Aman Canal Grande, Venice, Italy
Mar 30, 2015, 7:41 am
#241
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
If you appreciate hotels that have not changed anything in 11 years, then Il Palazzo may suit you, but I found it incredibly tired and formulaic, right down to the learned responses from waiting staff, which have not changed since the hotel reopened. Nothing has been done or improved in over a decade and the standard of guests there has seriously fallen. There are much nicer Presidential Suites in Venice. Do you really want your windows to face the chaos of that end of the Grand Canal, with its rowdy gondolas and tour groups? I was glad to leave!
Mar 30, 2015, 7:53 am
#242
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
If you appreciate hotels that have not changed anything in 11 years, then Il Palazzo may suit you, but I found it incredibly tired and formulaic, right down to the learned responses from waiting staff, which have not changed since the hotel reopened. Nothing has been done or improved in over a decade and the standard of guests there has seriously fallen. There are much nicer Presidential Suites in Venice. Do you really want your windows to face the chaos of that end of the Grand Canal, with its rowdy gondolas and tour groups? I was glad to leave!
Are there any other real high-end options these days? Thanks very much for your advice!
Mar 30, 2015, 8:30 am
#243
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,457
Okay, I guess the Aman really is where I should stay, as Il Palazzo was the only other option I was considering. I don't like the looks of the Decor at Gritti Palace, and have heard F&B is subpar as well.
Are there any other real high-end options these days? Thanks very much for your advice!
Are there any other real high-end options these days? Thanks very much for your advice!
I took a look at the new JW Marriott's website. Two big drawbacks 1) it's a Marriott so not anywhere near the league of an Aman and 2) it's not on Venice proper but if you're looking for some nice looking accommodations then maybe take a look at some of their suites or villas. Private pools are something that I don't think any other property in Venice offers. Granted I would expect service levels to be much less than at the Aman.
Bear in mind I think that the image from the hotel pool is photoshopped. I don't believe that the view is anywhere near that good.
FDW
Mar 30, 2015, 8:54 am
#244
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 1,644
I stayed last January at Ca'Sagredo and while not on the same level of luxury as the Aman we were very happy with it and one of the reasons was the location. I think location is rather important in Venice, especially if you are going in the high tourist season and that's the reason to avoid places like the Bauer, the Gritti, the Danieli and all those within shouting distance of the PSM. At those hotels you walk out of the front door and run straight into the pedestrian equivalent of the busiest, noisiest road you can think of. That's one reason we liked the Sagredo and why the Aman has an advantage - it's really quiet this far up the Canal yet it's a mere 15 minutes walk from the PSM.
Mar 31, 2015, 8:31 am
#245
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
Okay, I guess the Aman really is where I should stay, as Il Palazzo was the only other option I was considering. I don't like the looks of the Decor at Gritti Palace, and have heard F&B is subpar as well.
Are there any other real high-end options these days? Thanks very much for your advice!
Are there any other real high-end options these days? Thanks very much for your advice!
I wonder, though how Aman Canal Grande will fare under Claudia Schwartz rather than Olivia Richli, whose contract, bizarrely, was not renewed by Aman. Apart from being great friends with the resident part-owners, Count Giberto and his wife, Bianca, she added a very elegant touch to the proceedings.
People bemoan the fact that there is not a pool, but you simply cannot get permissions in this part of town to build one, which is probably quite right, as Venice's just reverence for history goes hand in hand with the old Aman ethic.
Ca'Sagredo is, as Pausanias says, a tempting idea. I have only looked, but never stayed, but I would much prefer it to a Starwood-in-Venice.
Nov 20, 2015, 12:00 am
#246
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: France
Posts: 971
Does 'Private visit' mean there are several small groups, or are you really alone?
Wondering if it's worth it compared to standard visit.
