A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS IN VENICE
The dreamlike Venetian experience can come to life and fantasy can come true thanks to the synergy between T Fondaco dei Tedeschi shopping destination and the extraordinary welcoming tradition of renowned properties such as Hotel Metropole
Venice can indeed be experienced as a veritable open-eyed dream, a fantasy made reality. This is thanks to the extraordinary tradition of highlevel hospitality offered by renowned establishments that have so substantially contributed over the years to nurturing the myth of the Serenissima. Evocative and atmospheric spaces built for hospitality add to the natural enchantment of this most beautiful city: the Hotel Metropole is one such magical place, a five-star hotel with mysterious echoes of the Orient that add to the range of wonders on offer for the perfect voyage. The Metropole, near Piazza San Marco, is housed in a historic 16th-century palazzo that was first transformed into a hotel in 1880 with the name of Casa Kirsch, and today boasts a luxurious welcome with an enviable view over the lagoon and the island of San Giorgio in particular. The founding philosophy of this nonpareil of the hospitality sector consists in assigning a meaning and emotional value to every element of the interior design, so that each detail tells its own story and with every step one can breathe an atmosphere dense with amazement, possibilities and surprises. Intense, striking colors, tantalizingly exotic scents, and a subtle aural background harmonized to perfection like a siren’s song: these are the ingredients of the love potion that the Metropole prepares for its guests in order to offer them a rich and unique adventure to experience and share.
In the spacious rooms and the majestic and exclusive suites, each furnished in an original and individual manner with antique furniture, virtual treasure chests of history with a pulsating soul, Elisabeth and Pierluigi Beggiato, the hosts and owners of the hotel, have left a visible imprint of their passion as collectors. The various spaces of the Metropole are embellished with rare and precious antiques and furniture on display as if in a museum, from business card holders, corkscrews and nutcrackers of various shapes and styles to toiletry kits from the roaring years of the Belle Epoque and one of the most complete collections of crucifixes in Italy. An entire floor of the hotel is dedicated exclusively to its extraordinary collection of vintage fans, some of which have even been displayed in Venice’s Museo del Costume in Palazzo Mocenigo: one can admire the feathered examples from the Art Deco era, diaphanous models in fine silk, and hand painted and embroidered masterpieces decorated with foliage and flowers.
The legacy of the Beggiatos has been passed on to their daughter Gloria, who renovated the Metropole with subtlety and intelligence, in a savant mélange of art and fashion, vintage and international style that provides an ideal location for amazing events such as the celebrated and glamorous Fashion Design Made in Venice exhibition. The Oriental Bar and the Citrus Garden, together with the Metropole Spa & Wellness, complete the fairy tale of a place that resounds with music and the buzz of the international jet set. Artists like the Clash’s Mick Jones, Lou Reed, Patty Smith, Jovanotti, Patti Pravo and Lenny Kravitz have chosen it as their fantasy get-away. Any worthwhile travel experience is enhanced by a material souvenir, and so a shopping gallery that meets the expectations of an elegant and demanding clientele plays a crucial role. In addition to the peerless hospitality, the refined traveler can find complete satisfaction in the varied range of luxury proposals from T Fondaco dei Tedeschi, the first European establishment from the world leader in luxury travel retail, DFS. The T Fondaco Gallery, located inside a historic 13th-century building in the heart of Venice, boasts a unique and suggestive panoramic terrace, and provides a vital effervescence of civility, commerce and creativity as a veritable temple of high-end shopping. Thanks to an exceptional selection of luxury products from the most notable and exclusive brands, but also because of its attention to Italian culinary art, exemplified by the AMO restaurant in house run by the Alajmo family, and because of its dedication to culture, with an entire floor dedicated to space for temporary exhibitions and innovative events. Metropole and T Fondaco are collaborating in building an important part of the future of Venice: the superlative professionalism offered by the two structures and their synergistic activity cast luster on the history of Venetian hospitality and allow sophisticated travelers to write their own chapter of A Thousand and One Nights in the enchanted lagoon.