Luxury Travel Advisor - January 2008 - (Page 20) SOFT, MUTED COLOR PALETTES and romantic floral patterns can be found throughout the Bauer Palladio Hotel & Spa (Junior Suite shown). best views of Venice. Room 164 in the Giudecca is quite large and is near the business center but is without canal views. Service here is top-notch for such a big property. General Manager Paolo Biscioni has run some of the best hotels in Italy; his executive assistant, Pietro Rusconi (pietro.rusconi@hilton. com; 39-041-272-3505), is the one to call for special requests. Rusconi grew up in the hotel business (father Natale is the recently retired managing director of the Cipriani) and thus has hospitality in his blood. Sales Account Manager Christina Nobis (christina.nobis@hilton.com; 39041-272-3316) also is an expert at making special things happen. The Molino Stucky Hilton, open all year, offers 24/7 boat service to various sites in Venice. ACCESS: Suggested Tips for Touring Giudecca GETTING AROUND Transportation between Giudecca and the rest of Venice is easy by boat. The major hotels have their own shuttles, which operate 24/7 between Giudecca, St. Mark’s Square and other stops. There are private taxi boats, which can be called by any hotel concierge, as well as public boats, which stop at wellmarked, covered stops. It takes about 10 minutes to go directly from Giudecca to St. Mark’s Square. DINING Restaurants on Giudecca range from small, family-run trattorias to elegant ristoranti. Ask the hotel concierge to check for opening times during the winter. Altanella (Calle de Erbe No. 268; 39-041-5227780), family-owned and -operated for close to a century, sits along one of Giudecca’s smaller side canals. The fresh seafood is wonderful and the atmosphere is relaxed and cozy. Great for lunch. Harry’s Dolci (Fondamenta San Biagio No. 773; 39-041-522-4844) offers casual dining on the water, with a bakery, restaurant and bar. Closed November through March. Mistra’ (Fondamenta San Giacome No. 212; 39-041-522-0743): Wander around docked boats and workshops to find this upstairs restaurant with a great view. At Aromi (Giudecca 810; 39-041-272-3311), the Molino Stucky Hilton’s elegant restaurant, Venetian chef Franco Luise creates straightforward, excellent food. Open all year. Bauer Palladio Garden Bar & Restaurant (San Marco 1459; 39-041-270-380) offers seating inside and in the private back garden, where there is a Mediterranean menu and outdoor barbecue. Closed November through March. Cip’s Club Restaurant (Giudecca 10; 39-041520-7744), at Hotel Cipriani, offers casual dining, including fresh seafood; tables overlook the canal and St. Mark’s Square. Open for dinner only. Closed November through March. SHOPPING The Giudecca factory of Fortuny, the maker of famous, fabulous and incredibly expensive fabric, opened in 1922. The showroom (Fondamenta San Biagio, Giudecca 805; 39041-522-4078) is open most days. At the other end of the spectrum is the weekly outdoor market at Sacca Fisola. Ask the hotel concierge to confirm time and exact location. Hotels on Giudecca all have their own boutiques and other interesting shops are opening on the island all the time. The art scene on Giudecca is hopping. Artists’ studios include those of well-known American sculptor Joan Fitzgerald and British painter Geoffrey Humphries (www.galleryhol lysnapp.com). Giudecca 795 (www.giudec ca795.com) shows various artists. Much of the most exciting work can be seen at Pierre Higonnet’s Galleria del Leone (39-339-6886954), near the waterbus station GiudeccaPalanca. Opening hours are generally 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. daily; call for an appointment and check opening hours. PRIVATE TOURS Exclusive tours with Tudy Sammartini (www. veneziasammartini.com; teodoraolga.sam martini@tin.it; 39-041-528-8146) are great fun. A prolific writer of books about Venice, she organizes exclusive small tours, which might even include her own rooftop patio. 20 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | January 2008 http://www.galleryhollysnapp.com http://www.galleryhollysnapp.com http://www.giudecca795.com http://www.giudecca795.com http://www.veneziasammartini.com http://www.veneziasammartini.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.