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Story and photography by Susan McKee
Hotel Danieli
Riva Degli Schiavoni 4196,
Venice, 30122
Italy
Phone: 39-041-522.6480
Voices of ghosts echo throughout the halls of the Danieli. Now a very elegant hotel, it was built as Palazzo Dandolo, where the first opera was performed in Venice in the 17th Century. It was converted to a hotel in the early 1800s, and quickly attracted a famous clientele, among them the writers George Sand and Charles Dickens, and the artist John Ruskin. You can’t beat the location: it’s right on the water, just steps from the Bridge of Sighs and not more than a block from the Doge’s Palace with Piazza San Marco just beyond.
The magnificent lobby is the historic heart of the Danieli. Stop in just to have a drink in the two-story lobby. Breakfast is served on the top level, with an open terrace overlooking the Grand Canal: if the weather is at all cooperative, this is the place to be on a Venetian morning, overlooking a sleepy city before the cruise ships discharge their thousands of day-trippers.
 My room was in this same “new” section of the building – evident from the exterior but not from inside. A recent renovation made the interior look as old and atmospheric as the historic rooms I peeked into in the original palazzo. Best part: the balcony! I had a balcony big enough for chairs and a table overlooking the Grand Canal of Venice – a sight worth more than the surcharge for such a magnificent view.
Dinner at the Danieli also was magnificent, with the kitchen supervised by Executive Chef, G. N. Colucci. We started with a medley of tastes: beignets with tiny shrimp, scallops with polenta and a crab-and-avocado mélange a lot like an upscale guacamole. After the main course – duck – and a ricotta soufflé with raisins and pine nuts, we finished with a dessert of frozen chocolate and pistachio gelato served on a circle of crushed ice and garnished with dried pineapple, physalis and rice crisps.
The Danieli is one of three top properties in Venice operated by Starwood. The other two also are located on the Grand Canal: the Westin Europa & Regina and Hotel Gritti Palace. Hotel rates in Venice are usually at their lowest in January and February, but that’s when the cultural life of the city is at its best.
If you go:
Hotel Danieli, Venice:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=72
The Westin Europa & Regina, Venice:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=75
Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=73
© November 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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