International hotel consultant Jacques Levy-Bonvin once wrote: “The history of hotels is intimately connected to that of civilisations. Or rather, it is a part of that history. Facilities offering guests hospitality have been in evidence since early biblical times... Around 1200, staging posts for travellers and stations for couriers were set up in China and Mongolia. In Europe, or more precisely in Belgium, l’ Auberge Cour Saint Georges opened in Gant, while the Angel Inn was built at Grantham in Lincolnshire, England. In France, at the beginning of the 15th century, the law required that hotels keep a register. English law also introduced rules for inns at that time. The industrial revolution, which started in the 1760s, facilitated the construction of hotels everywhere, in mainland Europe, in England and in America.”
HOTEL DANIELI, VENICE
Hotel Danieli is one of the city’s hallmark hotels, with its coloured façade and museum-like interiors that feature Murano chandeliers, gold leaf ceilings and 18th century frescoes. Rooms and suites are superbly decorated with period furnishings, Venetian wallpapers and gold tinged silk curtains that open to windows overlooking the lagoon. The famed Doge Dandolo Royal Suite is considered one of the most beautiful suites in the world with a fresco by Jacopo Guarana and pieces from the hotel’s private collection. Don’t forget to stop at the hotel’s famous terrace with unmatched views whether for a brunch, dinner or a nightcap. Hotel Danieli’s iconic marble staircase extends upward from the main building’s courtyard leading to the hotel’s rooms and suites. The courtyard is decorated by Byzantine Gothic arches and topped by a glass ceiling that allows natural light to illuminate the staircase. Over the years thanks to the hotel’s prized location and renowned service Hotel Danieli has become a patrimony of Venetian excellence.
Riva degli Schiavoni, Castello 4196, 30122 Venice, Italy
