking.
Service is as you would expect from a luxury hotel – discreet, professional and unfaltering but with a natural Italian charm.
Checked in with ease, the wonder continued as the doors opened to our second floor lagoon view suite. The entrance gave way to a spacious lounge area with sofa, table and desk before Venetian mirrored double doors opened into the plush bedroom with king size bed and luxurious fabrics, which in turn led to the marbled bathroom, complete with Bulgari toiletries, separate WC and shower, full size bath, double vanity and wardrobe. But the best bit? Throwing open the balcony doors to reveal a huge suite-length balcony with views across the lagoon – simply beautiful!
After a coffee on the balcony we had time to travel back to St Mark’ s square and do a little sightseeing which helped to build up an appetite before heading back for dinner.
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