europe hotels

Most of Venice’s household-name five-star hotels are converted palazzi. In this respect, and others, the Nolinski—43 rooms and suites on Calle Larga XXII Marzo, the smartest shopping street in town—is different. It occupies a 20th-century building constructed not as a grand private residence but as a stock exchange. Yet there’s nothing the least bit stock exchange-y about it. Its five-storey façade, in a version of the Liberty style, is subtly animated by rippling lines and wavy undulations, suitably rich in maritime associations. Interior designers Yann Le Coadic and Alessandro Scotto have pulled off a nifty trick, deploying an adventurous mixture of elements in a way that creates an impression of great restraint and serenity. Mirrors feature prominently, along with a remarkable collection of glassware, assembled specifically for the hotel. Indeed, the art throughout has been curated, hung, and displayed with exceptional flair—nowhere more so than in the ravishing little Library Bar on the piano nobile. Venetians have a particular fondness for sunny courtyard spaces; Nolinski is a doozy, with a small but extremely fetching adjoining bar and dining room. Upstairs, in a stupendously domed space with gold-trimmed arches, fine-dining restaurant Palais Royal is due to open in spring, overseen by chef Philip Chronopoulos, a protégé of the late Joël Robuchon and much admired for his Hellenic take on classic French cuisine. From $920. —Steve King

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