The Venice time hotel
The Venice Times is born in Cannaregio, in one of the areas of Venice that still retains an authenticity lost elsewhere: not simply a hotel, but a true salotto at the heart of the city. The rooms look to Venetian tradition without ever imitating it in a didactic way, while the common areas become private galleries, where art dialogues with guests.
The project stems from a legacy that stretches back centuries, to Aldus Manutius, the humanist and printer who believed culture could bridge different worlds, convinced that beauty and knowledge should not belong only to the few. The ownership descends directly from his lineage, and it can be felt in every detail: not folklore, but a way of understanding hospitality that goes beyond service, placing culture at the centre as an instrument of freedom.
The concept, Living a Masterpiece, imagines hospitality as patronage: rooms become chapters, every guest a reader, a dreamer, a creator. The brand positioning, Festina Lente, the art of living, echoes Manutius' beloved Latin motto, "make haste slowly": an invitation to live with a thirst for knowledge and a drive to explore, yet with the capacity to pause, contemplate and savour each moment.
Three pillars guide every choice:
One of a Kind Stays, engaging with art as a lived experience rather than a simple observation.
Memorable Rituals, moments designed to last a lifetime.
A Means for Good, culture as an instrument of freedom and shared growth.
Being in Venice means gliding along silent canals, crossing bridges that tell centuries of history, being gently rocked by the slow sway of gondolas. It means feeling at the heart of a crossroads of cultures, surrounded by events, music and stories whispered from every corner. From this suggestion comes the project's moodboard, built around three directions: a Venice off the beaten path, Manutius' legacy with its motto and his idea of culture as a companion for life, and the Venetian salotto as a place of patronage towards local artists.
The graphic moodboard pairs a typeface that echoes the italics introduced by Aldus Manutius with a nod to brocade fabrics and the elements of movable type printing, in a warm palette enriched with touches of gold, sophisticated yet accessible.
The logotype is born from the study of the italic typeface introduced by Aldus Manutius himself, reinterpreted in a contemporary key. The palette plays on a deep midnight blue, a warm cream and an intense burgundy, enriched where possible with a gold finish. The monogram, derived from the logo, can be used as a tone on tone texture on covers and packaging, composing the phrase "festina lente" into a graphic pattern that recalls movable type printing.
The choice of typefaces follows two directions: Noto Serif Display for headings and key phrases, also designed to generate the background texture; Aspekta for body text, chosen for its readability across printed and digital materials.
The Mark in Every Space
The graphic language accompanies guests from indoor and outdoor signage down to the smallest details of the experience: the elastic luggage tag, the staff name badge, the email signature, the postcards dedicated to the hotel's signature experiences. In the room, the story continues with the toilet paper sticker, the laundry bag, the "Do Not Disturb" sign, the tea selection and the personalised welcome card.
The signature experiences have their own dedicated packaging: the high tide emergency kit, the "With Compliments" cards for movable type printing, the personalised saucer for the tea ritual, and the cover of the contemplation booklet inspired by the Festina Lente motto.
The guest's journey opens with the sound of the lagoon, right as they step out of the station: a powerful image that lingers in the memory, just a three minute walk from the hotel. At the entrance, the threshold ritual leads into a Venetian salotto with a mural dedicated to Aldus Manutius and a browsable bookcase, while an immersive sound system restores the acoustic essence of the city. Check in becomes conversation, sipping tea in an armchair before receiving the room key together with a Festina Lente notebook to write the story of one's stay.
The common areas offer themselves as a true art gallery at guests' disposal, with pieces also available for purchase. In the rooms, precious fabrics echoing Venetian tradition dress headboards and panelling, while in the suites a small reading corner switches on automatically over the book chosen for the guest, wrapped in a scent of amber and spices diffused through a Murano glass diffuser.
The F&B offering accompanies the day from "breakfast in a masterpiece" to aperitivo at the Manuzio Lounge, between Venetian spritz and cicchetti from the neighbourhood bacari, through to dinner in the library or courtyard. At departure, a small gesture stays with the guest: a Festina Lente bookmark, a postcard for the virtual book club, or the chance to compose a personalised postcard with movable type at reception.
