What to gondoliers do in their time off? I had a unique chance to glimpse behind the scenes of the daily lives of those ultra-fit boat jockeys from my quintessential room with a view in Venice.
The Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal overlooks the busy main gondola dock for San Marco square. The windows of my suite, number 127, open onto unforgettable scenes that have barely changed since they were painted by Canaletto. The Punta della Dogana—or customs house– is across the canal, its iconic square tower topped two Atlases supporting a golden globe representing fortune topped with a statue of Jason holding the Goldeen Fleece. To the right is Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, with its magnificent baroque dome.
And in the canal below, dozens of impeccably polished gondolas move in an intricate ballet. Every hour their jaunty oarsmen get a 15-minute break and tie up at wooden posts in the water alongside the hotel to text on their cell phones or shoot the breeze about sports, or traffic on the canals. Their quick snacks consist of slices of mortadella or prosciutto–no bread please, it could ruin my physique.
The tech may be different, but the scene has been repeated here daily since the Renaissance, when gondolas were the private limos of the merchants of Venice who made vast fortunes in the spice and silk trade. Today they’re joined by sleek varnished-wood motor taxis and vaporetto ferries.
This hotel has a storied history as well, tracing back to 1638 when a public house on the site became famous with travelers who were attracted to its entertainment options which included—scandalously–gambling. Over the years, it’s been enlarged and merged with the neighboring Gand Canal Hotel and given a recent renovation that’s upped its opulence quota.
The lobby feels very contemporary, with a glass roof covering what had been an open courtyard and modern art on the wells. The recently upgraded rooms are a blend of tradition and modernity; with walls whose plaster is incused with gold braiding to resemble hammered leather and blown glass Murano chandeliers and sconces. The beds are as comfortable as clouds. And the marble-lined bath features toiletries aptly branded Merchant of Venice.
The hotel’s canal-side terrace restaurant is a quintessential Venetian experience and so popular that reservations are a must. There’s an enforced dress code too—no shorts in the evening. Waiters in impeccable suits offer up courses that are each works of art. The grilled branzino that was the catch of the day paired beautifully with a Veneto rose from a cellar list that’s 20 pages long.
And there are few locales anywhere in the world that can match the vista of the Grand Canal as wispy clouds turn amber and pink in the setting sun. The tourist traffic of the day has disappeared and there’s a melody of rippling water lapping the dock.
Early morning has its own magical charm. Open your windows and you can hear the chatter of gondoliers and their apprentices taking tarps off their boats and carefully polishing every square inch with sponges and cloths. From compartments under the seats come ornate red cushions and the custom-carved wooden oar locks, and the striped shirts that are the uniforms of the gondoliere.
If you were going to pinpoint the heart of Venice, Hotel Monaco is truly a candidate for the ideal location. Up a narrow passageway from the hotel’s entrance and to the right is the iconic San Marco square. To the left are the boutiques of Europe’s top designers stocking fashions in colors and styles that may not be reaching stores in North America for months, if they get there at all.
This enchanted corner of Venice has inspired a million paintings and centuries of honeymoons. What would you like to celebrate? You won’t find a more romantic setting than this.
A stay at the Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal is a splurge, but it’s a quintessential experience that you’ll remember long after that dress you could buy for the same money has disappeared from your closet.
Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
