We had a really good time at the Gritti Palace. With so many hotels to choose from, you wonder whether your expectations are going to be met. It was also the first time that we were going to a chain-related hotel (Starwood) for our holidays but we really were pleasantly surprised.
The palace is beautiful, very “Venetian” but it is not intimidating as the staff is really very nice, especially the concierge and especially with Mademoiselle. It was a great base for our Venice stay.
Below I go in details about the rooms, the location and you even get a video tour!
Gritti Palace Details
- 82 rooms
- From 430 Euros
- Click here for the latest prices and book*
My Gritti Palace review
What we liked | Zut alors! |
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The perfect Venice location
The Gritti Palace is right on the Grand Canal and arriving there by water taxi was really a treat even in the rain! You are only 10 min walk from Piazza San Marco and there is a boat bus stop just 3 minutes from the hotel.
Just outside of the entrance, there is also a stop for a Traghetto (those gondolas that go across the canal) which takes you to the Peggy Guggenheim on the other side in 5 minutes! And a Gondola base as well.
In short, it is VERY well located.
The rooms at Gritti Palace, Venice – room tour in video
We had a Giglio room, which is the middle category. Because I had signed up to the Starwood loyalty programme, I was able to benefit from an offer of 4 nights for the price of 3, including breakfast and free wifi.
The room, as you see in the photos and the video tour, was beautiful with rich fabrics (even the wall was covered in fabrics), a nice entrance and a great bathroom. Mademoiselle’s roll away bed was neatly tucked in the corner and she liked having her little space.
The great surprise was the view onto the canal. Usually with this category, you look towards the back of the hotel on a little square (so not too bad). But we got a side view onto the canal!
The food at Gritti Palace
Prosecco at breakfast! Doesn’t that tell you a lot? Yes, the breakfast was quite splendid. Lots to choose from. I particularly liked the dried fruits that they make on site. The pancakes that Mademoiselle had thought were not made fresh so I advise against them.
Breakfast is served in the grandiose dining room which is also where the gastronomic restaurant is. Gilded mirrors, painted ceilings and lots of white napkins all around! We didn’t try diner but we had room service and lunch on the terrace and both were great.
You can also have cooking lessons in the beautiful private room which you see in the photos.
The Gritti Palace lounges and bar
The bar with its terrace onto the grand canal is great! The cocktails are delicious, they come with things to nibble on and the waiter is so friendly and fun. The inside bar is also cozy in the winter and makes you feel a bit like a celebrity. There is a kind of old school glamour to it. Do go on the terrace even when it’s cold. Nothing beats seating there at day or night and just watching the peaceful canal and grand buildings across.
The other lounges are in the open hallway and while they tried to make them appealing with rich red furnishings, they are actually too open for me and didn’t provide a sense of coziness. We never sat there when this is actually what we really liked in hotels. Better to go on the terrace (told you I really liked it)!
The service at Gritti Palace
Finally, I highly recommend using the concierge services. The various concierges were a lot of fun to chat with and very helpful. If you don’t speak Italian, ask them to book restaurants for you. We did that even before getting to Venice a couple of weeks before and it was really contributing to feeling relaxed there.
Mr Big and I also enjoyed a great massage at the Acqua di Parma spa. There is pool, just treatment cabins but the smell is great and the therapists were really expert at delivering a very relaxing massage. I also appreciated that they didn’t waste 10 minutes at the start or the end chatting. It was a full 60 minutes of body bliss!
Gritti Palace review – the verdict
In short, a really really great stay with warm welcome to us as a family, wonderful service, location and sense of space. Yes, it is expensive but everything is in Venice. Make sure to check if you can get the same kind of deals we got.
Venice is a wonderful place to go to at any time of the year. Make sure to read my ideas for a 4 days family stay!