A few canals over from the Piazza San Marco and La Fenice opera house stands the Nolinski Venezia. Its majestic façade, adorned with mythical creatures, is a time capsule of Venetian history. Art Nouveau, Stile Liberty and Modernism are brought together in well-proportioned harmony throughout its interior. Classical and contemporary works of art indulge the eye in even the most tucked-away corners of the hotel.
One arrives at the second-ever Nolinski property, after Paris, by leaving terra ferma aboard a motorboat for an enchanting sea journey. On is deposited at their port of call elated, relaxed, transported to a different time, past the bustle of the city, to the tranquil rhythm of the gondolas and the distinctly Venetian alleys.
The hotel offers 43 unique rooms, including 13 suites, a quaint courtyard café, a bar-library, the Palais Royal fine-dining restaurant, the Ottoman-inspired spa, and a roof-top pool. All combining to offer the visitor a unique and timeless experience, in the heart of Venice.
The Hotel
The majestic facade of the hotel, which once housed Venice’s Stock Exchange, is discreetly positioned on one of the city’s widest and busiest streets. It is surrounded by some of Venice’s most iconic luxury boutiques, and is two canals away from the Piazza San Marco, and just over the bridge from La Fenice opera house.
The first Venetian building to have a reinforced concrete structure was completed in 1929. Only the campanile and duomo of the San Marco Basilica surpass it in height. Umberto Bellotto’s composite architectural style is rooted in an era that dared to mix Art Nouveau, Stile Liberty, and Modernism. The windows and balconies of the hotel are adorned with mythological ornamentation inspired by the sea.
Protected by Venice’s Historic Monuments laws, the building boasts multiple examples of the wrought iron structures unique to the city. Renovated and restored to their original glory, the terrazzo floors and stucco marmorino walls highlight traditional and uniquely Venetian craftsmanship. The contemporary interiors merge seamlessly with the historic structure, making it seem as if they have always been there.
Interior & Dining
The entrance to the hotel, utterly discreet, is through one of the old doors of the Stock Exchange, bearing the inscription Borsa. The entrance, past the lobby, leads to an inner courtyard where the terrace and interior of Il Caffè welcome hotel guests and locals seeking a haven of tranquillity. In the luxurious calm of the verdant courtyard, the only sound is the trickle of the fountain at its centre.
Stone floors, coffered ceilings, old bricks and white marmorino walls contrast with the warm, velvety tones of the decor. The furniture, inspired by gondolas, feature banquettes with glossy lacquered wood and chunky form. Wall mirrors and copper panels reflect and capture the city’s light. Il Caffè’s menu offers a selection of brilliantly executed Mediterranean-inspired local dishes using local ingredients.
On the third floor, the lavish lobby extends into the intimate Library Bar. Everything here – the wood, books, piano – is designed to make one feel at ease. As a tribute to Venice’s historic printing industry, a carefully curated library of over four thousand books grace the shelves.
The Palais Royal Restaurant Venezia, the hotel’s fine-dine venue, is set in the imposing former council chamber’s auditorium. The majestic curves of the restaurant’s magnificent Byzantine-style arches reach the full height of the room. An enormous chandelier from the 1950s, like an upside-down bouquet, demands attention while Sconces from the same period illuminate the dining room like stage lights. These listed and protected lights are the work of the distinguished Barovier company, based in Murano islands, near Venice, since the 13th century.
On the tables, glasses, crafted exclusively for Nolinski by master glassmaker Berengo Studio, reflect the nautical theme found throughout the hotel. The centre stage belongs to the culinary ballet orchestrated by Chef Philip Chronopoulos, who draws inspiration from French cuisine as well as from Italy and his native Greece.
Accommodation & Ammenities
The hotel’s 43 rooms, including the 13 suites, are unique, and offer unique experiences. No two resemble each other in terms of both architecture and space. While one room boasts a majestic ogival vaulted ceiling, another features beautiful beams that frame the night sky. However, All are inscribed with a sense of timelessness.
Each room is decorated with artworks and noble materials, some sculpted by hand using ancestral techniques. The headboards, for example, are made of stucco marbro, a warm, hand-made surface. Sliding doors, clad in contrasting metal feature mango wood joinery. The metal-framed blown glass lanterns, crafted by one of Venice’s master glassmakers, are inspired by those in the Doge’s Palace. In one room they subtly illuminate a portrait from the Quattrocento period; in another a contemporary sculpture.
The Italian Art Deco–style furniture takes its inspiration from Franco Albini’s bookcases, known for the way they attach to the ceiling and for their modular shelving. On display is a selection of beautiful books, Venetian handicrafts by the Berengo Studio and a substantial number of exceptional works of art. In a nod to the hotel’s façade, in each bathroom is a mosaic octopus with outstretched arms.
On the third floor, the Nolinski Spa, presented in collaboration with the Swiss beauty and wellness specialist La Colline, offers a sensory escape against the backdrop of an elegant, Ottoman-inspired decor. On the top floor, the hotel’s pool is the only one of its kind in Venice, offering a 360º panoramic view over the Venetian rooftops and the city skies. The elegant simplicity of the concrete supports, the floors, and the stone walls are in stark contrast to the opulence of the pool, decorated with gold mosaic tiles.
Some hotels have soul, while others are merely beautiful. The new Nolinski at Calle Larga XII Marzo, is one of those rare venues that possess both. And this quality is very much determined by the hotel’s location and its decor.
Nolinski is one of six hospitality brands of the Evok Collection. “Pierre Bastid, Romain Yzerman and I, the three co-founders of Evok, select our destinations through the lens of aspiration and emotion,” says Emmanuel Sauvage. “Venice is a city like no other. Like Paris, it conjures marvelous fantasies. That’s why we wanted it to come here straight after Paris.”
With regards to the hotel’s design approach, he says: “at the Nolinski Venezia, we are making the most of the building’s constraints. It’s not we who dictate the interior design, it’s the building that dictates it to us.”