Nov 20, 2015, 10:24 am
#247
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
worth asking aman what all is included with excursion
aman price (increased from quote) includes guide etc
museum link updated since my post, added "guide not included"
http://www.visitmuve.it/en/exhibitio...vate-openings/
also http://www.visitmuve.it/en/exhibitio...porate-events/
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Nov 20, 2015 at 7:23 pm
Nov 24, 2015, 2:13 am
#248
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 26,543
You would expect there to be a ton of options in Venice, but unfortunately that is not the case. I agree that the psuedo-Venetian-Vegas decor (and the awful service & food) at The Gritti make it a no-go. This is also true of The Danieli. Venetian hotels are very arrogant in that they know they can charge a fortune for mediocrity. Even Cipriani is a massive disappointment.
I wonder, though how Aman Canal Grande will fare under Claudia Schwartz rather than Olivia Richli, whose contract, bizarrely, was not renewed by Aman. Apart from being great friends with the resident part-owners, Count Giberto and his wife, Bianca, she added a very elegant touch to the proceedings.
People bemoan the fact that there is not a pool, but you simply cannot get permissions in this part of town to build one, which is probably quite right, as Venice's just reverence for history goes hand in hand with the old Aman ethic.
Ca'Sagredo is, as Pausanias says, a tempting idea. I have only looked, but never stayed, but I would much prefer it to a Starwood-in-Venice.
I wonder, though how Aman Canal Grande will fare under Claudia Schwartz rather than Olivia Richli, whose contract, bizarrely, was not renewed by Aman. Apart from being great friends with the resident part-owners, Count Giberto and his wife, Bianca, she added a very elegant touch to the proceedings.
People bemoan the fact that there is not a pool, but you simply cannot get permissions in this part of town to build one, which is probably quite right, as Venice's just reverence for history goes hand in hand with the old Aman ethic.
Ca'Sagredo is, as Pausanias says, a tempting idea. I have only looked, but never stayed, but I would much prefer it to a Starwood-in-Venice.
Nov 24, 2015, 11:44 am
#250
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
opening its distribution channels to independent hotels
Accor has 3,800 hotels in its distribution platform but that number will increase to 10,000. The difference between the two numbers? Independents. Pulling in global independent properties does not constitute a soft brand, officials said, and AccorHotels is not looking to transform itself into a model that resembles an online travel agency.
Commission charged to independent signees will be lower than in other channels, Accor said, and data will be shared
Accor has 3,800 hotels in its distribution platform but that number will increase to 10,000. The difference between the two numbers? Independents. Pulling in global independent properties does not constitute a soft brand, officials said, and AccorHotels is not looking to transform itself into a model that resembles an online travel agency.
Commission charged to independent signees will be lower than in other channels, Accor said, and data will be shared
in other words, seems not even franchise, just bookable on accor website
in my opinion, no different from being bookable on online travel agencies
(and speaking of, amanresorts are now bookable on online travel agencies)
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Nov 26, 2015 at 12:46 pm
Feb 29, 2016, 1:54 pm
#251
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: England
Posts: 1,361
We just came back from a short weekend break at Aman Venice. As some brief thoughts:
* Even though we knew Claudia, the GM, from Amankila and saw her again only a month earlier at an Aman event, she was not there to greet us. I made the comment to the staff who was giving us a tour: “I understand she’s not here” only to be told she was there (she mentioned at the Aman event that she was in America at the time of our visit, which is why we were not expecting her. She actually was leaving the day after we arrived), then have her come see us. Seeing that we paid for Aman to pick us up from the airport, this must be the only time I've not had the GM meet us.
* I thought the food was amongst the best of any Aman I've ever been to, although the portions were very small and higher than Mayfair prices; €15 for a dessert that you could eat faster than you can pronounce it.
* The toilet door in the bedroom is see through, so it really has no privacy. It makes no sense to have a bathroom which is designed for 2 people, only to have the equivalent of an open-door policy on the toilet.
* All the rooms are really well thought out and beautifully decorated.
