Chioggia, ITALY – Sottomarina, the newer district of Chioggia, is jam-packed with huge hotels trying to lure tourists with four shiny stars and terraces promising a sea view.
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Therefore, if you wandered further into the city, you wouldn’t expect a small, modest-looking building on the side of the road to also be a popular hotel.
The building is mostly grey on the side, with only the ground floor walls preserving the orange color of the facade.
If you go inside, even without reading the hotel’s name, you can guess it is La Lepre or ‘The Hare,’ judging by the numerous decor elements featuring this animal.
Boscolo Loredana Marchi, the owner of the family hotel, said that in the middle of the 20th century, when it was founded, La Lepre was surrounded by wilderness where people used to hunt hares.
They would bring the animals to the hotel, where the hares would be cooked and shared among the hunters and the hotel visitors.
This was such a popular dish that it gradually became a way to recognize the hotel. It transformed into the name that has remained unchanged even though hares are no longer either seen or hunted in the area.
La Lepre started out as a building that Marchi’s parents rented out in 1945.
After a few years, they decided to construct their own building, which has been in the same place ever since.
Marchi began helping out at the hotel at a very young age and was ready to take over the family business when she became the owner.
Despite her advanced age, she is often seen arranging the purchase of supplies, dealing with restaurant and hotel customers and overseeing La Lepre’s activity.
Marchi has not only kept the business alive, she also expanded and made it more comfortable for guests.
La Lepre now has a lovely garden and 21 rooms, each with a private bathroom instead of a common restroom for the entire floor, as in the old days.
The garden, with a view of the lagoon and surrounded by vibrant lights, is a place for guests to enjoy a drink and listen to musical performances held once every two weeks.
If one is hungry, they can sit in one of the spacious halls with neatly folded napkins and paintings depicting Chioggia and enjoy a freshly baked pizza.
The hotel is popular among workers, and there are often tourists looking for a relatively cheap place to stay for their vacation in Chioggia.
Locals can often be seen celebrating at the hotel restaurant.
Even though Marchi loves her job and said that “if she could go back, she would’ve done it again,” she is not sure that her daughters, who are now helping out at the hotel, will continue the business.
“They are tired,” Marchi said.
No one knows what will happen to the hotel in a decade, but what is clear now, despite it looking modest on the outside, La Lepre is a cozy little place that feels as warm as the hare’s fur.
Sofiia Yakymenko is a Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
