Amid a mild protest on the lack of tasteful boutique hotels in Venice, I am impressed by one designer hotel that stands out amongst the others. I was so happy when artist Leila Hekmat commented today from the Venice Biennale to share with us the clean lines and simple design of Palazzo Soderini, her fresh antidote to the abundance of frilly and theatrical hotels in the city.
You can imagine the sheer volume between legions of Venice Biennale fans and the throngs of camera-clicking tourists, Leila was thrilled when she found one room left at the Palazzo; a home base to set off for Venetian adventures of the artistic and culinary kind. The location was in Castello, Venice's eastern edge, not far away from St. Mark's square and the vaporetto stop at San Zaccaria but far enough away from the crowds that it felt far away (do you follow?)
The rooms at Palazzo Soderini are minimalist (to say the least), but boast lots of room and a pleasant line of rosemary toiletries.
When it's warm, relish in an al fresco breakfast on the terrace, overlooking a darling garden of cherry trees and a turtle pond. So nice to have that freshly brewed cup of coffee in hand as you peruse the bright, spacious breakfast bar of just-baked croissants, Italian cheeses and buttery prosciutto, and toasted granola with seasonal fruits and yogurt.
Thank you again Leila for the Venice hotel tip!
Palazzo Soderini, Campo Bandiera e Moro, Castello 3611, Venice Italy
Tel 039.041.296.0823