* We were upgraded by 2 room categories on arrival and then ultimately by a 3rd room category after I complained of the noise from an omnipresent crying baby. I was really surprised at the poor noise insulation and could not sleep on the first night, so asked to be moved. I think this is the first time I've ever asked to move room and I didn't feel that there was much empathy from the receptionist when I mentioned the issue. She said she wanted to go away and check, which is fine, but it just didn't seem to bother her that much when I mentioned it. There was more of a case of "are you sure you can't just put up with it?". I do appreciate they did move me and into a better room category, but the response from the staff felt a bit too much like the overall feeling of the resort, which is that it's truly spectacular, but not what I'd consider Aman levels of service.
* In the new room, he mentioned that it is much quieter, yet at 11pm we could hear people playing the piano. Luckily there was a door that you could close if you needed it, but her comment was that we would not need it - we sure did.
* Before any trip out of LGW or LHR we stay at The Connaught the night before and the day after our return. We mentioned to the Director of Rooms where we were going and on arrival had a large bouquet of flowers with a note from him waiting for us. Very classy. That's how to keep business.
* Free mini bar + snacks in the room, which is always a love of mine. The snacks in the room are amazing and even better than Amanzoe
* It's €275 one way water taxi if you want Aman to pick you up from the airport. I just agreed to them collecting us without looking at the prices and only spotted the price when going through their activities/spa menu in the room. As it seemed so high, I looked online and on the way back I pre-booked a water taxi at €100. That is an incredible margin to be adding to something, especially when the boat on the way back had better seating than Aman's. I'm fine with Aman making a margin, just not one that is so clearly a rip-off.
* Strange heating system, where if you want it warmer you must call them as the gauge has a limited range. We found the room very cold on several occasions and called multiple times. It did get warmer in the end, but I don't understand why it would then drop so much later on.
* It’s a shame my stay notes were not passed on. I deliberately did not send them pre-arrival, as I wanted to see if they would pass this on from Aman HQ. Seeing that they've identified us as Aman VIPs and we were told at the London event that this is an area they were focusing on, I thought it was worth trying. Even if they just sent some brief notes from our previous visits it would have been a good start, but evidently nothing was. For example, we do not drink alcohol, yet we were constantly offered it. At Amanjiwo they had our stay notes, and never once were we even offered anything, with the head of F&B even making comment on what mocktail we would like.
* I called downstairs at 8pm and it went to voicemail as no one was there.
* We frequently ask for ice and lemon with our water. I can still remember how impressed I was with Amanzoe during our first visit, that we asked once and never again. Every time we sat down for a drink or meal, there was always some ice and lemon there within a few minutes. At Aman Venice, we only received this on the final meal we had.
* We flew with BA and landed at 11:40 and left at 21:40, with an early check in and late check out offered. I know they're low-season, but that is hugely flexible and greatly appreciated.
* The food menu is too limited; the specials were the same every day and when I asked at 4pm if I could have the dinner menu, they said it was not ready yet and I could not have it.
* There are no signs in the elevator and due to the 2 different areas which means different floors are required depending on what elevator you're in, it's quite confusing to begin with as to which level you need to go to.
* Management is omnipresent at most Amans but not here - GM came to say goodbye and that was it. We never had anyone come over to speak to us during lunch/dinner, which is very un-Aman like.
* The light system in the room was very good, especially the master light next to every bed.
I know the above may sound negative, but I think the hotel is simply stunning. I didn't feel the usual warmth of an Aman in the staff service, but at the same time I don't think the hotel being so massive and empty helps in that atmosphere. This is not to say they were poorly trained or did not care, only that I've had better and more memorable service elsewhere. I would return to Aman Venice, but I would not rush to it.
Some photos from our stay, including a tour of the hotel and other rooms:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132880...57665091684416
* Even though we knew Claudia, the GM, from Amankila and saw her again only a month earlier at an Aman event, she was not there to greet us. I made the comment to the staff who was giving us a tour: “I understand she’s not here” only to be told she was there (she mentioned at the Aman event that she was in America at the time of our visit, which is why we were not expecting her. She actually was leaving the day after we arrived), then have her come see us. Seeing that we paid for Aman to pick us up from the airport, this must be the only time I've not had the GM meet us.
