High water be damned, I just booked a week at the Gritti in late October and I'm waiting for my TA to return from Bhutan to book the Orient Express to Vienna! I'll likely have her take over my reservations at the Gritti as well, even though I get slightly better rates than Virtuoso.

My only question: I booked a regular Venetian Room. It looks lovely in photos but it's not a grand majestic suite or anything. Has anyone stayed in these rooms and if so, could you please offer feedback on the experience? I would have loved to book a Landmark Grand Canal room but at 1300 Euros/night for a full week stay, that's kind of pushing it. Is it "necessary"... don't mean to sound obnoxious/privileged because obviously we all know the answer is NO but in terms of value for dollar and overall experience at this property, should I just fork up the extra cash for the Grand Canal rooms? It seems a bit exorbitant...