Venice: private‑island option
If central Venice feels overcrowded, there’s a five‑star private island retreat in the Venice Lagoon pitching seclusion as the alternative to the city’s regulated hotspots (standard.co.uk). Meanwhile, authorities in Venice, California are even testing tech for local control — proposals for automated speed cameras on Washington Blvd show how cities are using gear to manage visitor/resident tensions (smmirror.com).
The private‑island option referenced is the JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa on Isola delle Rose, a roughly 40‑acre resort that lists 266 rooms and runs a complimentary water shuttle to Piazza San Marco that takes about 15–20 minutes and operates every 30 minutes from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. (marriott.com) The resort’s gourmet offering reopened in April 2023 as Agli Amici Dopolavoro under siblings Emanuele and Michela Scarello, who run Agli Amici 1887 and were credited with two Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide Italy 2023. (marriott-europe.pressarea.com) Other lagoon options include San Clemente Palace Kempinski — a private‑island hotel occupying about 20 acres with nearly 200 accommodations and an eight‑minute boat ride to St Mark’s Square — and Isola Santa Cristina, a fully privatizable island marketed with an eight‑room villa available for limited bookings per year. (luxurytravelmagazine.com) In Venice, California, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s Automated Speed Enforcement pilot proposes installing up to 125 speed‑safety systems citywide, opened a 30‑day public review period beginning Feb. 11, 2026, and plans a five‑year pilot with deployment expected in late summer/fall 2026 and a 60‑day warning period before fines. (ladot.lacity.gov) LADOT’s candidate list for Council District 11 includes Washington Boulevard (Marr St. to Thatcher Ave., eastbound) and Venice Boulevard (Pisani Pl. to Lincoln Blvd.), and the Venice Neighborhood Council scheduled a board meeting at Westminster Elementary, 1010 Abbot Kinney Blvd., at 6:30 p.m. to consider endorsing camera installations. (smmirror.com) City officials say corridor selections used crash history, roadway design and proximity to schools as criteria, and local reporting notes the Federal Highway Administration estimates automated enforcement programs can cut crashes by roughly 20–50%. (ladot.lacity.gov)
