A fine specimen of the elegant design of contemporary Italy, over and beyond country borders, which reflects the dynamism of our times. A hotel that will linger in the memory of travelers. The palace was built in 1870 as the Roman residence of the very noble Venetian family Mocenigo, which gave to Venice seven rulers or -Doges-. In fact, the exterior decoration in neo-gothic style with its ogives and moldings reminds you of the Venetian palaces. Originally the building contained 25 apartments, warehouses, carriage shelter and stables. One year of intensive works converted it into a 113-room hotel, inaugurated on September 1999. The interior design aims at rendering the spirit of Venice through the use of materials typical of the Venetian palaces, like for instance the gold leaf, which covers the arches and sparkles in the wall paint. Some peculiar colors come from the 19th century architecture, like the shade of deep blue of the vault of the reception where a full moon night is painted. The astral theme runs through the entire decoration scheme. In the large lounge hung two golden suns that quiver with the lightest breath of air are hung. The -Persian- shade of yellow reminds of the Byzantine mosaics and the oriental palaces. The presence of contemporary elements is underlined by the use of an intense shade of orange. A narrow carpet of very rare, multicolor, inlaid marbles, whose design was taken from a painting by Veronese, runs through the lounges. Marbles were also used for the floors. Their supplier has been working for 150 years for the St. Peter's Basilica, the Parliament and the Quirinal, house of the President of the Italian Republic. In the lounges, groups of armchairs protect the privacy of the clients' conversations. They were designed by the architects in the style of the thirties and custom-made in valuable African wood and soft Moroccan leather with the objective of adopting a style less ornate and dramatic than that of some traditional hotel lounges. Similarly, the pieces of furniture utilized are normally on sale and of the kind anyone of us might wish for one's home. Four large paintings by a well-known contemporary artist, Paolo Giorgi, decorate the walls. The intriguing -Blue Bar- was made out from the stables. The original bricks of the vaults were restored to a soft shade of pink and contrast with the walls in cobalt blue. The boiseries in light maple wood hide the lighting system. The unusual sofas in beige with the very high back come from the line originally designed by architect Philippe Starck for the Metropolitan Hotel in New York. Two brightly colored oil paintings by Dora Tassinari resembling mosaics and picturing exotic child faces decorate the walls. The gourmet restaurant -Aureliano- - by the name of the Roman Emperor - is a recherche ambience of classical inspiration characterized by the light boiseries, the floral decorations of the vaults and the appliques in modern Murano blown-glass in bright red or blue. The menu follows the seasons and specializes in fish. The wine list is extensive and includes both Italian and international crus. A unique feature of the Empire Palace Hotel is the large courtyard -La Corte delle Stelle- where drinks and meals are served in the good season. A large, attractive fountain decorates it. A conference room is available to accommodate up to 50 people. The 113 guestrooms and junior suites are classical and extremely comfortable. The furniture is in light cherry wood and the dominant shade of the fabrics is again -Persian yellow-, a soft, golden, creamy colour. A high carpeting purple or blue covers the floors. A collection of prints colored by hand representing Wedgewood porcelain or Etruscan vases decorate the walls. Bathrooms are in off white marble with streaks of gold. All rooms can be linked to Internet and are equipped with satellite TV, Pay TV, air conditioning self-remote control, radio channels, mini bar, safe, hairdryer, courtesy toiletries, bathrobe, slippers. Additional Information: One child age 2 and under stays free in the room with parents and in existing bedding.

Chain: GlobRes

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