Having had a wonderful journey to Venice aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient Express from London, the beautiful Cipriani was waiting our arrival. We were met outside central station by private launch and taken to this wonderful hotel. The view of Venice were just incredible.

Upon check-in we were taken personally to our room which was perfectly appointed with a private balcony overlooking Venice grand canal. This hotel is five star and so very civilised. It has the biggest lane pool of any hotel in Venice. The staff were very attentive and nothing was too much trouble. We had a very relaxing time here in wonderful Venice. The funniest thing was the sheer cost of incidentals like tea or water, throw in biscuits and you should need to notify your bank manager before proceeding with the purchase!

We have stayed here a few times and the hotel staff go out of their way to welcome you back making the whole experience even better. Yes, some of the rooms are a little dated but I believe the hotel is slowly renovating them. The location of the hotel, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, especially during the summer, cannot be overstated. We love this place. Period.

St. Mark's Square hotels and restaurants are just a gondola ride away....Super great restaurants, and the pool scene is super fun!
LOVE IT! Would visit again, definitely!

After a long business trip in Verona, my husband and I decided to take 3 days of R&R in Venice to chill out and also celebrate our wedding anniversary. With the dollar being weak as it is these days, I did quite a bit of research to see what we could get for our money. The Cipriani, although expensive, was the same price as all of the other top rated hotels but had the added features of a pool, world class restaurants on-site, and the benefit of being just a boat ride away from all the action. It appeared to be ideal for our plan of equal time spent on relaxation and site seeing. I had no idea that it would be a little slice of heaven.

From the moment we arrived we were treated extremely well. The staff saw that we were a bit frazzled from our journey and immediately treated us to some complimentary drinks by the pool. I don't know if this is standard practice or not, but we were also upgraded from the standard room we booked to a suite by the pool! To say we were pleased was an understatement. This room was amazing complete with a huge bathroom (unheard of in Europe!) and a beautiful semi-private courtyard (I've included a picture of this as it became our absolute favorite spot to hang out. The only thing you cannot appreciate from the photo is the great smell from the flowers that greeted us every time we stepped outside). They also left a bottle of Prosecco with a hand written note welcoming us to the hotel. Awesome.

We had dinner at the hotel restaurant that evening, and it was a real treat. The food was very good, but the wine was amazing. I appreciated being able to discuss the selection with someone so knowledgeable, and it really made our Anniversary dinner very special.

Here's what really spoiled us and made a lasting impression:
-Reserved Pool Seating. No more getting up early and laying out your towel to get a good seat. Our two comfy lounge chairs were waiting for us each day whenever we made it to the pool. No one else could sit there. Plus, our chairs were located right through our private courtyard so it was a short trip to the pool.

-Excellent Concierge Service. Whenever we asked for anything....advice on where to go, restaurant reservations, packages to be shipped, etc. it was done and done well. No problems.

-The shuttle. The boat that brings you up and back to Venice was tremendous fun. We loved arriving right in the heart of the city and then being whisked away to our little oasis out of the hustle bustle.

-Turn down service and ammenities. I've been to great hotels with turn down service, but this really went above and beyond. Our pajamas were laid out beautifully, our slippers by the side of the bed, everything in its place. I'm a bit of a neat freak so this was awesome. I also loved the amazing products that were used, and they were fully replaced each day.

The only issue I had with the hotel was that all of the food was truly expensive. While I expected it at the restaurants, it would have been great if pool side would have been more reasonable. We ordered a ham sandwhich at the pool and it turned out to be 35 euros (about $50). In my opinion that is unnecessary and over the top. To avoid these types of charges we went into town and picked up some food at a local market for snacks.

After 3 days, our goal was accomplished. R&R in a European City. If you are looking to spoil yourself, the splurge was worth it.