Why book?
For a four-star boutique hotel that mixes original Art Deco furnishings, Futurist fixtures, and contemporary design elements, with excellent food by a talented female chef, and a great location in a quiet neighborhood—all at very competitive rates.
Set the scene
Occupying a building dating back to the 14th century, Ca’ Pisani was the first design hotel in Venice. Though it has undergone various upgrades and changes since then, it retains a retro vibe, with original Art Deco furnishings, Futurist fixtures, and 20th-century art, including a large tapestry by Magritte, colorful glass vases by Venini, and sketches by Fortunato Depero. Complementing the vintage architecture and design elements are colorful contemporary furnishings, including Cassina chairs and Fontana Arte lamps.
The rooms
The 29 rooms and suites channel Art Deco style, with original lacquered-wood headboards, vintage credenzas, and curtains woven by the heritage Venetian textile house Bevilacqua. The door to each room features a unique Futurist design made with inlaid wood, and all rooms come equipped with a flat-screen TV, espresso machine, and minibar. Some bathrooms have been updated with a walk-in shower, while others (including my room) have a shower-tub combo in starlight marble, which has flecks of shiny stone that seem to sparkle, but are slightly uncomfortable to climb into and out of. Dyson hairdryers and hair straighteners are available upon request.
Food and drink
Inspired by Depero’s La Rivista painting, Ristorante La Rivista has a distinctly futurist design, with tables made of midnight-blue starlight marble, bright yellow booths, porthole windows, vintage luggage racks, and lamps made of upside-down coffee pots. Don’t sleep on the chef’s homemade cakes and pastries come breakfast.
For lunch and dinner, it serves Venetian cuisine with a twist. It’s worth saving room for the tiramisu. My Italian friend and I agreed that the food here was better than some of the city’s more famous five-star hotels, where you pay much more.
The neighborhood/area
Dorsoduro feels blissfully removed from the crowds around St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge, but is bursting with charm. Within a 10-minute walk, you have the Gallerie dell’Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Ca’ Rezzonico, and the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, where you can gaze upon works by Titian and Tintoretto. On sunny days, Venetians love to stroll along the Zattere promenade facing Giudecca, perhaps stopping by Gelateria Nico for a gelato. Should you want to join the fray, simply cross over the Ponte dell’Accademia or take a gondola ferry from Punta della Dogana to St. Mark’s.
Worth it?
Yes—don’t forget to take in the 360-degree views of the city from the altana (a wooden rooftop terrace common in Venice).
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