Hotels

We finally learned from Royal Caribbean today what the three hotels will be that we will stay in at Venice, Florence, and Rome for the pre-cruise tour. Here's a brief summary of all three:

Venice - San Clemente Palace Resort and Hotel








From their website:

 A private Island, in the heart of the Lagoon, where you can savor the light summer breeze, or admire a colorful Venice, as you were part of a Canaletto painting.

An exclusive 5-star Luxury Hotel, with a unique location in Venice; the ideal destination for week-ends and holidays for partners and families, to celebrate weddings and private occasions, or to organize Meetings and International Events.

Welcome to the San Clemente Palace Hotel & Resort, peaceful oasis in the Venice Lagoon, where history, relax and culture are merged together, in a unique ambience… exclusive to you.

When they say "unique location", they mean about a mile south of Venice, accessible only by their own private water taxi. But that's OK. We'll be in Venice most of the time anyway. We think it looks like a great hotel.

Florence - Cerretani Hotel Firenze


  

 
 

From their website:

The Cerretani is a stylish hotel in the heart of Florence, with the typically elegant lines of 17th century architecture. The chamfered facade is lightened by large windows while mirrors beautifully reflect the building's splendid Florentine Renaissance style. The marvelous art nouveau white marble staircase ushers guests into the perfectly conserved interior. Details in iron, marble, velvet, paintings and gilt come together in a lively union to create elegant, attractive decorations. In the restaurant's intimate, exclusive atmosphere, Tuscany's many flavors are perfectly complemented by a selection of regional wines.

The location of this hotel is outstanding. Depending on which room you get, you can see the Duomo. So, it is within easy walking distance and Santa Croce, my favorite area, is also easily reached. Florence is rather small anyway, but to be so centralized will really help.

Rome - Grand Hotel Palatino


 

 


From their website:

The Grand Hotel Palatino is situated in the heart of Ancient Rome, just a few steps from the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, and very near the elegant shopping streets. The hotel is in an ideal location for those travelling by train, since it is not far from the Termini station, and is also easily reached by the Metro. For those travelling by car there are a number of garages in the area offering special rates for our clients. The central position of the hotel and the variety of services offered make it the ideal place for visitors to Rome, whether they come for business or pleasure .

Built in 1968, the Hotel is characterised by the welcome reserved over the years to its clients , and by its elegant and refined atmosphere. The 200 rooms and suites are spacious and welcoming, furnished with all comforts, and have been recently renovated, creating new categories with exclusive designs. In the Lobby, lit by large crystal lamps, you can relax and be tempted by the drinks at the “bARt”, listening to the Pianobar music. You will be welcome in either of the two restaurants, “le Erbe” and “Le Spighe”, and our “Maitre” will be pleased to suggest exquisite dishes with typical italian flavours, prepared with care and passion by Chef Emilio Moscati. The hotel offers a Congress Centre, composed of 4 meeting rooms, furnished with the most modern technological equipment, which can accommodate up to 320 people in theatre style.

Location, location, location. You can throw a meatball from this hotel and hit either the Collosseum or the Roman Forum. We plan on using the Metro stop that is just steps away. Perfect for what we need.

Di made reservations today for our first night in Venice, at the San Clemente Palace and Resort. It is an island about one mile due south of Venice in the Leguna Veneta. Since we are arriving in Venice one day before our pre-cruise tour actually begins, we needed to make our own reservation. The chances are good we'll need to move to another hotel the next day. But we'll enjoy this one for one night.