A Guide to Venice's Northern Lagoon
On Burano, Bisol opened Casa Burano, a network of beautifully restored homes across Burano. To stay here is to feel like you live on Burano, which is a five-minute walk from Bisol’s restaurants at Venissa. There are five homes in total, and all very convenient if you’re traveling with groups of friends or family, as each house has multiple suites. Bisol partnered with some of the best design firms too, like Arclinea and Moroso to create comfortable suites where the best of Italian design is on showcase. The most advantageous part of staying at Casa Burano is the ability to have the village at your doorstep; you would do yourself a disservice if you didn’t visit lace makers, Emilia Burano, or have lunch at the storied Trattoria al Gatto Nero.
Every Aman resort is an opulent experience, and the 24-room Aman Grand Canal is quite possibly the most over-the-top and exclusive resort in town. It occupies the 16th-century residence of Palazzo Papadopoli, an extraordinary property embellished with paintings by Tiepolo, chinoiserie and painted ceilings, and silk-clad walls in many of the suites. All that said, the furnishing are chic and modern and a good, clean contrast to the original pomp of the palazzo. Aman’s Executive Chef Dario Ossola leads the hotel’s restaurant, Arva, which is new to Venice and a welcome addition. The food is local and seasonal—yellowtail tartare and veal tortellini with speck and taleggio cheese—and the new bar has a fantastic range of cocktails in every smoked confection imaginable.
Ca’ Maria Adele is one of the quaintest boutique hotels in the city, from both a design standpoint and by dint of its quiet location on the edge of Venice’s Dorsoduro district. It’s romantic, to say the least, with a playful take on Venetian inspired design. Next door to the main hotel is their ‘mini palace’, which is a stand-alone tiny palazzo perfect for small groups wanting to rent a space that feels more like a private residence. The mini palace is modern with nods to Venice design, but should you want to ham it up and sleep in a room that celebrates the lavish decorum from the days of the Venetian republic, reserve the hotel’s sexy, gold and red saturated Doge’s Room.