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| Executive Travel |
Serenissimo
Scott Haas
07/01/2004
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La Serenissimo, or “the most serene,” is the sobriquet accorded Venice
throughout the centuries to describe the sublime effect of its light, water and
architecture on the senses. But as each new generation discovers the beauty of
Venice, these serene moments become more elusive. The city’s most desirable
hotels are located either on Lido, an island 30 minutes from the city center, or
within walking distance of crowded Piazza San Marco, where disheveled tourists
rush about, leaving us feeling as if we missed serenissimo by at least a
century.
 | | HOTEL CIPRIANI guests can take the hotel’s launches for a short trip to
Piazza San Marco and other sites. |
This is perhaps why, for nearly 50 years, its patrons have regarded
the Hotel Cipriani with reverence and loyalty. Resting on an enclosed refuge on
the island of Giudecca—a quick, watery jaunt from Piazza San Marco—Cipriani
delivers us to Venice, rather than separating us from it.
We are whisked
across the Grand Canal, past vapporetti (water buses), gondolas and other
watercraft, on one of the hotel’s private launches, which are always available
for the short commute to Piazza San Marco. On the boat, as elsewhere, guests are
accorded the singular devotion once reserved for the doges who ruled the
city.
Within the walled property, serenissimo seems to float on the air. The
atmosphere is quiet, but not hushed, more a meditation garden than a chapel.
Eighteenth-century romantic Casanova, in fact, frequented the gardens that now
make up the Cipriani property, today an enticing blend of vineyards, flowers,
statuary and splendid views—the Piazza San Marco and the island of San Giorgio
Maggiore dot the horizon.
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