Reimagined by architect Aline Asmar d’Amman, the upcycled palazzo mirrors an Opera set
Picture it: If Peggy Guggenheim and Elton John dreamed up a hotel, it would be the Orient Express Venezia. This maximalist fever dream in Cannaregio is crammed with Venetian touches—think custom Bevilacqua fabrics and hundreds of Murano-made chandeliers.
The eight-year reimagining of the cotton-candy-pink Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, built in the 1400s, was overseen by Aline Asmar d’Amman. The bones are impressive, with rare, double frontage onto two canals, and countless freschi, mosaics and other historic holdovers from its centuries as a noble home.
Wandering the common areas of the 47-room property is like meandering through an elaborate opera set, with frescoed ceilings, a gilded ballroom, and mosaic-tiled floors, plus a showstopping octagonal staircase that’s irresistibly sashay-ready. (We won’t blame you if you burst into a few bars of Don Giovanni.)
Among the rooms here, the standouts are the six signature suites, tucked into the roomier piano nobile. Each is distinctive in design and size, up to 1,560 square feet: the Colori Persi suite pays tribute to the faded or almost lost colours which are the default Venetian palette—hence the name—while the Cherubini Suite is anchored by an original Sebastiano Santi frieze of the child-like angel and a monumental; 1950s chandelier by Carlo Scarpa.
Its amenities tick the typical boxes: Heinz Beck’s behind the fanciest spot, while the all-day dining restaurant La Casati honors the eccentric aristocrat Luisa, who once owned the building which became the Guggenheim Venice. The art deco-tinged Wagon Bar nods to the company’s history with trains.
What truly sets it apart, though, is its location. Do you really want to fight the crowds on the waterfront as you step out of the Daniele or be forced to flee to Giudecca to take refuge at the Cipriani? Exactly. Orient Express Venezia sits, discreetly, within walking distance of every attraction, but most people wouldn’t even realize it was there. It’s also a short water taxi ride from the station here, where a new fleet of Orient Express trains will soon start stopping. All that, of course, is exactly the point.
This story was first published on Robb Report USA. Featured photo by Giulio Ghirardi