* I thought the food was amongst the best of any Aman I've ever been to, although the portions were very small and higher than Mayfair prices; €15 for a dessert that you could eat faster than you can pronounce it.
* The toilet door in the bedroom is see through, so it really has no privacy. It makes no sense to have a bathroom which is designed for 2 people, only to have the equivalent of an open-door policy on the toilet.
* All the rooms are really well thought out and beautifully decorated.
* We were upgraded by 2 room categories on arrival and then ultimately by a 3rd room category after I complained of the noise from an omnipresent crying baby. I was really surprised at the poor noise insulation and could not sleep on the first night, so asked to be moved. I think this is the first time I've ever asked to move room and I didn't feel that there was much empathy from the receptionist when I mentioned the issue. She said she wanted to go away and check, which is fine, but it just didn't seem to bother her that much when I mentioned it. There was more of a case of "are you sure you can't just put up with it?". I do appreciate they did move me and into a better room category, but the response from the staff felt a bit too much like the overall feeling of the resort, which is that it's truly spectacular, but not what I'd consider Aman levels of service.
* In the new room, he mentioned that it is much quieter, yet at 11pm we could hear people playing the piano. Luckily there was a door that you could close if you needed it, but her comment was that we would not need it - we sure did.
* Before any trip out of LGW or LHR we stay at The Connaught the night before and the day after our return. We mentioned to the Director of Rooms where we were going and on arrival had a large bouquet of flowers with a note from him waiting for us. Very classy. That's how to keep business.
* Free mini bar + snacks in the room, which is always a love of mine. The snacks in the room are amazing and even better than Amanzoe
* It's €275 one way water taxi if you want Aman to pick you up from the airport. I just agreed to them collecting us without looking at the prices and only spotted the price when going through their activities/spa menu in the room. As it seemed so high, I looked online and on the way back I pre-booked a water taxi at €100. That is an incredible margin to be adding to something, especially when the boat on the way back had better seating than Aman's. I'm fine with Aman making a margin, just not one that is so clearly a rip-off.
* Strange heating system, where if you want it warmer you must call them as the gauge has a limited range. We found the room very cold on several occasions and called multiple times. It did get warmer in the end, but I don't understand why it would then drop so much later on.
* It’s a shame my stay notes were not passed on. I deliberately did not send them pre-arrival, as I wanted to see if they would pass this on from Aman HQ. Seeing that they've identified us as Aman VIPs and we were told at the London event that this is an area they were focusing on, I thought it was worth trying. Even if they just sent some brief notes from our previous visits it would have been a good start, but evidently nothing was. For example, we do not drink alcohol, yet we were constantly offered it. At Amanjiwo they had our stay notes, and never once were we even offered anything, with the head of F&B even making comment on what mocktail we would like.
* I called downstairs at 8pm and it went to voicemail as no one was there.
* We frequently ask for ice and lemon with our water. I can still remember how impressed I was with Amanzoe during our first visit, that we asked once and never again. Every time we sat down for a drink or meal, there was always some ice and lemon there within a few minutes. At Aman Venice, we only received this on the final meal we had.
* We flew with BA and landed at 11:40 and left at 21:40, with an early check in and late check out offered. I know they're low-season, but that is hugely flexible and greatly appreciated.
* The food menu is too limited; the specials were the same every day and when I asked at 4pm if I could have the dinner menu, they said it was not ready yet and I could not have it.
* There are no signs in the elevator and due to the 2 different areas which means different floors are required depending on what elevator you're in, it's quite confusing to begin with as to which level you need to go to.
* Management is omnipresent at most Amans but not here - GM came to say goodbye and that was it. We never had anyone come over to speak to us during lunch/dinner, which is very un-Aman like.
* The light system in the room was very good, especially the master light next to every bed.
