My first international wine trip after a few years of not traveling, was Italy! My husband has never been to Italy and it’s one of my favorite countries, so we decided it was time to visit, and see all the amazing sights. The last time I was in Venice, I just passing through on my way to another wine growing area, but this time we wanted to stay some days in this beautiful city.

Hubby and I like to travel, and when we do, we travel well! There was one hotel that hit all the checklist points and even exceeded our expectations beyond what we could ever imagine. The Hilton Molino Stucky is the most beautiful hotel in Venice, located on a side that’s a bit more local than touristy. The Giudecca side of Venice is just gorgeous, and a bit smaller and less crowded than the other side where you find popular tourist spots. On the Giudecca side where the Hilton is,  you’ll find incredible restaurants, amazing wine lists, and the most incredible hotel in the area (the Molino Stucky). The Molino Stucky was once a very successful flour mill and now is a beautiful hotel that has a rooftop pool, rooftop bar, and a decadent on site restaurant. On top of that they serve an outstanding breakfast as well as have a nice spa, treatment rooms, and even a shuttle boat that brings you to the other side of the canal.

Located about 20 minutes from St. Marks Square, a famed destination you can easily get to the other side of the canal from this hotel. All the rooms have amazing views morning, noon, and night and the hotel decor is classic yet old world, complete with artwork, Murano glass pieces, and a really inviting lobby bar. They offer a VIP lounge where you can enjoy snacks and working areas, as well as a gelato cart, and espresso.

When we arrived we were greeted by the lovely staff, and a really nice nautical themed room. I recommend upgrading your room to what you can, because the perks are pretty amazing for views. The beds are very comfortable, the shower and bathroom amenities are superb, and you will enjoy everything this hotel has to offer. After a nice dinner down the street from the hotel, we settled in for our first night and woke up to a beautiful sunrise overlooking Venice. The Spa and Pool were the first thing on our minds, and we really enjoyed being able to make a reservation for some pool time, where we enjoyed some Spritz’s and incredible views!

The pool is awesome, and ideal if you’re also booking this hotel for a private event. The spa is relaxing, and a great way to unwind after a long flight. They offer treatments, which I heard from some other guests were really nice and the prices are pretty good too; so it’s a win, win. We really enjoyed the Giudecca side, and walked up and down alongside the hotel and visited some great restaurants in the area. It was actually pretty easy to book a water taxi with the hotel too, for private transfers that we didn’t want to take public transportation for. The expense is a bit pricey, however when you think about the boat costs, and the time it takes, it’s worth it in the end!

We got a special tour of the Presidential Suite of this hotel which has it’s own private elevator, private entrance to the pool, as well as its own special view point with a spiral staircase leading to a very high, amazing view point. This suite has multiple bedrooms and bathrooms as well as a nice kitchenette, sitting room, and even a gym with a spa tub! Honestly if I had the dough, I would stay in this suite because the service at this hotel is unmatched and you won’t find a cooler space.

One evening we visited Sky Line Bar, the Rooftop Lounge where they have incredibly creative cocktails and some fun bar snacks. My favorite thing about Italy is that with all your cocktails and wine, you receive snacks, really good ones too. They offered a selection of olives and chips, that paired nicely with the Smokerita Cocktail made with Scotch and Tequila and lime. Danny, my husband got a MugniFigue which was a really fun one with Bourbon, egg white, figs, and pear juice. The view is just perfect and I absolutely recommend stopping here for some great drinks.

Some evenings we did enjoy the Rialto Bar in the lobby where they have a great Grappa selection as well as one of the best Espresso Martini’s I have ever had! We hung out in the lobby bar a lot because it’s really beautiful, friendly, and quieter at night. Besides serving an incredible espresso martini, we also enjoyed other classic cocktails they offered and some of the menu items!

 

Our final evening in Venice we visited Aromi Restaurant where we enjoyed an incredible couple courses with wine pairings. We began with the Raw Beef raised with hazelnuts, mustard grains, marrow, and Chef Deluxe Giaveri caviar. It was insanely delicious and was complimented by fresh baked breads with squid ink butter!

For our pasta course we went with the Rigatoni Pasta complete with duck ragout, foie grass parfait, citrus fruits gremolada dressing and Ubriaco cheese fondue. It was flavorful, intense, creative, and seductive all at the same time. There were so many delectable layers to this pasta and when paired with some Franciacorta Rosé, this Somm was in heaven! After our mains came where I enjoyed the Prawns with Sicilian eggplant caponata and Mazara red praws elixir sauce, while Danny enjoyed the Black Angus beef, low temperature cooked, topinambur purée and radichio flambè. Both were absolutely wonderful and my eggplant caponata I could not put down; it was addicting. Paired alongside were a selection of wines we let our friendly dining manager pick, and he did a really great job. I find as a Sommelier, I am always picking the wines, so it’s really nice when someone else can do it for a change, and do it well; he certainly did!

We began with a Franciacorta before moving onto some beautiful Veneto reds. The wines, plus the lovely scenery can only be captured through a video to really do it justice, so look for a highlight on my IG, it’s new and was needed to really capture the beauty of this hotel. The highlight is called Venice (of course). The food is honestly amazing here and there’s something on the menu for everyones taste which I loved. The food is so fresh, and the options are all exceptional and changing by what they have thats fresh and seasonal, so you can visit a few times a year and try out lots of menu items!

We were so full but I had to try dessert so we went with some Grappa made from Moscato grapes, and The Peach dessert with Dark chocolat 55%, filled with blackberries, chocolate crumble and peach ice cream. This dessert was haven and was perfectly balanced with texture, sweetness, and some bitterness. The dessert was so beautifully plated as were all the dishes here, and the service is impeccable. Sitting outside looking at the Venice Canal and watching the sun set while enjoying an incredible meal was the perfect way to end our Venice trip before we headed north to wine country.

If you find yourself traveling to Venice anytime in the future, the Hilton Molino Stucky is the only place to stay. If you’re looking for luxury, modern amenities, incredible views, and top notch service than this is the hotel to stay at! From the incredible breakfast to the great bar and rooftop spots you can easily do so much at just the hotel before you even hit the streets of Venice to explore. You’ll love all the beauty the Hilton Molino Stucky has to offer including the rich history, the welcoming team, and menus. Let them spoil you and make your trip that much more memorable!