Hidden behind a door in Venice marked only by a bull’s head is a magical world of mirrors, glass sculptures, rare books and vintage objects – Philippe Starck’s first Italian hotel, and Design Hotels™ member, Palazzina Grassi.

The renowned French designer was chosen by Emanuele Garosci, hotelier and former rally driver, to create an imaginative five-star hotel with 16 bedrooms and 6 apartment suites, a cosy private members-only club and a stunning restaurant. Designed to make guests feel ‘temporarily Venetian’ this 16th century former residence  features traditional Italian touches such as exposed bricks mixed with dazzling contemporary design, including transparent glass wardrobes and nine custom-made Murano glass works by the artist Aristide Najean. The result is a luxurious hotel on the Canal Grande that retains the aura and charm of an aristocratic Venetian home.

Emanuele Garosci, creator of Palazzina Grassi, says: “There was a need in Venice for something new, to go against the traditional way of thinking about Venice – Starck was the answer. Palazzina Grassi is more like a private club, a combination of a hotel and very unique spaces where guests can live as a Venetian.”

The varied interior includes multicoloured hallways in bright red to acid almond green, huge rugs in vivid colours and exposed Venetian bricks salvaged from an old farmstead. Throughout the hotel visitors will find valuable books, antique pieces, mahogany and unique artworks.

Guestrooms offer large backlit mirrors, warm lighting, floors in Venetian wood, bathrooms using natural stone and bespoke pieces of furniture including dressing tables. In the apartment suites beds are situated in the centre of the room and are surrounded by transparent glass wardrobes, soft rugs and coffee tables made of steel and moonstone onyx.

The ground floor PG’s restaurant and bar offers a masterpiece in art and design in the form of two seven-metre long monolithic dinner tables, one made of marble and the other of mirrored glass. Mahogany wood panelling on the walls, soft lighting and unique pieces of Venetian glass complete the magical environment. Diners have a view of the show kitchen and bar, a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Venetian ‘cicchetteria’ or ‘osteria’, a popular meeting place where people can gather for conversation and local fare.

The G club, overlooking the Canal Grande, contains a private intimate dining room. Its two interconnected rooms feature a bar outfitted with vibrant red, yellow and silver Murano tiles and offer a cosy space where hotel guests and their friends mix with Venetian society.

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