Step through the doors of this restored palazzo in Cannaregio – where modern design meets the architecture of the past…
Words by Amanda Robinson, photos by Hotel Heureka
On a quiet backwater in Cannaregio, you could easily walk past the unprepossessing entrance to Hotel Heureka, a 16th-century palazzo revived and reopened in 2017. Just round the corner from La Chiesa della Madonna dell’Orto (the parish church of Tintoretto, who is buried in the chapel), Hotel Heureka combines original 16th-century features and unique, colourful and luxurious interior design with great élan.
The ten bedrooms and suites, as well as the hotel’s public spaces, are richly decorated in an eclectic mosaic of styles so theatrical that each one seems to set its own stage. Contemporary design, luxe furnishings, sumptuous fabrics and quirky touches catch your eye at every turn. Think four-poster beds, lavish Lacroix textile bedheads, Rubelli brocade silk drapes, free-standing baths, and Julian Khol commissioned art.
The elegant lobby with its extraordinary contemporary chandelier is a fusion of polished tiles and raw brick walls, (the illuminated channel around the raised floor is defence against the Acqua Alta tides).
With its subdued lighting, this cool, hushed space with a warm welcome leads you blinking and squinting into the hotel’s best-kept secret: a walled garden, dotted with mature trees and shrubs. It’s a green space to enjoy breakfast, afternoon tea or simply to cosset your soul.
On your doorstep
There is much to explore within strolling distance of the hotel, including buzzier spots in Cannaregio with its delightful local bacari and trattorie. Seek out Il Paradiso Perduto and Da Rioba for great food.
The Jewish Ghetto Vecchio is close by, as is the Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, covered in astonishing polychrome marble. Family-run Battiloro, a 16th-century artisan gold leaf workshop, is not far.
If you’re feeling energetic, take a rowing lesson with Row Venice in a traditional wooden Venetian batela – it’s a wonderful way to see the city from a different perspective.
More information
Hotel Heureka
Fondamenta Gasparo Contarini 3534, Cannaregio, 30121 Venice
+39 041 524 6460
post@hotel-heureka.com
Hotel Heureka offers rooms and suites from €324 per night, based on two adults sharing (deluxe room, B&B basis).
You can arrange airport water taxi transfers in advance (journey time 10-15 mins) or take the Alilaguna Orange line to the ‘M. Orto’ stop (40 mins), plus a 10-min walk.
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