Enjoy a view of the lagoon from a palace on the waterfront
The Hotel Savoia & Locanda occupies a superb position on Riva degli Schiavoni |
It has the charm of a Venetian palace but with all the modern facilities such as free wi fi, Sky and satellite tv, a gym and a boat available for the use of guests.
The hotel is very handily placed for the San Zaccaria vaporetto stop for boats that go up the Grand Canal towards Rialto, the station and Piazzale Roma, and, in the other direction, boats that go across the water to the Lido.
The Savoia & Jolanda is just a few minutes walk from the Bridge of Sighs, the Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s square and by going through the alleyways (calle) following the yellow signs with arrows it does not take long to reach the Rialto Bridge area.
Guests have one of the most iconic Venetian views from the hotel’s front windows as you can see the church and island of San Giorgio Maggiore out in the lagoon.
Editor’s Note: ‘I used to love sitting at a table at the bar outside the hotel watching the people going by as the sun set over the lagoon. Every time I have stayed at the Hotel Savoia & Jolanda my room has been comfortable and immaculately prepared, the breakfast has been excellent and the service faultless.’
The Palladian church of San Giorgio Maggiore is one of the most famous of Venetian views |
A little bit of history
The Savoia & Jolanda’s origins can be traced back to the early part of the 19th century thanks to the discovery of a black and white postcard showing the building, which was then named Bavaria & Jolanda. It was named in honour of the official union of the Savoia royal family with the Duchy of Bavaria. This was sealed when Princess Enrichetta Adelaide Savoia married Duke Ferdinand of Bavaria in 1650.
A few metres from the hotel there is an equestrian statue of the first King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, which was erected to commemorate the tenth anniversary of his death. The statue was inaugurated in 1887 by King Umberto I and his queen, Margherita Savoia.
The name of the hotel was changed to Savoia Hotel & Principessa Jolanda in the early part of the 20th century and it finally became Hotel Savoia & Jolanda in the 1940s.
Afterwards the hotel was proud to welcome art patron Peggy Guggenheim, who stayed in a suite there in 1948 on the occasion of the XXIV Venice Art Biennale.
Food and wine
There are plenty of good restaurants in the calle between St Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge and, to get good value for money, opt for one that is some distance away from the piazza.
Fegato alla Veneziana is a classic Venetian dish, made with calf's liver and often served with polenta |
Make sure you try some of the wines from the Veneto region, such as Soave, a white wine that is very well known internationally and is made from grapes grown in the vineyards around the nearby hilltop town of Soave. Also look out for Tocai and Bianco di Custoza, other good white wines from the region, which will be on most restaurant menus.
If your preference is for red wine, Valpolicella is a pleasant, light, fruity wine made in the area between Verona and Lake Garda.
If you like sparkling wine, don’t miss trying Prosecco, which is mainly produced in the Veneto.
Named after the variety of grape it is made from, Prosecco is lighter and more delicate than Champagne because it is bottled while young rather than being fermented.
It is made in the areas of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano north of Venice, although it was probably named after the town of Prosecco near Trieste, where the grape, one of Italy’s oldest, is believed to have originated.
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