Whereas in Venice, we obtained to remain in a historic resort on Lido de Venezia or Lido Island, which hosts the Venice Movie Competition yearly. The first Venice Movie Competition came about 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 resort 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 resort.
Our dwelling for 2 nights was Albergo Quattro Fontane, a beautiful 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 this planet.
Lido Island is without doubt one of the two barrier islands within the Venetian Lagoon with sandy seashores, unique lodges and trip houses of rich Venetians.
For the reason that resort is simply 5 minutes away from the venue of the Venice Movie Competition, it’s no shock that Albergo Quattro Fontane has grow to be a star hotspot for giant names within the movie business. Not like Venice itself, which might get filled with vacationers, Lido Island has a quiet, residential really feel.
The resort is only a fast “vaporetto” (water taxi) experience away from St. Mark’s Sq. and the primary sightseeing spots, so guests can simply spend the day there and retreat to the peaceable resort at evening. The resort can also be a 5-minute stroll to Lido Seashore.
Albergo Quattro Fontane retains a number of unique options from its unique construction, together with wood-beamed ceilings and sculptures.
It appears to be like beautiful from the surface, with vines rising up the doorway and home windows. I liked the floral gardens and fountain close to the foyer entrance. The resort interiors are heat, homey and welcoming. You may sense the resort’s wealthy historical past all over the place you look.
In case you’re a fan of the Cottage-core aesthetic, you’ll really feel instantly at dwelling right here. The foyer and comfortable library are the stuff of Pinterest goals. 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 resort 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 satisfy, speak, gamble and luxuriate in themselves, particularly at evening.
Within the nineteenth century, it turned a tavern and inn, frequented by the poet Robert Browning himself. Between 1905 and 1926, the inn was remodeled right into a country-style luxurious resort.
Parts of the previous structure had been integrated within the resort’s design, together with the collection 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 resort keycard, a rarity as of late. 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 toilet a tad small, I discovered these facets a part of the resort’s attraction.
The room felt very cozy and lived in, with trendy comforts like a minibar and personal rest room 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 without doubt one of the first issues we do after checking into a brand new resort or arriving in a brand new metropolis, so we had been glad to discover a small deli close by to purchase chips and beer to snack on later within the room. There have been a number of institutions and meals stalls alongside the seashore, however all had been closed after we handed by.
You don’t should go removed from the resort to get a very good meal. Quattro Fontaine has an in-house restaurant and a comfy bar/lounge that spills into the charming backyard.
We loved the resort’s buffet breakfast with a view of the nice Fifteenth-century fire. Throughout summer season months, company also can 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 evening 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 comfortable lounge bar serves a big selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. After dinner, we capped the night with a few beers within the bar’s backyard.
We did our fair proportion 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 resort.
With out taking the funds into consideration, if I needed to decide between staying in a contemporary enterprise resort or a boutique mattress and breakfast like this one with a great deal of character, I’d positively decide the latter for the expertise.
Residenza d’Epoca Albergo Quattro Fontane, Lido de Venice, Italy. Ebook room stays right here.
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