THE FACTS ABOUT CA'PISANI HOTEL

Italy Venice

La Serenissima has finally got itself a genuine, up-to-the-minute design hotel. Opened just before the 2001 carnival season and set in a beautifully restored 16th-century palazzo, the 29-room Ca'Pisani is a seductive mix of minimalist Art Deco inspired by the cool graphics of the 1920s Futurist painters, and eclectic 1930s and 1940s furniture. Each room has a bed from a different period, offset by funky metallic-silver desks and comfy leather armchairs. Just off the sleek lobby, there is a bar and restaurant, La Rivista, which is already attracting a fashionable crowd of local Venetians. Like the hotel itself, La Rivista offers something a little different: the Wine & Cheese Bar, with over 20 Italian cheeses and an extensive wine list. WHEN TO GO This will be the hot address for visitors to Venice's Biennale of Contemporary Art (March-November 2001) and the annual film festival (29 August-8 September) WHICH ROOM TO BOOK For romance, ask for room 30, right at the top, with wooden beams and fabulous views over the rooftops. Doubles from L360,000; room 30 from L420,000 CONTACT Ca'Pisani Hotel, Hotel Dorsoduro 979A, 30123 Venice, Italy (00 39 041 277 1478; fax: 277 1061; email:info@capisanihotel.it; www.capisanihotel.it)