In Venice’s hip Dorsoduro neighborhood, situated on the Zattere promenade that overlooks the Giudecca Canal, is Il Palazzo Experimental, a thirty-two-room hotel, restaurant, and bar helmed by the Experimental Group, the team behind boutique hotels in Paris, London, and Menorca and cocktail bars around the world. In a city whose urban fabric is defined by gothic architecture, grand baroque churches, and Old World glamour, Il Palazzo Experimental is a refreshing deviation filled with light and whimsy, a fairytale with edge, that remains, almost improbably, wholly Venetian.
The Check-In
Arriving in Venice, you quickly discover that the journey is a part of the fun when it comes to the Venetian experience. If you fly into Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), the best way to get to the hotel is by taking the bus to Piazzale Roma, then getting on the ACTV water bus. For those traveling regionally and arriving by train at Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia, the best route is by taking the public ACTV water bus. Water taxis are expensive and rather unnecessary, given that public transportation in Venice is reliable, efficient, and affordable. Pro tip: download the Che Bateo app, which will help you with water bus schedules and navigating your way through Venice throughout your stay.
The Look
While the hotel is a departure from the classic feel of old-world Venice, achieving a Venetian atmosphere was still paramount to designer Dorothée Meilichzon. By using Venetian materials like terrazzo, Marmorino, lacquer, and marble and twisting them into more modern colors and shapes, she fulfilled the vision with flying colors. Playful maximalism is grounded in distinctly Venetian design accents; think custom brass, chrome lighting, Breccia Capraia marble accents, sumptuous fabrics, and marble terrazzo scarpa flooring. The designer also played with stripes in both the hotel bedrooms and restaurants, which she describes as a nod to the city’s beloved gondoliers.
The Venetian spirit flows through in a more intimate way with the Experimental Cocktail Club, which was designed by the Milan-based designer Cristina Celestino, who studied architecture at the University of Venice. The details are an ode to both the city and its famed postmodern architect, Carlo Scarpa, with Marmorino walls, palladio mirrors in the shape of Serlian windows, polychrome marble countertops, and torchon rope throughout.
The Neighborhood
Il Palazzo Experimental is situated in the art-filled Dorsoduro neighborhood, and while it’s slightly off the main tourist path, it’s within close walking distance to some of the city’s biggest cultural attractions. The highlights include Ca’Rezzonico, a rococo and baroque palace on the Grand Canal with eighteenth century decorative art, Gallerie dell'Accademia, one of Venice’s most famous museums featuring thirteenth through seventeenth century Venetian art, and Palazzo Cini, a sixteenth century palace and art museum featuring Renaissance period art and sculpture. The neighborhood is one of the most charming in all of Venice, with various restaurants and shops within close proximity where you’ll find locals gathering at Dal Nono Colussi, an old Venetian pastry shop just five minutes from the hotel, or having a glass of wine at Enoteca Schiavi, one of Venice’s oldest cicchetti bars. Near the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, don’t miss the shop of Giorgio Nason, an iconic Murano glass artist, where you can pick up some jewels to take home to family and friends.
The Food
For its restaurant, the Experimental team partnered with Silvio Pezzana and Toto Dell’Aringa, of East London’s Italian Supper Club on Il Ristorante Adriatica, which sources seasonal produce from Italy’s Adriatic Coast, from Veneto’s fresh ricotta to Puglian prawns. The food puts a creative spin on traditional Italian fare, like Arrosticini with cumin and sichuan pepper sauce.
The Drink
It’s still cocktails, though, that remain the main draw to Experimental Group’s hotels, as the brand opened its first bar in Paris in 2007, quickly becoming a pioneer of the city’s mixology scene. The hotel bar, Experimental Cocktail Club is confirmation of a new awakening in Venice’s own drinking culutre. The bar is run by mixology maestro Lorenzo Di Cola who has crafted a bespoke cocktail menu that includes many vemouth-based libations. There’s also a cicchetti bar featuring traditional Italian bar fare like the bombetta fritta with bottarga and burrata or parmigiano croquettes, for those craving a bite with their nightcap.
The Check-Out
Once you’ve conquered Venice’s rite of passages, like having a coffee at Caffè Floran, marveling over St. Mark’s basilica, or having a drink at Harry’s Bar, be sure to stroll through Cannaregio, a former industrial district and ghetto for Jews during the 1500s, with a stop at Vino Vero for a glass of natural wine. Also worthwhile is a visit to San Polo’s quieter west side, where you can hit Legatoria Polliero Venezia, an old book and paper shop, as well as Scuola Grande di San Rocco, which features the works of sixteenth century Renaissance artist Tintoretto. Charming small shops, like Piedàterre’s Santo Stefano store, line the streets of San Marco, west of Teatro La Fenice—oh, and definitely catch an opera while you’re there. If you’re not spent from your time in Venice, take a boat trip to the neighboring islands of Murano and Burano and time your return back into Venice to enjoy sunset at sea.
