A pearl in the Venetian lagoon

La Gare Hotel, one of the pearls of the Accor Group’s upscale MGallery collection catering for lovers of little-known, unusual destinations, was recently opened on Murano, the island of master glassblowers in the Venetian lagoon. Murano is indeed a rather unusual place to stay, as reflected in the fact that until now it did not have even a single hotel. But La Gare Hotel is more than a luxury establishment. It represents a melding of history and modernity, an almost solemn way of inhabiting historic spaces instilled with the silence of prayer and the heat of furnaces. It is located in the area of the former Conterie, where the glass beads that have been used since the 13th century for embroidery and necklaces were produced. In the 14th century the ancient walls that now enclose the hotel were home to a monastery, and later one of the furnaces that enabled Murano to develop into the world capital of handmade blown glass. The tall windows and red facing bricks typical of the area’s industrial architecture and the frontage onto Canal Grande give the building unique appeal, a kind of prelude to the exclusive elegance of the interiors.
Art and contemporary design are the common threads running through the 188 rooms of various categories — from the two-level executive suites to the junior suites with exclusive interior design details. They all share a sober and elegant contemporary design enhanced by locally-made glassware.
The interior design project makes constant reference to the history and tradition of this pearl of the Venetian lagoon, and the materials chosen for the floor and wall coverings are no exception. One of the most important is Velvet from Florim’s Casa dolce casa brand, a material that combines elegance and functionality, aesthetics and technology, chosen here in the soft Platinum colour and 80×80 cm and 80×40 cm sizes for the common areas such as the lobby, the stairs, the restaurant and the spa. With its soft touch surface and the material look of elegant Venetian marble, the Velvet marble-effect ceramic tile expresses its soft, natural character to the full. Its texture serves as the perfect backdrop to the striking furnishing accessories such as the Venini glass objects which line the walls in the reception and other interior areas. The lobby is dominated by a spectacular chandelier, while the reception and the Riva Longa restaurant are graced by Fragments glass vases, authentic artworks created by Brazilian designer brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana and produced in a limited edition, again by Venini.
Alongside its distinctive style, the hotel is committed to sustainable development — a characteristic it shares with the whole of the MGallery collection. It operates in keeping with the principles established by its Planet 21 programme, divided into seven areas of action: Health, Nature, Carbon, Innovation, Local, Employment and Dialogue.