Hotel Danieli, formerly Palazzo Dandolo, is a 5-star luxury palacial hotel in Venice, Italy. It was built in 1400, by one of the Dandolo families. CNN cites it as one of the top 5 lavish hotels in the city.[1] In 2010 extensive footage was shot at the hotel for the The Tourist, starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie.
Location
The hotel is located close to the St. Mark’s Square, [2] on the Grand Canal joins a number of buildings dated to the 14th and 15th century.[3] Approach to the hotel is by boat only, and the hotel runs luxury boats from the airport. There are also public ferry boats which are called “water taxis.”
History
The edifice built in the 14th century by the noble Venetian Dandolo family.[3][4] In the early sixteenth century the building was divided into three properties, one for each of the family members. The richly embellished building, which gives the appearance of a single unit from the exterior,[2] was then the venue of social gatherings in lavish parties.
In the 17th century, ownership was with Mocenigos and the Bernardos and they continued to hold grand social events. At the wedding celebration of Giustiniana Mocenigo with Lorenzo Giustinian here in 1629, Monteverdi provided the music. The buildings were maintained even during the decline of the Venetian Republic.[4] However, Giuseppe Dal Niel of Fruli, a rich Venetian hotel-keeper, rented the first floor of the building from 24 October 1822 for his own use and to house his guests. He eventually bought the full edifice and converted it into a hotel and named it after his nickname, "Danieli". Before opening the hotel Dal Niel refurbished the building lavishly. Since then many notable artists, writers, musicians and other luminaries who have stayed here. Some of the notable names are Geothe, Wagner, Charles Dickens, Byron, Peggy Guggenheim, Leonard Bernstein, Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg and the famous Franco Zeffirellis. The popular room in the hotel is room number 10 where Aurore Dudevant’s mistress George Sand and lover of composer Frederic Chopin stayed. The biography of George Sand, under the section "Love and Genius", brings out the romantic details of their stay in this room. During this period the famous restaurant, known then as the Caffè Brigiacco, was later changed to "Caffè Orientale". It was a popular joint on the ground floor in the shopping complex, which was run by two brothers from Greece who preferred to dress in oriental attire. In 1895, when ownership changed hands, it was again richly decorated with modern facilities such as electricity, central heating and made into a luxury hotel.
By end of the 19th century, a bridge link was established, connecting it to an adjoining palace. In 1906, the hotel came under the control of Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, owned by Count Giuseppe Volpi, and was part of four other famous hotels in Venice. Further changes to the façade were done under the architect Francesco Marsich. Finally, from 1946 to 1948 after demolishing many of the buildings in the Palazzo Dandolo and Palazzo delle Prigioni, the hotel was substantially refurbished with a marble façade under Virgilio Vallot. The name of the hotel was kept and it became a luxury five star hotel.[4]
In 2010 extensive footage was shot at the hotel for the The Tourist, starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. The suite which appeared in the film was once lived in by the likes of Proust and Balzac; something mentioned in the film.[5] In one scene, Depp clambered across the roof tiles of the hotel in his pyjamas to avoid being killed.[5]
Architecture
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The hotel, mainly dated to 1822, is built with a pink façade and sills made of marble. The main architectural feature of the building is the four storied courtyard which is covered with arches built in Byzantine Gothic style and provides for natural sun light. The elegant foyer leads to the open staircases with balustrades which lead to the lavishly furnished rooms and suites. There are rooms facing the lagoon in the original wing of the hotel and large rooms of the 19th century with views to the Palazio.[3]
The hotel has 240 rooms and the Dodge’s Suite is the most luxurious which is furnished with furniture of the 18th century. The roof has a well furnished restaurant with views of Venice and the sea. It is the only hotel in Venice where views of the lagoon, the Grand Canal, the beach, and the city can be seen. The roof top terrace restaurant is the place to view the Carnival of Venice festival when colourful gondolas and boats ply the water way of the canal and the lagoon.[2]
References
- ^ "Five lavish hotels in Venice". CNN. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ^ a b c Elizabeth Sharland (25 February 2013). Classical Destinations. iUniverse. pp. 1–2. ISBN 978-1-4759-7703-5. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
- ^ a b c John Moretti (2 March 2010). Frommer's Northern Italy: with Venice, Milan and the Lakes. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 14–. ISBN 978-0-470-64529-1. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
- ^ a b c "Hotel Danieli:History". official web site of the Hotel. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
- ^ a b "The Tourist, review". The Telegraph. 9 December 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
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