By 
Venice is really a romantic, surreal, beautiful and often flooded city in Italy. It’s a bucket list destination so it’s no wonder we’re spoilt for choices on where to stay. During our trip to the city, we opted for somewhere slightly from the beaten track and away from the touristic tracks of selfie sticks in St Mark’s Square, from our neighbourhood of Sant’Elena. A neighbourhood where locals start their days sipping on the normal cocktail of a spritz (at seeming all hours during the day) and munching on Cicchetti appetisers.
Hotel Indigo Venice: The Lowdown
The Hotel Indigo Venice, originally a Venetian convent from the 1930s, is located in the causes from the Biennale Gardens merely a five-minute walk from the world-famous Biennale. This past year, it was radically renovated also it now has a Byzantine sense of it, with local touches of the world-famous Murano glasswork (the area of Murano only a short boat ride away) in the lobby. The hotel is really a 30 minutes walk from St Mark’s square or perhaps a fifteen-minute jaunt around the Vaporetto (local boat transport service).
Hotel Indigo Venice: The Accommodation
The hotel has 75 rooms. We stayed in a superior premium which made up of a king-sized bed and a living space, which had glorious views with the original convent windows over the garden, where you can sunbathe in the summertime months. Additionally they had a kettle and a pot of teas and coffees to create at the whim. The room was incredibly comfortable, and we really appreciated the shutters which locked out every morsel of light for a truly restful sleep. The bathroom had a powerful shower and 2 sinks with ample room to scatter your toiletries in the event you wish.
Hotel Indigo Venice: The Food
Meals within the hotel are locked in the Savor Restaurant, which leads on from the reception desk. The name comes from the local term ‘saor’, an old Venetian culinary method to preserve sardines and shrimps. I loved breakfast; I’m unsure if it was the wholly non-Italian Skippy peanut butter or the sumptuous gluten-free options (Italy has got the highest diagnosed level of celiacs in the world), or the frothy Italian coffees, but it would be a hearty, enjoyable affair. The endless rounds of toast and crispy bacon certainly gave me the fuel I needed to tackle the bridges of Venice.
The restaurant serves lunch and dinner but also classic Cicchetti bar snacks during the day not to mention the fundamental spritzes. We advise trying the ‘saor’ of scampi and prawns. Following a long day's sightseeing, a great restaurant within the hotel is really a bonus if you fancy a basic night in.
Hotel Indigo Venice: Our Verdict
This boutique modern-meets-historic hotel is the perfect base for a long weekend in Venice. It’s a spot which allows you to retreat from the hectic buzz of the city but nonetheless maintain easy reach of the key sightseeing spots for example St Mark’s Square, the Doge Palace and also the Peggy Collection. If you’re lucky enough to get be there simultaneously as the Biennale art extravaganza, then we highly recommend visiting after a hearty breakfast in the hotel.
