Ca'Pisani Hotel ★★★★SUP

This 14th-century palazzo once belonged to a great Venetian admiral, Vettor Pisani. His seafaring life is alluded to here and there in the décor and details. Your key, for example is an ebony fish that you wave in front of the hieroglyph next to your door to unlock it. The hotel was one of the first boutique hotels in Venice, and one of the earliest members of the prestigious Design Hotels group, thanks to its original concept, fabulous design, and flawless service.

The doors to the rooms are works of art unto themselves, illustrated with beautiful examples of geometric Art Deco marquetry. Each of the beds in the 29 rooms is a collector’s item, one of a kind. Some of them stand on marble flooring, others on hardwood floors draped in animal-print rugs. Silver-leafed cabinets conceal the television, mini-bar, and safe along with a writing shelf. Control everything – lights, curtains, blinds, and radio – from your bed at the push of a button.

If you’re feeling peckish, the wine and cheese bar on the ground floor is a great place to go for casual dining. La Rivista, named after the painting on the walls by Italian Futurist artist, Fortunato Depero, is decorated with a more graphic and modern style. Leather seating, bamboo floors, ebony tables and chairs, and a superbly original bar come together to create a cosy atmosphere in which to enjoy a cocktail or meal.

Nobody visits Venice to stay in their hotel all week. Located in the tranquil and arty neighbourhood of Dorsoduro, the Ca’Pisani is apart from the tourist crowds, yet perfectly placed to visit the town. St. Mark’s Square with its magnificent Basilica, clock tower, and gothic Doge’s palace, is just fifteen-minutes’ walk away. On your way there, stop at the Accademia Gallery, a museum dedicated to pre-19th-century art. If, however, you’re avoiding the paparazzi and really don’t want to leave the hotel, you can spend your time sunbathing on the rooftop terrace or steaming away any tension in the Turkish bath.

I leave you with the words of Jacopo Sansovino, a 16th-century Italian sculptor and architect whose work can be admired around St. Mark’s Square: “It is held by some that this word VENETIA signifies VENI ETIAM, that is, come again, and again, for however oft you come, you will always see new things, and new beauties.”