How to dress in Venice, Italy

When going to Venice, think about comfort with style.

Shoes
Venice is a water city and before anything, think about the shoes you are going to wear.

Hubby wore suede shoes and you can image what happened to them! I wore my PRADA (bought from the outlets in Rome) and realized not such a good idea even though they were wet leather.
As soon as we reached our room, we changed to a comfy pair of flats - go for some clean open sandals or even better, ballet pumps. And men, get those sneakers out!

Check them out here, from Zara:

http://www.zara.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category/ae/en/zara-S2013/358010/Flat+sandals

I own these and absolutely love them - Massimo Dutti Balltet Pumps!

Something for the men - Pedro Shoes (www.pedroshoes.com)

Clothes
Keep it simple and light.
Leggings and shirts or cotton dresses, skinny light jeans (nothing too heavy, incase it rains) tshirts and this is the time for layering. Always carry a thin cardigan or a trench coat to keep yourself warm. For men again, jeans and T shirts or casual/ linen shirts, even shorts would do if it doesn't rain and it may get chilly in the evenings.

Keep it comfy & light!(http://www.massimodutti.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category/dutties/en/massimodutti/370509/Shirts%2B%26%2BBlouses)

Polo shirts work the best - Trendy yet comfy

Or just simple Linens, works for men & women

Hair
My friend actually blow dried her hair on the first day and as soon as we stepped out of our hotel, it didn't rain but POURED! So go for the natural wavy hair look or just tie it all back in a classic ponytail or a messy bun.

Bag
I just carried a classic sling all the time in which I carried my cash, lip gloss and hotel key card. My camera had a sling to, so I always kept it tied to my wrist! It worked for me and it surely is the best option, when there's a lot of walking to do!

I love this Coach Sling and it comes in more than one color - See below 

http://www.coach.com/online/handbags/-handbags_silhouettes_crossbody-us-us-5000000000000015030-en?t1Id=62&t2Id=5000000000000015030&tier=2&LOC=LN#123738

Why Best Western Sant'Elena in Venice?

When planning a trip to any country, the biggest concern is the hotel you stay in (atleast for me!). Sometimes, even though you maybe going to one of the most exotic locations in the world, but a bad hotel choice spoils the entire trip.

Best Western Sant' Elena, in my opinion, is one of the best boutique contemporary hotels in Venice, with an average room rate that doesn't hurt your pocket.

It's not your typical Venetian Hotel, with water at the doorstep of the lobby, but is on land (actually, lots of greenery around) and a few steps away from the water body. It's at the other end of Venice and takes about 25 minutes to reach from the train station via a water taxi.

The rooms have parquet flooring with minimal modern furniture, warm colors & hues, making it a cozy quaint hotel in this water city. The hotel itself is tucked away in some corner of the street and you may keep looking for it, without realizing you are standing at the doorstep!

We took the Junior Suite, which has a small living area and is slightly bigger than the Deluxe. The breakfast has a vast selection of bakeries, typical European delicacies and a selection of cereals and flavored teas, keeping in mind the diversity of tourists in Venice.

One had to make reservations in advance for dining in the restaurant and that's probably because it may be a hot spot in the city. However, if that's the case, then it's surely more for the matured audience.

Below are some pictures of the hotel - Best Western Sant'Elena, Venezia's contemporary boutique hotel.
http://www.hotelsantelena.com/en

I found this photo on the web, and it really is that cozy.

The spiral stairs of the hotel

Wherever I go, they seem to find me (Animals!)

Outside the hotel (It was in Oct, Fall time)

The room interiors (4 star yet chic!)

The room interiors

The Water Taxi station outside the Hotel

Short Term yet Stylish in Spain

When we were planning our little trip to Spain, I was very confused whether to live in a rental apartment or a boutique hotel. It's only because there are such beautiful stylish short term apartments in Madrid, Malaga, Marbella, Barcelona and so on, then why live in a hotel?

Although we did end up living in hotels because if you want to relax, you need room service! Or else, you'll end up doing everything yourself and that's no holiday.

But of course, if you are going on a one month vacation or even a 2 week holiday, some of the rental apartments are very good, exquisite in safe neighborhoods (you can select your area) and they are way affordable than the hotels.

Two websites that are very useful, if you are looking for short term rentals are www.friendlyrentals.com & www.spain-select.com (Spain Select is more upscale luxury apartments and Friendly Rentals is all quality matched with price).

Below are photos of general Spanish interiors, out of which some are short term yet stylish! (Surely I wouldn't want to be back if I lived in such apartments, I guess secretly that's also a reason I decided to go with a boutique hotel).

(SIGH!)

Hansgrohe

Hansgrohe is a German sanitary fittings manufacturer - they have designer collections and have a very minimalistic and modern approach - making the bathroom more of a place of tranquility.

They produce stylish shower systems, washbasins, bath tubs and other fixtures for bathrooms & kitchens.

I wish my bathroom looks as good as that someday! Zen!