Mr & Mrs Smith

The most amazing hotel in Venice. The decor, the service and the location are just second to none. The breakfast is also amazing – sitting in the dining room drinking prosecco and listening to the church bells is a once in a lifetime experience. We finally got round to visiting the Peggy Guggenheim museum – well worth a visit, even if modern art isn't really your thing. The audio guide makes it really interesting.

Try the Avogaria Locanda & Restaurant (www.avogaria.com) in the Dorsoduro area within short walk of Ca Maria Adele. Fantastic food!

Another beautiful Smith hotel. Tucked away right next to Santa Maria della Salute, this is a tiny little gem. The hotel is designed to perfection and the service was impeccable, from the fresh mint water on arrival onwards. Breakfast on the shady terrace was a highlight. The hotel recommended a wonderful dinner venue - Lineadombre, about 5 minutes' walk away with an atmospheric terrace out over the water. The food was excellent, the wine list enormous and the waiting staff helpful. A very good recommendation indeed.

If you speak any Italian, go to Il Diavolo e L'Acqua Santa on Calle della Madonna in the Rialto. Fabulous, simple, local food, but I doubt they speak much English. Pronto Pesce (+39 041 822 0298) next to the Rialto fish market is superb for a light fish lunch – as fresh as it could be, and excellent prosecco. Osteria Vivaldi was also very good food – not on the extremely authentic level of Il Diavolo, but more accessible for non-Italian speakers. Fish to eat in Venice: anything 'saor',if you like onions and vinegar, and 'scie', the tiny prawns on white polenta.

On our first night my (now) fiancée booked us in to the Centrale Restuarant Lounge (San Marco), a very trendy yet intimate restuarant. We arrived by water taxi, stepping on to the restuarant porch from the steps of the boat. The meal was excellent, with outstanding recommendations for both the food and the menu from the attentive staff – try any of the popular local wines which, although pricey (ours was €80), truly complemented the fresh fish. Another strong recommendation from our stay would be to book in to or turn up to the Venice Jazz Club, (€20 a person), which includes the first drinks free (value up to €20) A two-hour set by four amazing musicians – a must for jazz lovers or novices! (They play live sets Mon, Fri and Sat from 9pm) On our last evening, we booked ourselves tickets to the Interpreti Veneziani Concerti – €12 each for a 90-minute concerto in the Chiesa di San Vidal. Although tempting to sit near the front in order to appreciate the instruments and the beautiful backdrop of the concert hall, the best place to be for the acoustics is from the middle row at the back (there are only about 15 rows) – queueing 15 minutes ahead of the start time will guarantee you these good seats.
What a fantastic trip. Not least, as it turns out, that Venice and the Ca Maria Adele are the perfect ingredients for a successful proposal!

We had such a fabulous time at the Ca Maria Adele and loved the staff, location, rooms, breakfast and late-night honesty bar!
Our top tip for a restaurant was the Lineadombra (www.ristorantelineadombra.com), just two minutes from the hotel on the waterfront. Fab views and delicious Venetian food.