La Dolce Vita: Where the A-list stay for the Venice Film Festival
‘Venice, its temples and palaces did seem like fabrics of enchantment piled to heaven,’ so said the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley back in the 18th century. And as the 2022 Venice Film Festival gets underway, his description could still be recited from the heart today by the celebrities drawn to the magnificence of the city, its wondrous canals and historical opulence.
The hotels and drinking establishments may have changed somewhat since Shelley’s day, but its cinematic backdrop has provided the most glamorous location for the A-List who have been visiting the world’s first film festival since 1932. Here, Tatler’s Entertainment Editor Danielle Lawler takes a gondola ride to the most grandioso hotels favoured by the rich and famous.
Belmond1/5Hotel Cipriani
Celebrities at the festival looking for la dolce vita flock to the palatial Belmond Hotel Cipriani for something very special. The chic location oozes star quality and romance, so it’s no wonder there have been more stars through its doors than the Hollywood Walk of Fame. George Clooney created his own cocktail here – named Nina’s Passion, after his mother – which was served to his wife Amal on their wedding day and it was also the location for Salma Hayek and Francois-Henri Pinault’s wedding vow renewal. Elizabeth Taylor’s dog would reportedly sip water from a Murano glass bowl when they visited. In the foyer there is Princess Diana’s booking-in card, and a signed picture of Anne Hathaway. ‘The food! The bed! The view! All perfecto! Mille Grazie,’ she enthuses. The big draw here is the privacy to soak up the prime views over St Mark’s Square and dip into the only swimming pool in central Venice on sultry summer nights. Parties are often held during the festival here – and, indeed, Clooney was once spotted serving drinks. Plus, the Michelin starred Oro restaurant with its golden ceiling is a treat.
2/5Hotel Excelsior
If tables could talk then the terrace of the Excelsior Hotel would have thousands of Oscar-worthy blockbusters up its sleeve. Still a favourite with the A-List since it hosted the first ever Venice Film Festival in 1932, the opulent Venetian palace-style hotel has seen everyone from Elizabeth Taylor (who first visited in 1950), the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to George Clooney and Sandra Bullock bask in its decadent surroundings. With access only by boat from the centre of Venice, it was designed in 1908 with elaborate Moorish features, stunning domes and skylights to be the most luxurious hotel in the world. It is the central beating hub for all the action during the festival which has its pros and cons when it comes to privacy – its splendid Stucchi Room once even had its own starring role when it featured in Once Upon A Time In America starring Robert De Niro. Sink into the cabanas, order a Bellini and be transported back to the Golden Age of movies.
3/5The Gritti Palace
When Tom Cruise found himself in lockdown while filming Mission:Impossible 7back in March it was The Gritti Palace that served as his isolation sanctuary. This 15th-century grand dame hotel has one of the most beautiful locations in Venice and is crammed full of history, priceless antiques and paintings – which thankfully survived a late night baseball game hosted by Ernest Hemingway in its foyer. The author’s favourite room incidentally was the corner suite with a balcony that opens onto the Grand Canal, and it was the hotel of choice for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. If you suffer from seasickness and want to explore – then this is the hotel for you. After all, it was originally the residence of the 16th-century Venetian doge, Andrea Gritti. Sipping cocktails on the terrace overlooking the La Madonna della Salute is breathtaking, and, from the street entrance, St Mark’s Square is reachable in five minutes with every major museum within walking distance. This is party central when the festival comes to town.
4/5San Clemente Palace Kempinski
Only the very finest of hotels have their own 11th century church and are set on a private island in the middle of a Venetian lagoon, which of course, is why San Clemente Palace Kempinski is just one of those. But minutes from the Piazza San Marco by boat, the hotel oozes understated elegance and has the benefit of palatial space (which is at a premium in Venice), opening up with wide marble corridors and high stately ceilings. For the Film Festival each year, the red carpet is unrolled and stars arrive by water in their Biennale finery. Luxuriate in the gardens, overlooked by the ivory white church, before taking off by boat to the beating heart of the city – it goes without saying, few places in Italy are more elegant.
5/5Aman Canal Grande
How many Hollywood celebrities can you cram into one hotel? Just ask George Clooney. Cindy Crawford, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Bill Murray were just a few of the names who sailed into the Aman Canal Grande to celebrate his wedding to Amal. As its name suggests, it is located on the Grand canal; and who could forget the scene, straight from a romantic movie, of a fleet of speedboats chasing the lovebirds down the canal to their lavish reception at Venice’s only seven star hotel. As well as the neck-achingly beautiful frescoes, there is a modern luxury spa and also a rooftop terrace, where if you’re lucky you might bump into the young aristocratic owners, Giberto and Bianca, the Count and Countess Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga, who still live in the palace with their family, in an apartment on the 5th floor.
