Venissa

Style

Pearl of the lagoon

Setting

Venerated vineyard

Owned by a family of winemakers from the Veneto, and set in a historic walled vineyard on Mazzorbo Island, Venissa has had a grape start in life. Vines still flourish today; this is one of the few places in the world where you can try the rare and ancient dorona di Venezia grape variety, rescued from the brink of oblivion by the team behind the hotel. There’s more to Venissa than liquid lures, though: a Michelin-starred restaurant run by Francesco Brutto, named Italy's best young chef in 2016 and 2017, plus five relaxed rooms that overlook the lagoon or survey the vineyard. Venice is just a 50-minute boat trip away, but you won’t hear a peep from the City of Sighs at this gaff.

Facilities

Rooms

Five, including two suites.

Checkout

11am, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 2pm (latest check-in, 8pm; reception closes at 9pm).

More Details

Rates usually include breakfast (including Continental options and a glass of prosecco).

Also

Philippe Starck has several houses on nearby Burano, all signposted by a distinctive light on their exterior wall...

Hotel Closed

Venissa shuts its doors from 27 November till 31 December.

Free Internet Access

On-Site Restaurant

At the Hotel

Vineyard, vegetable gardens, osteria, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: TV, WiFi, desk, air-conditioning, free bottled water, minibar.

Our Favourite Rooms

Opt for a top-floor, lagoon-spying Suite.

Packing Tips

Swap your hand luggage for a cabin case (soon to be filled with Venissa’s wine).

Also

The boat trip to the hotel isn’t ideal for wheelchair-users, but Venissa’s communal areas and formal restaurant are wheelchair-accessible. Extra beds for over-twos are €50 a night; baby cots for little ones two-and-under are €30 a night, on request.

Children

Little Smiths aged between two and 10 can come, but it’s best suited to grown-ups. The osteria has highchairs and baby-changing facilities, and the chef at the restaurant will cook up children's dishes.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

There are only 10 to pick from in the diminutive dining room, so there’s not much in it. If the weather’s clement, nab a table outside the osteria.

Dress Code

Off-duty Venetian: relaxed shirt or sundress with leather flats, a spritz of cologne and a dash of va-va-voom.

Hotel Restaurant

Il Ristorante has kept a tight grip on the Michelin star that shone upon it in 2012. The kitchen is run by the award-winning chef, Francesco Brutto; named Italy's best young chef in 2016 and 2017 and a culinary collective that includes of seafood-fanatics, herb-fiends and a Willy Wonka-style experimentalist to cook up delicious dishes. The small restaurant feels very intimate, thanks to its open kitchen: pretend you’re eating at a wealthy friend’s house (one with fragrant fresh ingredients and resident chefs passionately discussing their creations in the background, natch). There’s also the more relaxed Osteria Contemporanea, which serves traditional Italian dishes. Wherever you eat, order a bottle or two of wine starring the island’s dorona di Venezia grapes.

Last Orders

The osteria serves breakfast until 10am, lunch til 4pm (although small snacks are available all afternoon) and dinner til 11pm. At Il Ristorante, lunch is served until 2pm, dinner until 9pm.

Room Service

None, but you can request coffees, apéritifs and other drinks in the osteria if you’re thirsty.

Planes

Fly into Venice Marco Polo international airport, 10 kilometres from the hotel (an hour’s drive). You’ll need to take a boat to the island of Burano: hotel transfers in a private water taxi cost from €160 for two people; the ride takes 50 minutes. Alternatively, the vaporetto will whoosh you across for €20 a person, but this takes an hour and a half.

Trains

Venezia Santa Lucia connects to Milan, Rome, Florence, Munich and Paris, with services run by Trenitalia, Italo and the Orient Express. From the station, you’ll need to hop in a water taxi or request a hotel transfer by boat.

Automobiles

Burano is a car-free island, so leave your wheels behind. The hotel suggests dropping your wheels off at its private car park, close to the airport at Ca’ Noghera. Parking is free; you can catch a 20-minute hotel transfer from here to Mazzorbo (from €90 for eight people). Alternatively, park at Treporti/Cavallino and catch the vaporetto (a boat leaves every 20 minutes); the vaporetto isn’t expensive, but the parking is.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Cross the bridge to neighbouring Burano, where you can admire colourful architecture – imagine an Italian take on Notting Hill’s petal-hued townhouses – and pick up ornate lace from the local shops. Explore Torcello island and admire its historic cattedrale, which dates back to Byzantine times. The hotel can organise guided tours of the vineyard, ending with a wine tasting. Hop on a boat to Venice and explore the City of Sighs. If you’re here in summer, ask staff to point you in the direction of the island’s hidden lagoon…

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .