Completion of restoration work at one of Venice's ITT Sheraton hotels

Located in a privileged spot on Grand Canal, where the canal twists towards Saint Mark's Basin, the Hotel Europa & Regina offers a spectacular view of both the Church of Santa Maria della Salute by the architect Baltassarre Longhena (1687) and of Saint Mark's Basin with the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore by Andrea Palladio in the background. As it is legendary for its location, the renowned French Impressionist painter Monet used the Hotel as his residence in 1908, painting views of Venice from the vantage points in and around the hotel.

The first series of works, completed in June 1996, involved the whole area of the entrance from Corte Barozzi to the concierge, the reception and, most of all, the access from the Grand Canal and the bar area as well as 28 guest rooms, 22 of which offer a splendid view of the Grand Canal itself.

The highlight of the refurbishing has been the Tiepolo Bar, with its superb terrace overlooking the Grand Canal, which has always been considered the pride of the town. Now, the space inside has been doubled and its precious detail and refined atmosphere will make it one of the most prestigious and pleasant meeting places for guests and Venetians alike.

The second phase of the restoration works, started in November 1996, involved the building called 'Regina' and was completed at the end of June 1997.

This time the restoration works were of greater magnitude and involved an area nearly three times the size of the previous one, while all the guests staying at the hotel have been protected from noise and disturbances by being accommodated in a totally separate building. In fact, the hotel continued to operate despite the ongoing works with approximately 100 rooms, all completely refurbished in the past seven years.

The restoration of the Regina building involved 70 rooms, 23 of which overlook the Grand Canal and 15 the beautiful courtyard, which is itself located on the canal.

According to the architects, the aim of the restoration has been to highlight the exquisitely Venetian atmosphere that has been preserved throughout the years, while blending into it the principles of modern functionality that will allow it to meet the most demanding customer needs. In fact, great care has been taken to include the most up-to-date technology within a framework of typically Venetian elegance and tradition.

The restoration work has been carried out taking into full consideration the characteristic colours of the Venetian tradition, and beamed and plastered ceilings have been used, as have mosaics and local marble for inlay work on floors and walls - the pattern of the hall floor, for instance, has been copied from the marble floor of the so-called 'Scuola Grande' of Saint Rocco in Venice. The decorations have been enriched with period furnishing and precious fabrics, and chandeliers and wall lamps selected from the most precious examples of world-famous Murano glass work.

"The part of the hotel we are most proud of, and which raises great expectations from Venetians, is undoubtedly the new restaurant," said Gianfranco Baroncelli, General Manager of the Hotel. "We are sure that by the end of June, from the very first days of its re-opening, it will become a great attraction for local and international gourmets."

Featuring independent access from Calle del Traghetto, the restaurant has been designed to serve 100 clients inside and 50 on the spectacular terrace on the Grand Canal. Besides its unique location, the restaurant 'La Cusina' will also be one of the few in Italy presenting an 'open kitchen concept', giving it a cosy and warm atmosphere, while the kitchen in metal covered with dark enamel and brass handles and the kitchen equipment, completed with walnut, bronze and copper pans, will create a strong link with traditional Venetian gastronomy. To complement that atmosphere perfectly, all specialities of 'La Cusina' will in fact be based on the traditional old cuisine of Venice, both the islands and the mainland, including everything from fish to game, from rice to the classic 'polenta', all interpreted by refined experts of haute cuisine.

For further information please contact the toll-free number of the nearest ITT Sheraton Sales Office.

ITT Sheraton Corporation, a subsidiary of ITT Corporation, is a worldwide hospitality network focused on quality with more than 400 owned, leased, managed and franchised luxury upscale and mid-scale hotels and resorts in 63 countries. ITT Sheraton's revenues in 1996 were more than $4 billion.

The bedrooms and bathrooms

All of the bedrooms have been refurbished in the last six years, some with furniture further enhancing the 18th century style and atmosphere befitting the former Palazzo Tiepolo, using the pastel colour schemes based on delicate greens, yellows and pinks, some with varnished inlaid furniture and stylish upholstery, all with a warm, hospitable air. Traditional comfort, but not at the expense of modern convenience, for all rooms at the hotel have a telephone with private line connection, air-conditioning, thermostatic heat control, colour television with satellite channels and mini-bar. Ten of the restored rooms have been transformed into 'smart rooms'.

ITT Sheraton has introduced a new concept for the business traveller, the Sheraton Smart Room, uniquely designed to meet today's business needs.

The Sheraton Smart Room is the latest in a series of innovative products aimed at the business traveller. It combines luxurious bedroom facilities with those of a fully functioning office, meeting every need, combining relaxation and comfort with work.

A home away from home, an office away from work

• a state-of-the-art fax with photocopy and print capacity;
• a dual line speaker phone with integral modem jack;
• a credenza with easily accessible power outlets;
• a large desk with room to work and think;
• a telephone with an especially long cord on a night stand;
• a high-intensity purpose-built angle poise lamp;
• an ergonomically designed business chair with swivel and height adjustments;
• large, comfortable beds;
• an oversize easy chair or sofa with Ottoman;
• a full range of business essentials on credenza.

The bathrooms have marble panelling in French red, Alpine green, Asiago pink and Carrara white to match the rest of the decorative scheme. And the bathrooms, too, cater for every possible need, with a telephone extension, hairdryer, towels and bathrobes bearing the hotel logo.

The banqueting rooms

Screens, projectors, OHPs, platform and amplification systems ensure that meetings held in any of the hotel's splendid rooms enjoy the double benefit of a superb, typically Venetian setting and state-of-the-art back-up equipment.

Room	sq.m.	Auditorium	Banquets	Cocktails
Canaletto	130	120	120	180
Tiziano	60	60	40	60

The history

The Europa & Regina is the result of the joining of five buildings of the 18th and 19th century, of which the main one belonged to the Tiepolo family; two became Doges, and one belonged to the great 18th century painter, Giambattista.

Palazzo Tiepolo and the dependencies behind it were the property of Carlo Walther, who also ran the hotel. At various periods of its history, one of those dependencies hosted a theatre, first called Teatro San Moise and later, Teatro Minerva. There, on the evening of 3 November 1810, the first performance of the young Rossini's Cambiale di Matrimonio was held, and later, on 9 July 1896, the first Venetian public projection of a Lumiere brothers film.

Besides the Palazzo Tiepolo there was an area called the 'squero', the yard for the construction of gondolas, the entrance of which was at the end of the Calle del Traghetto on the Grand Canal. It was from this specific point that an iron chain used to be extended over to the other side of the Grand Canal as part of a defence system against pirate invasions in the 9th century.

At the end of the 19th century, on the grounds of the old squero, a pleasant 'palazzetto' was built which became the Hotel Regina, also called Rome & Suisse. It was owned by Venice Hotels Limited, as well as the Hotel Danieli, the Grand Hotel and the Hotel Vittoria. In 1906 this company changed its named to Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi.

In 1938 the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi bought the Hotel Britannia property and the adjacent buildings, but in spite of the same ownership, the two hotels lived separate lives for a long time. Both were considered quality hotels and hosted illustrious guests from many different fields.

After the Second World War the Hotel Britannia changed its name to Hotel Europa & Britannia and later just Hotel Europa.

In 1979 the two hotels were merged into one: today's Hotel Europa & Regina.

Since 1995, the Hotel Europa & Regina has been part of the ITT Sheraton Corporation and in spring 1997 it became the newest member of the Luxury Collection.