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The Lobby (Image source: Aqua Palace Hotel’s FB page)

One of the things you’ll need to figure out when planning a trip to Venice is whether to stay in Lido, Mestre or on the island. On the last trip to Venice, we stayed in Mestre but this time around, as we had just a couple of days at hand, we decided to stay on the island to make the most of our time. After doing a bit of research, we decided to find a hotel in Castello, and picked Aqua Palace. (You can read here about Venice, Italy with Kids: Top 9 Things to Do, Top Attractions & Places to Eat).

Aqua Palace is a luxurious hotel situated in the Castello Quarter of Venice. Venice is divided into 6 districts, Castello is the closest to San Marco (that houses St Mark’s Square, St Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace).

Overlooking a typical Venetian canal, Aqua Palace is housed in a historic palace dating back to the 1700s. The facades of most hotels look like just every other building in Venice, blending them into the surroundings. But as soon as you step foot inside Aqua Palace, you can see the luxurious touches. In fact, that’s what I love about Venice (island), every building has character. Spread over four floors, Aqua Palace hotel offers a grand view of the Venetian Canal and even has a private Gondola Pier.

The Rooms & Suites at Aqua Palace Venice

The rooms and suites are stylish and luxuriously furnished. That having been said, read the persons per room clause carefully as the hotel is pretty strict with their max guests in a room policy. We were told that since we’re a family of 5, we could not stay in the Family Suite which accommodated upto 4 people. So we booked a Junior Suite and a Double Room. The rooms were just across the hall from each other, so if you have older kids, the arrangement would work perfectly. However, since the rooms are not interconnected, this is not an ideal solution for those with younger kids, so go for the Family Suite instead.

The rooms are well appointed, fully equipped with all amenities and essentials. The Junior Suite is quite spacious, with a large comfy bed, a nice couch and a writing desk. The Double Room wasn’t as spacious but the huge, luxurious bathroom made up for that.

Of course, opt for a canal facing room, if possible, as the other rooms can be dark. This is common in Venice as the buildings are built rather close to each other, allowing little sunlight between buildings.

Location of Aqua Palace Venice

The location is fantastic, we could not have asked for a more centralized location. The hotel is just a few minutes’ walk from Piazza San Marco and Rialto Bridge. The area is bustling with lots of restaurants around. There are also several shops and a supermarket nearby.

The Airport is a 30-minute water ride from the hotel. You can also take a vaporetto from San Mark’s or Rialto to get to Santa Lucia Train Station or Piazzale Roma.

Dining and Facilities at Aqua Palace Venice

The Pvt Gondola Pier at the hotel’s doorstop

The hotel serves a buffet breakfast every morning with a great cappuccino. During our stay, vegetarian options at the buffet included a variety of cereals, breads, jams and spreads, cheeses, pancakes and plenty of fruit.

Do note that the restaurant doesn’t serve lunch or dinner. But they have a nice menu for in-room dining and there is also an onsite bar.

Since the hotel is housed in a building from the 1700s, Aqua Palace doesn’t have a spa or swimming pool. But you’re not being shortchanged here, pools and spas are not the norm in hotels on the Island and most hotels do not offer these.

Aqua Palace has a private Gondola Pier, so if you take a private water taxi from Piazzale Roma or Marco Polo Airport, you can practically cruise up to the hotel lobby. At the end of our stay, we took a private water taxi to Marco Polo and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the 30-minute boat ride.

If you’re short on time when in Venice, it is worth the extra dough to stay at a nice hotel on the island and experience the no-holds-barred Venice.

Kid Friendly Meter –
Vegetarian Friendly Meter –

Tegernsee

Our stay in Der Westerhof in Tegernsee was one of the highlights of our trip to Munich. Never heard of Tegernsee? Neither had we, until a friend who had lived in Munich for a decade recommended that we spend at least one night in Tegernsee, during our German vacation.

The Beautiful Town of Tegernsee

Tegernsee is a cozy little town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the shore of Tegernsee lake, at an altitude of over 700 m above sea level.

Tegernsee is just an hour’s drive from Munich, so you could easily do a day-trip but I would highly recommend at least a night’s stay in Der Westerhof, preferably 2.

Der Westerhof – Accommodation

Hotel Der Westerhof

Der Westerhof sits in a beautiful setting amongst hilltop views. You can enjoy fantastic panoramic views of the lake or the mountains from just about any part of the hotel.

The hotel has two buildings – Main Building and Berghaus – both have several types of rooms and suites to choose from. The rooms in the Master Building are newer and have more modern furnishings, whereas those in the Berghaus have more contemporary furnishings.

We stayed in the Family 2-Bedroomed Suite. The suite was comfortable and spacious, more like an apartment really, with 2 bedrooms, a living and dining room, a desk in the master bedroom, and a kitchenette with a good coffee machine. Oh yes, if I book a suite with a kitchenette, I expect a coffee machine! The suite was thoughtfully furnished and equipped with the latest amenities.

Both bedrooms have their own balcony, one with mountain and one with lake views. During the day, the balcony would be a perfect place to enjoy lunch while watching the gorgeous views and at night it was the perfect place to enjoy a couple glasses of wine.

Food at Der Westerhof

Breakfast with a View

We started our morning with a lavish buffet breakfast on the Sun Terrace, while admiring the panoramic views of the lake and the valley (yet again). The breakfast was a lavish spread with quite a few choices for the vegetarians – plenty of bakes (aka selection of rolls, bread and croissants, including wholemeal and gluten-free) with a wide choice of home-made jams, spreads and Tegernsee honey; large selection of cheeses; fresh fruit; muesli and cereals; natural and fruit yogurts; range of drinks including fruit juices, organic herbal teas and freshly brewed and speciality coffees. There are also wide lawns around for the kids to run around so you can enjoy that cappuccino with a view, in peace.

The hotel also offers complimentary Afternoon Cakes & Coffee to all guests daily. The mouth-watering treats, include a variety of cakes and pastries that you can enjoy with coffee or tea. What’s more, if you’re out and about, you can take a refreshment break and enjoy these treats in the Westerhof Café in town, free of charge.

Get your Fix of Vegetarian Food – Indian Restaurant in Town

For other meals, Der Westerhof has a Bavarian ‘Brotzeit’ on site, where they serve light meals. Not much choice though, so you would be better off eating in town before you head back to the hotel at the end of the day. We enjoyed a lovely (vegetarian) Indian dinner at Mirch Masala, an Indian restaurant in Tegernsee.

Der Westerhof – Things to do

Der Westerhof has fantastic spa facilities. These include a Bio Sauna, Infrared Sauna and Finnish Sauna, with unparalleled views of the mountains and lake at Tegernsee. They also have a Kneipp Bath, Spa Shower and Outdoor Shower. If you need any more relaxation, there is also a Separate Panoramic Terrace and Sunbathing Area. Or just chill at the Relaxation Room (of course, it comes with a lake view), with a complimentary tea or a refreshing fruit schorle (kind of a spritzer).

If you’re the kind who likes to relax with a book, Hotel Der Westerhof has a small Reading Library, where you can browse their collection of books or even play chess.

The hotel also has a Children’s Playroom for the junior guests. With its wooden train set, memory games, soft toys, children’s books and puzzles, your kids can romp and play to their hearts content.

Category: Europe

Aqua Palace Hotel, Venice – A Luxury Boutique Hotel in Castello