Luxury

The Gritti Palace (VE)

by Lavinia Colonna Preti
The Gritti Palace (VE) — Veneto Secrets

One of the most exclusive hotels rich in works of art in the world, The Gritti Palace contains all the magic of Venice, having been the residence of the powerful Doge Andrea Gritti and later the home of many celebrities, from John Ruskin to Ernest Hemingway.

The feeling, when you cross the threshold of The Gritti Palace, a splendid palace on the Grand Canal overlooking the Basilica della Salute, is that of entering a timeless private residence because, unique in the world, its rooms tell us 5 centuries of history, art and good living.

Built in 1475 by the Pisani family, in the 1500s it became the residence of the powerful doge Andrea Gritti who made it even more precious by enriching it with decorations and works by famous artists, a tradition that was also continued by the subsequent owners, especially in the mid-1800s by Baroness Susanna Eyb Vetzlar, to finally become an icon of international hospitality in 1895.

The Gritti Palace (VE) — Veneto Secrets
The Gritti Palace (VE) — Veneto Secrets

That’s the hotel where we’re stopping at, Jackson (…) It was probably the best hotel, if you did not wish to be fawned on, or fussed over, or over-flunkied, in a city of great hotels, and the Colonel liked it a lot.

(Across the river and into the trees, Ernest Hemingway)

Original decorations and details returned to shine in 2013 when, after a long restoration, The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, reopened its magnificent rooms to the public, continuing its tradition as a treasure trove of art and beauty. All the original decorations, from the wooden ceilings, to the marble floors up to the appliques made of Murano glass, have been restored by skilled craftsmen, while, inspired by the charm of the Grand Tour and the explorers of the 1800s, rooms and common areas have been embellished with new furniture and artwork.

Apotheosis of beauty is the Explorer’s Library, the wonderful lounge of the Gritti where the protagonist is the portrait of the “master of the house”, the Doge Andrea Gritti made in Tiziano Vecellio’s atelier and “brought back home” having purchased it at a Sotheby’s auction in 2016. The refined eye will recognize many other precious works of art such as the paintings by Pietro Longhi or the original baroque counter from an ancient Sicilian church that adorn the Bar Longhi.

The Gritti Palace (VE) — Veneto Secrets

Celebrated by countless writers and movie directors, from Woody Allen who shot Everyone says I love you here to Ernest Hemingway who moved in for long periods while he was writing the novel dedicated to Venice and its Lagoon (check for the lovely Hall of Fame on the ground floor where the photos autographed by famous guests are kept), today The Gritti Palace offers 61 rooms and 21 suites, all furnished, just like a house, in different styles inspired by the history of the hotel.

Embellished by the Rubelli maison, which has recreated special fabrics on the basis of rare designs from the historical archive of the house, you can choose your dream room according to your taste. From the Redentore Terrezza Suite, with a wonderful private panoramic rooftop of 250m2 overlooking the Grand Canal (also available for exclusive evenings or events), to the John Ruskin Suite, inspired by the study of a 19th century gentleman, with precious 18th century Viennese straw furniture and Indochinese antiquities, up to the more modern Donghia Suite, a tribute to the design interiors created in the 70s by Angelo Donghia, founder of the company of the same name.

The Gritti Palace (VE) — Veneto Secrets
The Gritti Palace (VE) — Veneto Secrets

The Gritti Palace boasts also the Club del Doge fine dining restaurant from which you can enjoy one of the most beautiful panoramic views of Venice, celebrated by some of the most famous artists in the world, and the Riva Lounge cocktail bar. Created in collaboration with the famous manufacturer of luxury boats with a design inspired by the Dolce Vita, it is characterized by refined details in polished wood and stainless steel.

The Hotel also offers some of the most exclusive and fun entertainment in Venice, such as the Riva Experience, aboard Il Doge, the elegant Aquariva motorboat available by reservation for itineraries in the Lagoon, the Gritti SPA – Sisley Paris, for refined beauty treatments with a private Turkish bath decorated with precious Venetian mosaics and a gym with Technogym equipment, and The Gritti Epicurean School, a retro-style Venetian cooking school where tastings and cooking classes are held to discover the Venetian culinary traditions.

The Secret

Comfort at the Gritti is a serious matter, some examples? Each guest can enjoy a dedicated personnel service, the bathrooms are decorated with 7 different types of marble in precious 90 cm wide slabs, and a 2000 square meter containment tank has been built on the ground floor which guarantees guests complete safety even in the case of high water.

Useful Info

The Gritti Palace – A Luxury Collection Hotel
Campo Santa Maria del Giglio
30124 Venezia
Tel. +39 041 794611

Rooms from 1000 euro in high season

Club del Doge Restaurant (May-Oct from 19.00, in winter open also for lunch)
First courses: 24 — 34 euro
Second courses: 44 — 52 euro

The Gritti Terrace (May-Oct from 12.00 to 18.00)
Snacks and salads: 22 — 35 euro
First courses: 24 — 34 euro
Second courses: 37 — 43 euro

Bar Longhi & Riva Lounge (11.00 — 1.00, terrace open weather permitting)
Cocktails: from 16 euro

Afternoon tea (15.00 — 18.00 @ Bar Longhi and The Gritti Terrace)
Tea served with a selection of mini sandwiches, pastries and organic jams: 38 euro per person

The Gritti Epicurean School: cooking classes from 245, lunch included, upon reservation.

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