Venice: inspection trip to the Italian city of water!
Venice, the floating city considered one of the most beautiful in the world and unlike any other city. With its stunning architecture, 117 islands, romantic gondolas, numerous bridges, and enchanting, poetic atmosphere, this city is guaranteed to impress. And all this within a mere 1.5-hour flight from the Netherlands! Yet, Venice is not often considered for a group or incentive trip within Europe. Last month, I, Managing Director – Anita, had the pleasure of visiting this city once again for an inspection and will be sharing tips and places in this blog that will make you dream of a group or incentive trip to Venice!
The trip to Venice
Venice is located on the Adriatic Sea and is only connected to the mainland via the long Strada Statale bridge (3.85 km). From Marco Polo Airport, travelling via the bridge is one of the ways to get to the city. Another way to reach Venice from the airport is by the Vaporetto water bus. Or even better; by speedboat. While a somewhat more expensive option, it is definitely preferred for groups for a number of reasons:
First off, this is the quickest way for a group to get from the airport to Venice. You'll be whizzing into the city in just 20 minutes, and the city will majestically appear as you cruise along. Furthermore, it's a wonderful experience to dock directly at the hotel's jetty, where the skipper hands over your luggage and you can step straight into the hotel lobby. Such a luxurious and special feeling this gives the participants! A fantastic start to a memorable stay that will be talked about for a long time to come.
Daydreaming in Venice
The ideal thing about Venice is that everything is within walking distance, wherever you stay. The biggest advantage is that the city is car-free. All transport happens by water. This is also the route for ambulances, and you can sometimes witness a wedding or a funeral via the water. Mostly by means of the traditional gondolas.
There are also beautiful hotels in Venice, such as Hotel Palazzo Maria Formosa or The Venice Venice hotel. This time we stayed in the latter. The Venice Venice hotel is truly very special. Around the corner from the famous Rialto Bridge (just like The Mandrake hotel in London, which I previously wrote about after our Management team trip to LondonThis hotel is located on the Grand Canal and has a restaurant/bar (M’Art) with a beautiful riverside terrace. The staircase from the water to the lobby is already WOW, the rooms are even more WOW and the restaurant with terrace will leave everyone speechless! Staying here and having breakfast on the amazing terrace, or dining in the evening, is memorable. Furthermore, the service and friendliness of the entire staff feel like a warm blanket. The dishes in the restaurant are great, for example the truffle pasta and the salmon served under a cloche with smoke are culinary masterpieces that will not be surpassed in the city.
Taste the flavours of real Venice
Venice is known as a relatively expensive city with a huge selection of restaurants. However, not all restaurants are that concerned with quality; tourists will come anyway. For us, therefore, it is a great challenge to find the real Venetian cuisine. In the meantime, we know the best (and certainly not always the most expensive) restaurants where we can also let larger groups (on a tighter budget) enjoy Italian cuisine. These are restaurants that are often located in the quieter parts of the city and are frequently less well-known among tourists. Restaurants with which we have enjoyed doing business for years and which always deliver what we desire.
We also like to take our groups to an authentic Venetian restaurant, in a quieter neighbourhood. Guests are happy to wait outside for a table. Our groups obviously don't have to wait outside, but it's no hardship to do so, as you'll be handed a glass of bubbly straight away. The restaurant itself has a refined atmosphere where guests can enjoy the finest quality Venetian dishes, prepared with the utmost care. We always like to start dinner here on the first evening. There's a convivial atmosphere, the dishes are truly Italian, and the service is fantastic.
This time too, it was a pleasure to shake hands again with the manager (who has worked there for years) and his staff. When you've been doing business with each other for so long, it feels like coming home and the relationship feels like a partnership; something we attach great importance to.
Photo by: The Venice Venice Restaurant.
So, what else can we do with a group in Venice? Naturally, the city is always explored by the group, often in a fun-filled way. However, experiencing the city from the water remains the most impressive, as does visiting one of the other islands, such as Lido or Murano. And what could be better than surprising your participants with unique stops along the way, accompanied by delicious snacks and drinks?! These kinds of days are guaranteed to be memorable!
Surprise your colleagues or business associates with a special group trip to the city of water; Venice? Or a group experience to another Italian destination, such as Milan, Rome, Bologna & Parma of the DolomitesPlease contact us. We're happy to think along with you about the surprising possibilities!