I know the above may sound negative, but I think the hotel is simply stunning. I didn't feel the usual warmth of an Aman in the staff service, but at the same time I don't think the hotel being so massive and empty helps in that atmosphere. This is not to say they were poorly trained or did not care, only that I've had better and more memorable service elsewhere. I would return to Aman Venice, but I would not rush to it.
Some photos from our stay, including a tour of the hotel and other rooms:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132880...57665091684416
Feb 29, 2016, 3:53 pm
#252
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: London
Programs: No program whatsoever
Posts: 284
We just came back from a short weekend break at Aman Venice. As some brief thoughts:
* Even though we knew Claudia, the GM, from Amankila and saw her again only a month earlier at an Aman event, she was not there to greet us. I made the comment to the staff who was giving us a tour: “I understand she’s not here” only to be told she was there (she mentioned at the Aman event that she was in America at the time of our visit, which is why we were not expecting her. She actually was leaving the day after we arrived), then have her come see us. Seeing that we paid for Aman to pick us up from the airport, this must be the only time I've not had the GM meet us.
* I thought the food was amongst the best of any Aman I've ever been to, although the portions were very small and higher than Mayfair prices; €15 for a dessert that you could eat faster than you can pronounce it.
* The toilet door in the bedroom is see through, so it really has no privacy. It makes no sense to have a bathroom which is designed for 2 people, only to have the equivalent of an open-door policy on the toilet.
* All the rooms are really well thought out and beautifully decorated.
* We were upgraded by 2 room categories on arrival and then ultimately by a 3rd room category after I complained of the noise from an omnipresent crying baby. I was really surprised at the poor noise insulation and could not sleep on the first night, so asked to be moved. I think this is the first time I've ever asked to move room and I didn't feel that there was much empathy from the receptionist when I mentioned the issue. She said she wanted to go away and check, which is fine, but it just didn't seem to bother her that much when I mentioned it. There was more of a case of "are you sure you can't just put up with it?". I do appreciate they did move me and into a better room category, but the response from the staff felt a bit too much like the overall feeling of the resort, which is that it's truly spectacular, but not what I'd consider Aman levels of service.
* In the new room, he mentioned that it is much quieter, yet at 11pm we could hear people playing the piano. Luckily there was a door that you could close if you needed it, but her comment was that we would not need it - we sure did.
* Before any trip out of LGW or LHR we stay at The Connaught the night before and the day after our return. We mentioned to the Director of Rooms where we were going and on arrival had a large bouquet of flowers with a note from him waiting for us. Very classy. That's how to keep business.
* Free mini bar + snacks in the room, which is always a love of mine. The snacks in the room are amazing and even better than Amanzoe
* It's €275 one way water taxi if you want Aman to pick you up from the airport. I just agreed to them collecting us without looking at the prices and only spotted the price when going through their activities/spa menu in the room. As it seemed so high, I looked online and on the way back I pre-booked a water taxi at €100. That is an incredible margin to be adding to something, especially when the boat on the way back had better seating than Aman's. I'm fine with Aman making a margin, just not one that is so clearly a rip-off.
* Strange heating system, where if you want it warmer you must call them as the gauge has a limited range. We found the room very cold on several occasions and called multiple times. It did get warmer in the end, but I don't understand why it would then drop so much later on.
* It’s a shame my stay notes were not passed on. I deliberately did not send them pre-arrival, as I wanted to see if they would pass this on from Aman HQ. Seeing that they've identified us as Aman VIPs and we were told at the London event that this is an area they were focusing on, I thought it was worth trying. Even if they just sent some brief notes from our previous visits it would have been a good start, but evidently nothing was. For example, we do not drink alcohol, yet we were constantly offered it. At Amanjiwo they had our stay notes, and never once were we even offered anything, with the head of F&B even making comment on what mocktail we would like.
* I called downstairs at 8pm and it went to voicemail as no one was there.
* We frequently ask for ice and lemon with our water. I can still remember how impressed I was with Amanzoe during our first visit, that we asked once and never again. Every time we sat down for a drink or meal, there was always some ice and lemon there within a few minutes. At Aman Venice, we only received this on the final meal we had.
