The credentials:
Housed within a former Patrician Palace, the rather unassuming looking Palazzo Sant’Angelo sul Canal Grande (to give it its full title—try that after one prosecco too many!) is distinguished by an excellent location slap bang between the Rialto bridge and the Academy.
Cosy rather than grand—we’ll leave that to the canal—it’s reassuringly Venetian through and through. A masked Carnevale mannequin even greets you on entry (less welcome at 3am after a limoncello-fuelled evening). Though there isn’t the greatest stylistic cohesion between the smart ’20s bar and lobby and the old-world decor of the hotel rooms, there is elegance at play and a warm welcome to be found.
Dine:
The breakfast buffet, unlike the Spartan offerings of many Venetian hotels, was pleasingly extensive. There were all the usual culprits from (genuinely excellent) French pastries and fresh fruit through to yoghurt and muesli. The English/American items on offer were slightly less successful, though; the bacon somehow managed to be both blackened and underdone, while the scrambled eggs were almost nuclear in colour. Far preferable to the slightly tired breakfast dining room is paying an additional €12 for room service to bring the entire thing to your suite.
There is no restaurant in the hotel itself to eat dinner, but both their recommendations (A Beccafico and Acqua Pazza—seek them out!) were exceptional and within a lovely five-minute stroll. The bar, however, is definitely worth a moment or two of your time—try an excellently priced classic Venetian ‘spritz’ (go for the sweet option, unless you’re a truly committed alcoholic).
Sleep:
The rooms at the Sant’Angelo are charming; cosy and homely rather than luxurious. Decorated in the deepest red and gold silks on the walls and with appropriate period furnishings throughout, they are resoundingly ‘Venetian’, but this antique allure might benefit from the smallest of updates in order to feel truly special. Without doubt the loveliest thing on offer is the view across the glittering eponymous Canal Grande (which is worth shelling out for, as some rooms overlook courtyards and smaller back alleys).
The green and white Carrara marble bathrooms were where the biggest cracks—ironically—showed. From a shower that clichéd itself with either scalding heat or freezing cold, to a Jacuzzi bath that spluttered into life in occasionally distressing tones, it did leave room for improvement.
I personally found the bed uncomfortably hard, and having it separated from our living room with only a partition wall felt strangely sarcophagus-like (though my partner said it was like a warm cocoon; to each their own!).
Who goes there?
This felt very much a hotel for the older market. Not pensioners necessarily, but anyone who would prefer to be away from the noise of Saint Mark’s and the Rialto, without losing any of the convenience.
Out & about:
The hotel really is excellently located. Surrounded by pleasant piazzas that will be a bustling delight of ice-cream parlours and cafés come summer, it is also close to the buzz of bars at the Rialto Bridge.
The Academy, St Mark’s and a whole host of other tourist attractions are less than a 15-minute stroll in either direction. Or, if you want to venture further, there is both a vaporetto stop and a private boat mooring so you can be halfway down the canal in no time.
The worst thing:
Getting the wifi to work was a bigger mission than anything Marco Polo got up to; a strangely convoluted process that took the first day to solve. And when it did work it only appeared to work in one half of the room. That and my other half’s plaintive face when the shower scalded him for the third time in a row.
The best thing:
Location, location, location! Not to mention happy hour.
