A former aristocratic fifteenth-century palazzo on the Grand Canal is the canvas for French designer Philippe Starck's first Italian design hotel. The designer's mark is apparent throughout the hotel: baroque couches, a nod to Fornasetti, multicolored hallways, dripping chandeliers. More dazzling are the 26 white minimalist guest rooms and suites, with their huge mirrors and table lamps decorated with venetian masks. The Palazzina Grassi is a showplace with its superb collection of flamboyant glass sculptures and lamps by Murano artist Aristide Najean, its unique artworks and antique pieces.
