My friend had an expiring 85K Marriott FNC from the Amex card and we were trying to redeem it together. We sifted through the high-end hotels in Europe and agreed on Venice, as it was easy to get to by flight and we could try out both the St Regis and the Luxury Collection hotels.

Both hotels are near the San Marco Square in the main island. From the Venice airport you could do either 20 minutes by bus (€20) + 30 minutes’ walk, or 80 minutes by boat transfer (€15) + 10 minutes’ walk. There’s no car inside the island, so the last option is “water taxi”, which will set you back €150!

Venice is very pact so hotels tend not to occupy a lot of space. The Gritti Palace hotel, part of the Luxury Collection, has quite a small entrance and you wouldn’t spot it easily.

Gritti Palace has a very long history that dates back the 14th century. It turned into a hotel in the 19th century.

I’ve stayed at my due share of “palaces” in Europe, and I’m still astonished at how beautiful this hotel is, which I guess is from the Venetian school.

The suite night award cleared into a one-bedroom suite.

Their bathroom amenity is from Acqua di Parma, and my friend loves them a lot. He took all of them before the turndown service however the housekeeping didn’t bring in any more supplies, and I couldn’t stop laughing…

It’s my birthday in couple of days and we left note. The hotel has kindly prepared a cake and champagne.

Have a look at the gorgeous restaurant:

Breakfast buffet:

A-la-carte menu:

I was wondering whether the complimentary breakfast covers all items, until I saw the caviar… Food is generally good especially the pastries.

My friend had a spa treatment and here’s a photo:

There’s another restaurant with an outdoor terrace, but probably seasonal and closed during the winter.

The hotel’s concierge is very friendly and professional. When we came back from sightseeing the second day he chased and told us that there’s a free tour to a glass factory, and he could coordinate with the St Regis if necessary. We declined the offer but really appreciated the gesture.

Our next night is at the St Regis, which is closer to San Marco and the port. Its entrance is in a hidden courtyard and very quiet.

In contrast with Gritti Palace it is a very modern hotel. The property was recently renovated and upgraded from the Westin brand – quite a climb up the ladder!

Interestingly I found this sculpture, which is the work of Jaume Plense like the one I saw at At Six.

The hotel has four buildings, however according to the staff they don’t really differ in terms of room types or themes. Our suite night award materialised as a Venetian Suite, which is a suite in one of the lower categories.

It is new and reminiscent of an upscale, expensive apartments. Made aware of my birthday they added some decoration in the bedroom.

Acqua di Parma again – this time my friend left a €5 tip and housekeeping brought two sets of amenities :p

Champagne and cake, but the cake from Gritti Palace is much more delicious.

Restaurant:

Breakfast buffet and menu:

The plates are so delicate and I love them, food quality not so much.

Couple of photos of the gym. Neither hotel has a swimming pool.

If I need to choose between the two I’ll go for Gritti Palace at the drop of a hat, as it’s got much more of a character and the service is also better. We had a coffee at the Aman as well, and I must say I was truly impressed.

After Melia Athens I wanted to move closer to the Acropolis, and decided on the NEW Hotel, a member of Marriott’s Design Hotel collection. 65,000 points for two nights is pretty good, and perfect for me to spend the 35k free-night certificate.

The location is excellent as you are only five minutes away from the main square and tube station, very convenient but also quiet at the same time. The Acropolis is within walking distance. In short it’s an ideal location for tourists.

The property is run by Yes Hotels, who owns a couple of other Design Hotels in Athens including Periscope and Semiramis. Unfortunately Marriott elite members receive very limited benefits at Design Hotels, and as a Titanium member all I get is 1,000 welcome points and room upgrade. Breakfast is not included, and the €35 price is bit insane in my opinion.

Good news is Superior Room is bookable using points, and I received a further one-category upgrade to Superior Plus.

The way how the basin just sticks out is quite weird, so is the mirror behind it.

The “ladder” by the wall is actually a chair. As a Design hotel there are for sure some design elements in the room, whether you agree with the concept or not is a different matter!

There’s no bathtub but the rain shower is powerful.

I received a bottle of water and some local delicacies as a welcome gift, and some more during the turndown service. I love baklava, but don’t think I’m a fan of Greek desserts otherwise…

As a result of the upgrade, my room comes with a balcony.

I went to the restaurant on the rooftop for some pictures.

Gym is at level -1. I’m sure there’s a jacuzzi hidden somewhere as well although I didn’t find it, as I was told by the staff.

I’m not necessarily fond of the hotel’s design choice, but the room is good in general and the location is perfect. Compared to the other Marriott hotels in Athens NEW does have some advantages, and is a decent option if the price is right.