PRICE:
Frommer's Exceptional

The Excelsior is the first place most celebs phone for film festival or Biennale accommodations. The hotel was the first successful attempt to turn the grassy wilds between the Lido's fishing villages into a bathing resort. Its core was built a century ago in a faux-Moorish style, with horseshoe arches peeking out all over, lots of huge, ornate salons and banquet halls, and a fountain-studded Arabian-style garden. As a purpose-built hotel, the rooms were cut quite large, with nice big bathrooms flush with Bulgari toiletries. Standard rooms keep the Moorish look going, with latticework doors, richly patterned wall fabrics, flamboyant bentwood headboards, and tented ceilings. Even if you don't have a sea view from your balcony, you might overlook the gorgeous garden or the private boat-launch. Even junior-level suites are huge, with sitting areas, an entrance hall, and double sinks. A modern bar spills onto a large terrace overlooking the beach. Facilities: 3 restaurants (Venetian/international terrace restaurant for dinner, lunch restaurants poolside and at beach); 2 bars; outdoor pool; special rates at nearby golf course; outdoor lit tennis courts; exercise room (at sister Hotel des Bains, nearby); watersports equipment/rentals; bike rental; children's program (July-Aug "Kid Club"); concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; courtesy boat (from airport and from central Venice); business center; shopping arcade; salon; 24-hr. room service; massage (in-room); babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning (same day); nonsmoking rooms; executive-level rooms.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Northern Italy, 4th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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