Aman Venice

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Synonymous with romance, the city of Venice in northeast Italy was built atop 118 small islands separated by winding canals. The entire city and its lagoon are listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, and the most famous of its waterways is the Grand Canal. Meandering through the heart of the city, it is lined with 170 gracious buildings, each between 200 and 700 years old. Today it is within one of these regal old palazzos that the 24-suite Aman Venice resides. The ancestral home of the Arrivabene family, Palazzo Papadopoli was built in the 16th century and offers an unusual feature in this floating city – two beautiful gardens alive with the gentle sounds of water all around. Guests usually arrive by boat, docking at a landing that leads directly into the palazzo’s Reception Hall. Imbued with a sense of bygone opulence with its soaring ceilings and historic frescoes, the atmospheric hall leads directly to the private gardens. From the Reception Hall, a sweeping staircase rises through two levels to the piano nobile, the grandest floor of any palazzo. At the top of the stairs, the vestibule leads to an elegant lounge in what was once the ballroom, with a balcony overlooking the Grand Canal. In the Yellow Dining Room adjacent, Aman’s signature Italian restaurant Arva claims sweeping Grand Canal views and a ceiling painted by Cesare Rotta. The convivial Bar overlooks the Canal Garden and is the perfect spot to watch the colours changing on the canal at sunset. Private dining can be enjoyed in the Blue Dining Room or the Palazzo Kitchen Table, while alfresco dining is offered in the Canal Garden. On the fourth level of the palazzo is the lofty-ceilinged Salon with views of the Grand Canal; Stanza del Tiepolo, the games room; Stanza del Guarana, the meeting room; and the Library, which houses a selection of antique books from Count Arrivabene’s private collection. Additional facilities include a serene spa, and a roof terrace. The spa is located on the third level and is accessed via a private staircase. It exudes the atmosphere of a secret sanctuary, providing three single treatment rooms, each with a dressing area and bathroom. There is also a small gym on the fourth level, offering commanding views of the city’s skyline. Accessed via stairs and a lift, Aman Venice’s intimate roof terrace offers panoramic views of the city’s rooftops and, on a clear day, the Alps. Almost all of Aman Venice’s 24 guestrooms and suites overlook the Grand Canal, and many feature unique architectural and artistic features – from painted frescoes to carved fireplaces – by greats such as Tiepolo and Sansovino. Furniture and furnishings throughout the rooms are contemporary, yet redolent of the palazzo’s storied past.