Category Archives: Hotel

Palazzo Venart, Venice – If You Owned a Palazzo. Secret World!

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A Grande Dame on the Grand Canal, the stunning Palazzo Venart Five-Star Luxury Hotel opened in August 2016. The stately 15th-century Palazzo and grounds have been carefully restored to their former grandeur with minute attention to details. Restored frescoes and marble fireplaces adorn the Palazzo. Gilded antiques and plush, red curtains line the lobby, a hushed elegance envelopes you the moment you step over the threshold. Gorgeous wooden floors, and opulent tapestries combine with modern bathrooms and amenities. Swoon Worthy!

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Centrally located in the heart of traditional Venice, Palazzo Venart offers its guests superbly easy access to all the sights and sounds of the romantic city of water. Each of its prestigious and fastidiously decorated ten rooms and seven suites and four apartments is based on a unique aspect of Venetian history and culture.

Fronted by its placid garden which opens directly onto the Grand Canal, the stately 15th-century Palazzo and grounds have been carefully restored to their former grandeur with minute attention to details. Original features, including Renaissance frescoes and marble fireplaces, have been expertly restored by local specialists and are complemented with antiques and custom furnishings to display the Palazzo’s noble past.

In one of the most authentic neighborhoods of Venice, overlooking the Grand Canal, mere minutes from the Santa Lucia Train Station and Rialto Bridge. Arrival by water for the most efficient entrance, there is a gated courtyard into the hotel which makes it feel like your very own private palazzo, but without staff, the twisting passageways that lead to the gate can be a jumble of mesmerizing mazes! Found after an afternoon of shopping, but only with the help of a kind stranger!

Every room is individually decorated and furnished, making Palazzo Venart one of the most desirable and exclusive in the Serenissima. It feels like a cozy quiet grand home. Maroon velvet coverings drape the four poster beds, the Grand Canal suite overlooks the garden on the waterway. Marvelous staff on hand to grant your whims and  wishes!

Within the garden gates, the hottest dining ticket in Venice: GLAM, the latest creation of the twice Michelin starred chef Enrico Bartolini: fresh local ingredients and traditional recipes – complete with a modern twist. GLAM Restaurant serves exclusive menus designed by an exceptionally talented culinary artist, Resident chef Donato Ascani.

Highly Recommend!

Olé The Best of Mexico City & Oaxaca!

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After 20 years of curating Luxury Travel for our select clients, when we receive Grateful Notes of Thanks, it’s a reminder of how much time and determination we’ve devoted into sourcing the best and brightest teams in each pocket of the world. And our teams evolve as we continue to discover the Best of the Best!

Mexico City and Oaxaca are two complimentary cities to combine for extensive art, OTT dining, history and exceptional local experiences. Just a short flight from the United States, Mexico is an often-overlooked destination for rich cultural offerings, a land seemingly familiar but with many unknown secrets simply waiting to be discovered. For many people images of margaritas, maracas, and tacos may be the first to come to mind. Our hope is to show you something more – to connect you with incredible local guides who truly love their country and want to show you the rich layers of its culture and who will bring you to the lesser known, but equally spectacular locations. Mexico City offers excellent contrasts in epic street food tastings to five-star chef driven dining palaces! Cutting edge art museums from folk to dynamic contemporary collections.

The experiences awaiting you in Mexico are plentiful and can be hand-picked to match your interests. With an average of 20 ingredients, you could spend a day in Oaxaca learning how to make mole. Or there is an unbelievable art scene in Mexico – with Mexico City offering more museums than any other city in the world, not to mention the renowned home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

A recent client note to Benjamin: We had a wonderful memorable vacation and enjoyed Celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary in Oaxaca and Mexico City —both destinations were everything we were hoping they would be and more!

Casa Polanco in Mexico City, again you recommended the best hotel! Fantastic hotel— great service, very comfortable room, good fitness facility, good location. You recommended staying in town in Oaxaca and we unfortunately resisted and stayed outside town, which meant we encountered traffic every time we went into town- next time we listen to you and stay in town as you suggested!

Guides in Oaxaca and Mexico City – all very good, particularly our guide in Mexico City.

Visits Archeological visits— all excellent and very much worth our time. After hours, private tour of Anthropology Museum— so glad we took you up on this, very special to see it in the evening without crowds. Would like more time in there! Xochimilco experience— fantastic. Even though there is a more commercial way to visit here, the personal visit we experienced gave us an insider’s view of the floating farms. Our guide and the lunch they served us were fantastic.

Dining Criollo restaurant— EXCELLENT— one of our favorites. Levadura restaurant— also excellent! Pujol— very good— food was fantastic, the setting was a bit more commercial and filled with American tourists— but still wouldn’t miss dining here! Taco Tour— very well done— Lydia the guide is excellent Em restaurant— another excellent choice. Their food is spectacular, fine Mexican with a good deal of Asian influence.

That’s it! Again, thank you very much for all your help in making this a memorable 40th Wedding Anniversary Celebration, your teams are amazing and they gave us lovely Anniversary gifts as well!

Mexico City A sprawling city simply bursting with energy, a true melting pot of international talent. Known for its incredible range of fine dining options as well as some of the city’s best street food. There are countless ways to spend your days – from visiting nearby ruins, to touring the home of Frida Kahlo, to participating in a cooking class, to catching a local wresting match (lucha libre). Mexico City is an urban jungle with something to offer anyone.

Oaxaca One of Mexico’s most beautiful cities meets its most robust and unique culinary destination. Oaxaca is an excellent destination for anyone interested in gastronomy, from cooking classes to market tours to some of the country’s best restaurants. Oaxaca is also known for its artisan communities that dot the surrounding area – from textiles to pottery there are plenty of reasons to visit.

Gracias to our fine teams and to our gracious clients!

Highly Recommend Mexico City and Oaxaca Journey!