Bauer Hotel

Italy
Europe

The Experience

This buzzing landmark hotel with a modern edge is one of the last great Venice establishments still in private hands, and its strict, utilitarian facade and subdued interiors are a refreshing antidote to all the gilded and baroque excesses of the city. Refurbished to the tune of $38 million in 1999, it represents an exemplary marriage between cutting-edge technology and good old-fashioned craftsmanship. Behind all the trappings of expensive luxury--local Murano glasswork, rich Rubelli furnishings and Carrara marble floors--it's a high-tech wonderland, with wireless connections in every room, flat-screen TVs and the very first solar-powered vaporetto in the city, for quiet, ecologically sound, water-bound transfers.

The Rooms

The stern functional style of the exterior and public areas is noticeably softer in the bedrooms, which benefit from walk-in closets, ample bathrooms and silent air-conditioning and soundproofing. The most basic rooms start at only 270 square feet, but since they look out over the little piazza of Campo San Moisè or over the little canal, no one is going to get a dud view. Still, an upgrade to at least a 375-square-foot junior suite is a necessity, and be sure to request one with a balcony or terrace.

The Service

The youthful owner, Francesca Bortolotto Possati, bestows great personal charm and glamour on the hotel. Warmth, discretion and a confident but nonintrusive attitude toward customer relations is what defines her own sense of hospitality and distinguishes the service of this hotel as a cut above the others.

The Highlights

The Bauer benefits from having access to all the facilities of the hotel group's other residences: the extraordinary rooftop Jacuzzi in the exclusive and opulent Bauer Palazzo next door, or the vast spa, which opened in mid-2007 in the Bauer Palladio on the opposite side of the Grand Canal. Back at the hotel, feast on the specialties of the region--cuttlefish risotto and melon gelato with a chilled prosecco, served with reverential formality on a wooden pontoon jutting into the Grand Canal. Pause from your gourmet raptures to admire the majestic curves of the white marble church of Santa Maria della Salute, or head to the terraces of celebrated De Pisis restaurant for an even more poetic view of this gorgeous city. You can also exercise your mind by participating in one of the hotel’s artistic salons, featuring rotating exhibits of contemporary art by international artists.

 

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