It’s inevitable: Every spring when we pull together the Hot List, our annual collection of the world’s best new hotels, restaurants, and cruise ships, a staffer remarks that this latest iteration has got to be the best one ever. After a year’s worth of traveling the globe—to stay the night at a converted farmhouse in the middle of an olive grove outside Marrakech, or sail aboard a beloved cruise line’s inaugural Antarctic voyage—it’s easy to see why we get attached. But this year’s Hot List, our 28th edition, might really be the best one ever. It’s certainly our most diverse, featuring not only a hotel suite that was once Winston Churchill’s office, but also the world’s largest cruise ship and restaurants from Cape Town to Bali. We were surprised and inspired by this year’s honorees, and we know you will be too. These are the Hot List hotel winners for 2024.
Step Inside The Legendary Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel
04.04.2024 - 17:07 / forbes.com
One of the world’s most legendary properties, Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel, reopens its doors this week for what promises to be a busy season in the Venice lagoon. This year, the Venice Biennale celebrates its 60th edition, while timeless attractions continue to draw crowds. Whether you visit for art, gastronomy or romance, Venice is a destination that never goes out of style — and its popularity means it is invariably busy. But for those in-the-know, and with the means to spend, there’s one hotel that stands out thanks to its serenity and position.
Set on the island of Giudecca, Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel provides the perfect mix of Venetian heritage and luxury while serving as a refuge from the bustle. Since it first opened in 1958, when Italy was on the cusp of its Dolce Vita era, Hotel Cipriani has been welcoming artists, celebrities and dignitaries who appreciate the hotel’s high-end service, along with space and privacy. Because although you’re able to see the belltower in Piazza San Marco from your sun lounger by Hotel Cipriani's Olympic-sized swimming pool, its location means you can enjoy the atmospheric lagoon without the ubiquitous throngs of tourists.
Giudecca, a sleepy residential island across the waterway, is arguably Venice’s best-kept secret, boasting some of the best views in the lagoon from its canal-side restaurants. It’s precisely this appeal that led Giuseppe Cipriani to establish his eponymous hotel here.
Cipriani, the entrepreneur and restaurateur who founded Harry's Bar in 1931, is famous for contributing many legacies to the culinary world world: the Bellini cocktail and beef carpaccio are just two of his famous recipes. Seeking to expand his business, he traveled throughout the Venice lagoon looking for the perfect location for his next venture when he discovered a 15th-century villa on the island of Giudecca — the perfect hideaway for his upscale clientele. The hotel quickly became one of the most coveted addresses in Venice with friends and savvy travelers. It remains a favorite with the A-list who come to town each year for the Venice Film Festival.
Today, Hotel Cipriani is owned by Belmond which has maintained the property’s focus on local culture, haute cuisine, and luxurious service. Set upon three acres, the property boasts 96 rooms and suites, a clay tennis court, heated seawater swimming pool and a wellness center. Most rooms have balconies or terraces that overlook the lagoon or private garden, and the most opulent abodes are located within the 15th century Palazzo Vendramin, linked to Hotel Cipriani through a flowered passageway. These lavish suites, with Murano chandeliers, Fortuny fabrics and frescoed ceilings, are fit for the Doges — or Hollywood
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