* We flew with BA and landed at 11:40 and left at 21:40, with an early check in and late check out offered. I know they're low-season, but that is hugely flexible and greatly appreciated.
* The food menu is too limited; the specials were the same every day and when I asked at 4pm if I could have the dinner menu, they said it was not ready yet and I could not have it.
* There are no signs in the elevator and due to the 2 different areas which means different floors are required depending on what elevator you're in, it's quite confusing to begin with as to which level you need to go to.
* Management is omnipresent at most Amans but not here - GM came to say goodbye and that was it. We never had anyone come over to speak to us during lunch/dinner, which is very un-Aman like.
* The light system in the room was very good, especially the master light next to every bed.
I know the above may sound negative, but I think the hotel is simply stunning. I didn't feel the usual warmth of an Aman in the staff service, but at the same time I don't think the hotel being so massive and empty helps in that atmosphere. This is not to say they were poorly trained or did not care, only that I've had better and more memorable service elsewhere. I would return to Aman Venice, but I would not rush to it.
Some photos from our stay, including a tour of the hotel and other rooms:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132880...57665091684416
* Even though we knew Claudia, the GM, from Amankila and saw her again only a month earlier at an Aman event, she was not there to greet us. I made the comment to the staff who was giving us a tour: “I understand she’s not here” only to be told she was there (she mentioned at the Aman event that she was in America at the time of our visit, which is why we were not expecting her. She actually was leaving the day after we arrived), then have her come see us. Seeing that we paid for Aman to pick us up from the airport, this must be the only time I've not had the GM meet us.
* I thought the food was amongst the best of any Aman I've ever been to, although the portions were very small and higher than Mayfair prices; €15 for a dessert that you could eat faster than you can pronounce it.
* The toilet door in the bedroom is see through, so it really has no privacy. It makes no sense to have a bathroom which is designed for 2 people, only to have the equivalent of an open-door policy on the toilet.
* All the rooms are really well thought out and beautifully decorated.
* We were upgraded by 2 room categories on arrival and then ultimately by a 3rd room category after I complained of the noise from an omnipresent crying baby. I was really surprised at the poor noise insulation and could not sleep on the first night, so asked to be moved. I think this is the first time I've ever asked to move room and I didn't feel that there was much empathy from the receptionist when I mentioned the issue. She said she wanted to go away and check, which is fine, but it just didn't seem to bother her that much when I mentioned it. There was more of a case of "are you sure you can't just put up with it?". I do appreciate they did move me and into a better room category, but the response from the staff felt a bit too much like the overall feeling of the resort, which is that it's truly spectacular, but not what I'd consider Aman levels of service.
* In the new room, he mentioned that it is much quieter, yet at 11pm we could hear people playing the piano. Luckily there was a door that you could close if you needed it, but her comment was that we would not need it - we sure did.
* Before any trip out of LGW or LHR we stay at The Connaught the night before and the day after our return. We mentioned to the Director of Rooms where we were going and on arrival had a large bouquet of flowers with a note from him waiting for us. Very classy. That's how to keep business.
* Free mini bar + snacks in the room, which is always a love of mine. The snacks in the room are amazing and even better than Amanzoe
* It's €275 one way water taxi if you want Aman to pick you up from the airport. I just agreed to them collecting us without looking at the prices and only spotted the price when going through their activities/spa menu in the room. As it seemed so high, I looked online and on the way back I pre-booked a water taxi at €100. That is an incredible margin to be adding to something, especially when the boat on the way back had better seating than Aman's. I'm fine with Aman making a margin, just not one that is so clearly a rip-off.
* Strange heating system, where if you want it warmer you must call them as the gauge has a limited range. We found the room very cold on several occasions and called multiple times. It did get warmer in the end, but I don't understand why it would then drop so much later on.
