48 Hours at Londra Palace, Venice
Venice is still one of the most charming and romantic cities in the world. Due to the Covid-19 crisis, it got even more attractive for us to plan a few days in the city of lagoons. Without sharing the city with a thousand tourists from all over the world, you could indeed enjoy the real Venice and embrace every little bit of it. We drove from South Tyrol through the dolomites with a short break in Cortina d’Ampepzzo a must-see in the alps and for me also one of the most stunning places in the world. Also highly recommended during the winter season. After leaving the alps, we entered the real Italian countryside and made our way through the Prosecco area of Veneto. The hills got smaller, and you could already smell the Seabreeze. In Conegliano one of the most important places in the Prosecco area we had our lunch before heading to our home for the next night. Another place you have to visit when going to Venice is the Noventa di Piave designer outlet for all the shopaholics. And the best part: it’s just thirty minutes to the Tronchetto parking, which is the main parking garage when driving to Venice by car. After having stored our four wheels, it was time for the real Venetian adventure. So of course we splurged and took a water taxi to the hotel. Alternatively, you can also take one of the Vaporettos (which is like a floating bus) to the city centre, taking fifteen minutes and costing approximately seven euros per person. To be honest, by taking the taxi boat you will have the chance to drive for about twenty minutes because you will be going through all those little canals. And all taxis are Riva boats which are almost as romantic as a „Gondola“. As we arrived at the Canale Grande and came closer to the Piazza San Marco we could already see the Londra Palace. For me, it’s one of the best-located hotels in Venice – of course with the famous neighbouring property. After entering through the main entrance, we were warmly welcomed at the front desk, which was surrounded by lovely fragrant flowers.
We were accompanied to our fantastic suite, and after entering you immediately felt like a nobleman back in the day. There was a generous bedroom with luxurious wallpapers which matched the art in the room perfectly – old curtains on gold plates, portraits of important Venetian personalities and oil paintings of the city back in the days. The room also had a small separate living room with a tiny lounge area serving as a cosy corner. The bathroom of this suite was the next eye-catcher – and of course, it was all marble. Everything in this bathroom was so luxurious: from the perfect rain shower head, the fabulous smelling Ortigia shampoo and soap to the comfy and soft towels. Admitting that definitely, the best part of this room was the balcony. It was one of the most beautiful places I have been to so far. Imagine staying on a balcony looking down to the Canale Grande and feeling that you could touch the Piazza San Marco. Feeling that Venice harbour vibes. I have to tell you this was so awesome. I could have stayed there for weeks just watching this view in all moods of the day. After finally getting over this beauty of a hotel, we decided to head into the jungle of canals and explore the city. We were passing by the Palaces on Piazza San Marco as well as the dome. Later, we dived into the small streets and got lost in all those little details. Our place for lunch was Osteria La Zucca which is famous for their pumpkin lasagne – highly recommended. In the evening we had a reservation at the Terrazza Danieli the most beautiful sunset view of Venice and also an excellent restaurant. And it’s even worth visiting because you could visit the wonderful hotel which you probably know of a couple of Hollywood movies like James Bond or The Tourist with Johnny Depp. The next day we woke up and the first thing we had to do was, of course, go out to the balcony and breathe in that ocean breeze with a freshly brewed espresso. Later on, we went down to the restaurant to enjoy our proper Venetian breakfast. We could sit outside in the sun directly by the Canale Grande while having our full served breakfast. That’s also something we love about a la carte breakfast because it’s not that stressful as a buffet. We had fresh orange juice and a cappuccino paired with an omelette, fresh bread with homemade jams, yoghurt with fresh fruits and croissants—the perfect way to start the day. All in all, Londra Palace is a truly luxurious property perfectly matching the Venetian vibes and incorporating the philosophy of Relais & Chateaux. Speaking of location and service, this hotel must be the number one of all individual hotels (since most five-star hotels in Venice are part of a vast chain).
