The cherry on top of this trip was without a doubt the hotel we saved for last, San Clemente Palace Kempinski. Set on a vast area of its own private island, the hotel is a perfect Venetian palace and everything else you can dream of when you imagine a luxurious holiday in Venice.
Located on San Clemente island, a 15 minute boat ride from the bustling St. Mark's Square, The Kempinski is a peaceful oasis with lush gardens and stunning views of the Venetian Lagoon. At first we were afraid that the remote location, which would involve traveling to the city, would be a disadvantage, especially because it was our first time in the city. We quickly discovered that the secluded and peaceful location is actually a huge advantage in a city so busy and crowded. The hotel offers free and frequent shuttle services for its guests to the pier in the center of Venice, located in San Marco Square, from morning to late night, and the trip on the yacht is a unique experience that made our stay in the city even better than expected! In fact, one of the things we enjoyed most was the option to sail away from the tourist crowds that crowded the city and return for a short rest at the hotel from time to time during the day.
The island on which the hotel is located has a rich and interesting history that is reflected in every corner. In the 11th century, the island housed a monastery, which was amazingly renovated and over the years became a luxury hotel, just as I would expect from a hotel belonging to the Kempinski chain, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World. The hotel has 190 rooms and suites, huge courtyards and gardens filled with beautiful greenery, golf and tennis courts, a variety of bars and restaurants, an outdoor, heated, pool, a sunset observation point, and two private docks. Despite its size, the feeling is that of an exclusive, boutique hotel, and it is reflected in the personal service through the smallest details in hotel maintenance.
In terms of the design, the renovated monastery preserved its ancient foundations, characterized by huge areas, long corridors and especially high ceilings, and yet there are touches of classic modern design that are naturally integrated into the history of the building. We stayed in the ‘Deluxe Room With Lagoon View’, a spacious room with Venetian style furniture, a mini bar with plenty of snacks and non-alcoholic beverages free of charge, and a mesmerizing view of the lagoon and hotel gardens. The bed in the room is huge and amazing ?, and the bathroom was a real indulgence, with a marble bath, a large rain shower and toiletries that smelled out of this world, from the brand ‘The Merchant of Venice’. I admit I didn’t know this brand before, but I became addicted to it from the very first moment we entered the hotel, because there was a taster of the brand’s perfume in the lobby {which, of course, also came home with me}. By the way, the hotel spa also operates under the brand and if I had another day in Venice I would have definitely made use of it to relax in a pampering treatment with these perfect scents.
The hotel's breakfast, served at the Insieme restaurant, is by far the best I've ever eaten {and as you know I’ve eaten quite a bit 🙂 }. The breakfast buffet is large and varied, and is made up of the freshest ingredients available. Outstanding in quality were the croissants and other pastries that I just could not take my hands off. Besides the buffet, you can also order special egg dishes and even pancakes {!} from the menu, à la carte. In addition to the breakfast restaurant, the hotel has two more restaurants – La Dolce, which serves mediterranean cuisine, and the gourmet restaurant Acquerello.
We chose to eat one of our evening meals in town at the hotel's gourmet restaurant. The hotel's exclusive restaurant serves varied menus based on seasonal local ingredients and offers an original interpretation of classic Italian and Venetian dishes. Like the ROSSOPOMODORO, the hotel also has a license to hold a wood oven, so every meal in the restaurant opens with a generous dish of fresh and extravagant pastries like focaccias, small baguettes and black rolls painted with squid ink {typical of Venice}, alongside fine olive oil. All of the dishes we ordered were interesting and special, and most important – tasty. The service in the restaurant was professional and the atmosphere – exclusive. If you want to celebrate a special occasion while you're in Venice, like a birthday or a wedding anniversary, or you just want to indulge yourself with an excellent meal – this is the place.
The whole atmosphere in the hotel made me feel like an overindulged Italian princess, and I am already dreaming about the next time we will stay at this amazing hotel!
What is your opinion of San Clemente Palace Kempinski ? Leave me a comment below 🙂
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* Thank you San Clemente Palace Kempinski for the royal hospitality.
4 Responses
Whooo woo!! What a place, what a scenes, what a food.
Very good article. Thank you very much.
Thank you! It’s truly a magical hotel 🙂
Have you visited France yet. Do share me the article on the same.
Only when I was younger, so no blogpost yet 🙂