* It’s a shame my stay notes were not passed on. I deliberately did not send them pre-arrival, as I wanted to see if they would pass this on from Aman HQ. Seeing that they've identified us as Aman VIPs and we were told at the London event that this is an area they were focusing on, I thought it was worth trying. Even if they just sent some brief notes from our previous visits it would have been a good start, but evidently nothing was. For example, we do not drink alcohol, yet we were constantly offered it. At Amanjiwo they had our stay notes, and never once were we even offered anything, with the head of F&B even making comment on what mocktail we would like.
* I called downstairs at 8pm and it went to voicemail as no one was there.
* We frequently ask for ice and lemon with our water. I can still remember how impressed I was with Amanzoe during our first visit, that we asked once and never again. Every time we sat down for a drink or meal, there was always some ice and lemon there within a few minutes. At Aman Venice, we only received this on the final meal we had.
* We flew with BA and landed at 11:40 and left at 21:40, with an early check in and late check out offered. I know they're low-season, but that is hugely flexible and greatly appreciated.
* The food menu is too limited; the specials were the same every day and when I asked at 4pm if I could have the dinner menu, they said it was not ready yet and I could not have it.
* There are no signs in the elevator and due to the 2 different areas which means different floors are required depending on what elevator you're in, it's quite confusing to begin with as to which level you need to go to.
* Management is omnipresent at most Amans but not here - GM came to say goodbye and that was it. We never had anyone come over to speak to us during lunch/dinner, which is very un-Aman like.
* The light system in the room was very good, especially the master light next to every bed.
I know the above may sound negative, but I think the hotel is simply stunning. I didn't feel the usual warmth of an Aman in the staff service, but at the same time I don't think the hotel being so massive and empty helps in that atmosphere. This is not to say they were poorly trained or did not care, only that I've had better and more memorable service elsewhere. I would return to Aman Venice, but I would not rush to it.
Some photos from our stay, including a tour of the hotel and other rooms:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132880...57665091684416
Feb 29, 2016, 4:57 pm
#253
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 26,543
Thanks, MacMyDay for such an informative report. Along with your written report, I enjoyed the photographs very much. Still trying to wrap my head around the outrageous airport transfer charge. It is shocking that they would charge nearly triple what a water taxi charges. I hope your report will encourage other visitors to eschew their transfer option.
Feb 29, 2016, 11:39 pm
#254
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: England
Posts: 1,361
Thanks, MacMyDay for such an informative report. Along with your written report, I enjoyed the photographs very much. Still trying to wrap my head around the outrageous airport transfer charge. It is shocking that they would charge nearly triple what a water taxi charges. I hope your report will encourage other visitors to eschew their transfer option.
In the end I used this company: http://www.motoscafivenezia.it/eng/biglietto_1.php
Before booking I did a Google search for their name and "flyertalk.com" just to prove they were legit and found this, so felt comfortable to book and went ahead: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26112102-post34.html
It took just a few minutes to do online. The journey is only around 25 minutes, so once again the price of €275 is insane.
Aman's mark-ups at times can be very frustrating and unjustly. When we were in Amangiri, we went on one of their private slot canyon tours that was organised by Aman at ~$550. After the tour and now knowing the company name, I decided to Google them and found it was less than half price to do the exact same thing if we just booked it directly.
Mar 1, 2016, 3:10 am
#255
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,457
Thanks for the review. Seems like a nice hotel but not an Aman. I can't seem to get a good handle on the GM. I've interacted with her a number of times and sometimes she's very warm and sometimes she seems very German
Interestingly enough I thought that they had included transfers in the rate per Kage
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/22678185-post20.html
That's quite the markup but nothing outside the realm of luxury hotels unfortunately. I think that the PH Paris is about a 3x markup for an airport transfer.
Though I do seem to remember posts for when they opened quoting a 160 euro charge for the transfer
Fdw
Interestingly enough I thought that they had included transfers in the rate per Kage
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/22678185-post20.html
That's quite the markup but nothing outside the realm of luxury hotels unfortunately. I think that the PH Paris is about a 3x markup for an airport transfer.
Though I do seem to remember posts for when they opened quoting a 160 euro charge for the transfer
Fdw