Whereas in Venice, we bought to remain in a historic lodge on Lido de Venezia or Lido Island, which hosts the Venice Movie Competition yearly. The first Venice Movie Competition befell on Lido Island in August 1932. The 81st movie competition is going on from August to September 2024, with stars congregating at “Palazzo del Cinema,” a 1937-era theater simply 5 minutes away from the lodge we stayed in.
After a few hours touring from Rome to Venice with a hearty lunch at a villa within the Tuscan countryside, our bus boarded a ferry from the mainland en path to Lido Island and the lodge.
Our house for 2 nights was Albergo Quattro Fontane, a stunning country-style chalet with floral gardens only a 5 minute stroll to the seashore in addition to the cinema that hosts the oldest movie competition on the earth.
Lido Island is likely one of the two barrier islands within the Venetian Lagoon with sandy seashores, unique accommodations and trip houses of rich Venetians.
For the reason that lodge is simply 5 minutes away from the venue of the Venice Movie Competition, it’s no shock that Albergo Quattro Fontane has turn out to be a celeb hotspot for large names within the movie business. Not like Venice itself, which might get full of vacationers, Lido Island has a quiet, residential really feel.
The lodge is only a fast “vaporetto” (water taxi) trip away from St. Mark’s Sq. and the primary sightseeing spots, so guests can simply spend the day there and retreat to the peaceable lodge at night time. The lodge can also be a 5-minute stroll to Lido Seaside.
Albergo Quattro Fontane retains a variety of unique options from its unique construction, together with wood-beamed ceilings and sculptures.
It seems to be attractive from the surface, with vines rising up the doorway and home windows. I beloved the floral gardens and fountain close to the foyer entrance. The lodge interiors are heat, homey and alluring. You may sense the lodge’s wealthy historical past all over the place you look.
In the event you’re a fan of the Cottage-core aesthetic, you’ll really feel instantly at house right here. The foyer and comfortable library are the stuff of Pinterest desires. I felt like I used to be staying in an enormous nation doll home with books, antiques, dolls, sailboats, and French bottles peeking out from each nook.
The lodge has an intriguing historical past because it sits on the spot of Venice’s first and solely “ridotto” or “on line casino” for Venetian aristocrats constructed between 1573 and 1575. On the time, casinos (which accurately means “little home” in Italian) had been unique venues for socializing, playing and romantic trysts. These dimly-lit institutions, had been as soon as patronized by the privileged courses, to pattern “rural delicacies” and to fulfill, discuss, gamble and luxuriate in themselves, particularly at night time.
Within the nineteenth century, it turned a tavern and inn, frequented by the poet Robert Browning himself. Between 1905 and 1926, the inn was reworked right into a country-style luxurious lodge.
Parts of the outdated structure had been integrated within the lodge’s design, together with the sequence of arches, the grand fire, and the 4 columns of the eating room.
The property has 60 rooms, all with interval furnishings, decor and particulars. We stayed in a double room and had been issued an precise room key as a substitute of a lodge keycard, a rarity lately. The room had an vintage mattress, wardrobe, decor and work.
Whereas some senior vacationers in our tour group discovered the small stairs resulting in the rooms a bit unwieldy to handle with massive suitcases and the lavatory a tad small, I discovered these elements a part of the lodge’s allure.
The room felt very cozy and lived in, with fashionable comforts like a minibar and personal lavatory with a hairdryer and toiletries.
After dropping our baggage and resting a bit, we strolled across the space. A visit to a grocery or comfort retailer is likely one of the first issues we do after checking into a brand new lodge or arriving in a brand new metropolis, so we had been joyful to discover a small deli close by to purchase chips and beer to snack on later within the room. There have been a couple of institutions and meals stalls alongside the seashore, however all had been closed once we handed by.
You don’t must go removed from the lodge to get a very good meal. Quattro Fontaine has an in-house restaurant and a comfortable bar/lounge that spills into the charming backyard.
We loved the lodge’s buffet breakfast with a view of the nice Fifteenth-century fire. Throughout summer season months, company may decide to take their meals within the flower backyard.
Their restaurant “Il Platano” serves typical Venetian delicacies and seafood dishes, a specialty of coastal areas in Italy.
We additionally had a pleasant candlelight dinner on our second night time right here after sightseeing round Venice*.
Artwork had the Seafood Pasta topped with clams, which tasted very briny and contemporary. We had been each lacking rice meals, so I attempted their Salmon Risotto, a creamy Italian rice dish, which was tasty and heartwarming.
The comfy lounge bar serves a wide array of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. After dinner, we capped the night with a few beers within the bar’s backyard.
We did our justifiable share of hotel-hopping throughout our journey to Europe visiting 10 international locations, however Albergo Quattro Fontane in Venice was essentially the most charming place we stayed in, and my favourite lodge.
With out taking the funds into consideration, if I needed to choose between staying in a contemporary enterprise lodge or a boutique mattress and breakfast like this one with a great deal of character, I’d positively choose the latter for the expertise.
Residenza d’Epoca Albergo Quattro Fontane, Lido de Venice, Italy. E book room stays right here.
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