Interview with Eva-Belmond Hotel Cipriani, Venice :

Number of Passengers:

Eva Mazi, Belmond Hotel Cipriani, Venice

  1. Where would you go for a great meal on your day off?

Out of the city Route, if I chose to visit the magical Lagoon I would say Antica Dogana close to Tre Porti. Unique tables facing the water for a fantastic sunset over Burano. Good to disappear from the crowd.  Local (the name suggests they source the best local ingredients from farmers and fisherman in the surrounding of venice): young owner Luca (who already managed the successful Pensione Wildner) creates a modern Venetian cuisine in a nice environment.Offers fine dining in contemporary and stylish settings. 

Ambience bright and airy. For younger guests who are interested in a culinary trip into modern cusine based on old recepies.

  1. What is it about this city/place that inspires you?

Venice is a magical place that doesn’t need any presentation. Every corner of this town is of inspiration and the arrival at Belmond Hotel Cipriani represents one of the most incredible moments that needs to be lived at least once in a lifetime.

  1. If you had only a few hours here what could you not miss?

At Belmond Hotel Cipriani every year we try to invent new activities to let our guests enjoy Venice and the surroundings getting to know the real soul of this places. The only way to do that is getting directly in touch with the locals. For this reason, for example, together with a local fisherman our guests will learn the authentic secrets of catching “caparossoli” (a type of local clams) and have a drink on a disappearing island in front of the best sunset the Lagoon can offer. Or when all other museums are closed I can organize a special boat for you that will lead you to Querini Stampalia museum that opens its door exclusively to us. You will get to know the special secrets of more than 40.000 books and manuscripts preserved into this magnificent 700 year-old library. But if this is not enough we will lead you toward the discovery of the Vineyards of Venice, a cultural heritage to protect and get to know up close. On the Island of Sant’Erasmo the French family Thoulouze produces the wine Orto. Here Michel, an authentic character, welcomes our guests in a fire engine red Ape Car, almost as if he were a next door neighbour. Michel is anything but an ordinary man, and his love for this little patch of lagoon must have been very strong, so much so that it made him move to these parts and invest in the recovery of soils that he prepared for vineyards by first planting barley and oats. A glass of Michel’s wine in his company is a priceless experience.

These are just a few examples of what we love to recommend and organize for our guests.

  1. Tell us something about the hotel that not many people know?

Every day you have something new and amazing to discover at Belmond Hotel Cipriani. As soon as you enter the main door you will discover something you would have never expected: the gardens. They are widely considered among the city’s great oases, and this year they are poised to include a verdant treasure that is more than just a pretty face. Expert permaculture farmer Michele Savorgnano has reclaimed a plot of land bordering the Casanova Gardens and transformed it into a biodiverse vegetable garden. It regularly supplies the hotel’s Michelin-star Oro, with a wealth of produce ranging from tomatoes, apricots, plums, artichokes, hibiscus and salad leaves to 15 varieties of basil. Starting from this year a new synergistic vegetable patch will be developed within our hotel grounds.

At our hotel, you can enjoy the best sunset overlooking St Mark’s Square dining on the terrace at the Cips’ Club with the delicacies of Chef Roberto Gatto.

Another thing that can for sure surprise you is that you can have a cocktail that has been especially created by a famous star while our Head Barman Walter Bolzonella tells you all the secrets behind the cocktail and in which occasion it has been created.

2017 is going to be full of news for our guests and for this reason, they will find a new culinary boutique where to buy the local specialties they die for!

And what about our pool? We not only have the biggest pool in town, this season the hotel’s Olympic-size swimming pool will be adorned by the works of the Venetian artist Marco Rizzo, known for his striking and surreal monochrome photographs depicting Venice underwater. Guests taking a dip will be given goggles in order to view the unique masterpieces.

Isn’t all this simply amazing and unexpected? I already told you too much… just come and visit us… the best is yet to come.

  1. What is the most unusual request you ever received from a guest? How did you make it happen for them?

Every day that I’m asked unusual questions and to solve sudden, unexpected problems. I remember one day a gentleman came, it was just 15 minutes before getting married. He had forgotten to bring his belt with. He asked me to go and buy one. I knew I did not have enough time to do it. The only solution I had, for this reason, I decided to lend him my personal belt… and he got married on time and with his trousers on!

Another thing that happened along the years was a very unusual situation. A nice lady lost his wedding ring in the lagoon in front of our Belmond Hotel Cipriani. She was desperate (and his fiancé even more!). We had no choice, we needed to help them finding it. And with the help of a divers team we managed to do it. The researches lasted 2 long days… but I will never forget the eyes full of joy of this kind lady when I delivered her ring back.

  1. What is your favourite time of year to visit the hotel and why?

For sure I would say May. This is the month when nature comes to life again and express her most beautiful side in our gardens.

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