MyPrestige | Page 100

The rich, multicoloured marble and elegant lines of the St. Mark’s Basilica brightened by the sunlight, reflecting on the windows of Hotel Concordia, the only hotel in the city of the Doges directly in St. Mark’s Square, beside the Neo-classical See of the patriarch of Venice. A building that has been accommodating Italian and foreign visitors to Venice for more than three centuries. The Beggiato family has been expertly running the hotel over three generations, adding its own tradition since the start of the 20th century when Mr. Tiberio Beggiato turned what was a small guesthouse into a renowned hotel. Ever since, the women of the Beggiato family have kept the family tradition alive, proficiently merging customs and innovation, tending to the premises as they tend to their homes. myPrestige: Carmen Del Pezzo, what does Venice mean to you? Carmen del Pezzo, General Manager: Venice is literally everything for me. Venice is art in every form and fabulous architecture. If you want to go to the theatre and see opera or maybe a play, you can. On the other hand, if you prefer music there will always be a concert (or a dozen) somewhere in Venice. Do you prefer museums and history? You will find some of the best 17th and 18th Century museums like Palazzo Correr with its permanent exhibition (precious paintings, archaeological remains and of course the book and manuscript collection of the Biblioteca Marciana) together with charming temporary exhibitions. And that’s just one place! You could visit the Museum of Accademia or maybe even Palazzo Mocenigo and its heavenly perfume and fabric exhibition. For contemporary art you will not only find the famous Guggenheim museums but also the Punta della Dogana with their permanent exhibition from the Pinault collection, and Palazzo Grassi nearby. You can go shopping in the best and most exclusive boutiques of the world, or maybe choose the precious creations of local, high profiled artisans. After experiencing the best of Venice, you can even enjoy the finest cuisine, ranging from traditional to nouvelle cuisine and of course taste the best wines. For a moment of quiet and respite, you could take a stroll down Riva degli Schiavoni to the gorgeous Giardini – extensive gardens that do not only serve as a green area for locals to enjoy their own town, but also host the main Biennale pavilions and exhibitions. For me it’s like living in paradise! Every day it’s like being on holiday, even after a workday. I must say that Venice has proved to be my ideal habitat for both work and private life. We have really made ‘savoir vivre’ into an art, here in Venice. Even the ‘acqua alta’ is part of it. I always heard about it but I had to live in Venice and experience it to understand that far from preventing the normal flow of daily life it’s actually part of it and it doesn’t hinder the enjoyment of the wonders of Venice. Quite simply, life goes on, tides notwithstanding! Furthermore, it is something incredible, and that must be seen at least once in a lifetime. 99 HOTEL CONCORDIA VENICE 98 Carmen Del Pezzo General Manager VENICE HOTEL CONCORDIA Hotel Concordia Venice www.hotelconcordia.com And what does the Hotel Concordia Venezia mean to you? Hotel Concdordia is a big challenge for me! It’s the kind of cozy, intimate, precious boutique Hotel that’s a dream for a feminine direction. It shares a lot with the management of one’s own home: the taste for small, elegant details and the desire for a quiet, comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. Can you tell us your favorite place in the hotel ? Of course that would be an intimate table next to the windows overlooking the breathtaking marbles and mosaics of St. Mark’s Basilica in our Restaurant ‘La Piazzetta’. When is the best time to travel to Venice ? 365 days a year of course! One should be able to experience Venice in every season of the year, from the mystery and quiet of winter to the warm golden hues of autumn, from the glory of spring to the beauty of summer. Even if you know the city very well, do you still discover new things in Venice? Absolutely! Venice is like a labyrinth and there are always small, mysterious corners that you may have passed dozens of times and where you end up by mistake. I believe this is one of the most important elements in the everlasting charm of Venice. Sometimes you wait for Giacomo Casanova to appear from behind a corner… Photos: HO Das Hotel Concordia in Venedig liegt magisch: Es hat mehr als zwanzig Zimmer mit einem atemberaubenden Fenster- oder Terrassenausblick über die Kuppeln und deren Mosaike des Markusplatzes. Diese scheinen zum Greifen nahe, doch sind nicht das einzige Gefühl, das Sie während Ihres Aufenthaltes in diesem zwar mittelgrossen, doch qualitativ und traditionell grossartigen 4-Sterne-Hotel in Altstadtlage überwältigt. Das Hotel wird sehr persönlich geführt und hat eine Atmosphäre von warmherziger Gastfreundschaft und raffinierter Eleganz: antikes Mobiliar und Lampen aus Murano in allen sich voneinander unterscheidenden und besonders stilvollen Zimmern.