The most romantic hotels in Venice, from opulent palazzos to eccentric inns
It should come as no surprise that Venice is regarded as one of the finest towns in Europe with its 150 canals, 400 bridges, and exquisite palaces and piazzas from the 16th and 17th centuries. Thus it seems sensible that the hotels in Italy's floating city provide modern and baroque guestrooms covered in opulent velvets, while inventive crashpads draw a celebrity-studded crowd of cultural lovers and creatives.
Venice is no stranger to crowds, and when they do arrive, most of them are searching for the elusive canal vista. If you have a lot of money, you may get a front-row VIP ticket to such popular attractions as Il Palazzo Experimental, which has picture-perfect views of the Grand Canal, and the garden of St. Regis. Nevertheless, it's not all million-dollar vistas and velvet luxury. The mellow and pleasant Villa Burano is one of the loveliest boutique hotels in Venice.
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What part of Venice is the finest place to stay?
San Marco, the most well-known of Venice's six sestieri, is home to several of the hotels on this list (central districts). The most crowded area of Venice is San Marco, which is also home to three of the city's greatest attractions: St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs. Choose a hotel in Dorsoduro, like Ca Maria Adele, for a getaway from the throng. This neighborhood is home to some of the city's best art galleries and a mix of visitors and residents. Another choice is San Polo, the cutest and most picturesque sestieri in Venice, where you can discover stunning churches, some of the city's greatest eateries, and the distinctive inn Oltre Il Giardino.
The Condé Nast Traveler editors have tried and tested these top hotels in Venice, which range from the finest palazzi to unique B&Bs to book.
1.The Cipriani, a Belmond hotel
As listed on our 2023 Gold List of the world's top hotels
They say that the trip is just as essential as the destination, and when applied to the Belmond Cipriani, the house and garden of earthly joys, it has real meaning. From the terminal or the masses of St. Mark's Square, a vintage motor launch in varnished wood, the epitome of 1970s Venetian maritime style, awaits to bring you to the hotel, where the delightful Roberto, who has been there forever, greets visitors with a particular flourish. The Cipriani was custom-built in 1958 on three acres of property of the Giudecca, then held by Italian nobility, with lots of elbow room, unlike other luxury hotels in Venice that have been crammed inside pre-existing ancient palaces while buckling under a corset of severe rules. Honor and Brigid, the owners of Harry's Tavern, a little paneled pub in the middle of Venice, were admirers of the establishment and urged Giuseppe Cipriani to dream large and collaborate with them to build a hotel. As a result, the location continues to be unmatched for its feeling of urbane hedonism, its kind and attentive service that never falters, its easygoing ambiance of calm and seclusion, and its air of clubhouse secrecy and rarefied exclusivity.
The Cipriani gives more than just a breath of fresh air during the summer when Venice's waterways become increasingly foul-smelling. The grounds of the orange blossom-scented Casanova gardens, where the legendary lady-killer courted the nearby nunnery, are big enough for tennis courts, a culinary garden, a vineyard, and a spa. They provide a sanctuary for animals like birds and Roberta the tortoise, who has sadly vanished after a recent acqua alta. Meanwhile, sunbathing is elevated to the level of theatre around the hotel's focal point Olympic-size pool, which is the hotel's beating heart (and a happy scale accident because the architect mixed up his meters and feet). There are also countless opportunities for people-watching on the travertine-marble terrace. Hollywood moguls seal movie deals here while Venetian nobles lounge in cabanas, spritzing free Evian like Chanel No. 5 and greeting the staff as if they were members of their own families. Unfortunately, Walter Bolzonella, a famous bartender for creating the Buonanotte drink alongside George Clooney, has retired. Although Riccardo Canella, the multi-Michelin superstar chef of Noma renown, takes the culinary helm, the skilled Riccardo Semeria has filled his shoes. He is aware that the core of Italian design is to make things natural, straightforward, and recognizable while yet being creative and original. It distinguishes the Cipriani. Others have made an effort to imitate its classic Italian style. Glamour, though, is a mood, something harder to capture than an Acqua di Parma fragrance, and it is synonymous with this hotel, with its breath-taking vista of the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's, isolated on the edge of a little island on a lagoon lapped by the Adriatic Sea. Fairweather, Catherine
Italy's 30122 Venezia VE Ca'di Dio, Riva Ca' di Dio, 2183
2. Ca'di Dio
Five minutes walk from the main Arsenale gate, this 2021 opening is located on the Riva promenade with a lagoon view. It is a 66-room, retro-modern renovation of a medieval pilgrims' hostel by Spanish designer Patrica Urquiola. Although the interiors are quite stylish, the two private, lush inner courtyards are what make the property stand out.
Italy's 30122 Venezia VE Ca'di Dio, Riva Ca' di Dio, 2183
3. Il Palazzo Experimental
It was only a matter of time until the mixology gurus at Experimental Cocktail Club introduced their talents to the scene in a city where aperitivo hour is integrated into the day, the diet, and the dining experience. The hotel is located at the eastern end of Le Zattere, with its entry through the restaurant and bar rather than the lobby, inviting guests to read a menu at check-in before receiving their room key (we like the almondy house Negroni, an Experimental twist on the classic). Bedrooms have balconies with picture-perfect views of the Giudecca Canal and Memphis architecture from Italy's 1980s.
Address: Fondamenta Zattere Al Ponte Lungo, Venice, Italy, Il Palazzo Experimental
4. The Ca' Pisani Deco Design Hotel
Ca' Pisani is housed in a palace that dates back to the late 1500s and is situated in the heart of Venice. The minimalist Art Deco in the 29 rooms of the hotel is a combination of diverse 1930s and 1940s furnishings and cool graphics from Futurist painters' 1920s paintings. Different-era beds are featured in each bedroom, which is contrasted by stylish metallic-silver workstations and plush leather couches. A chic clientele of native Venetians frequents the bar and restaurant La Rivista, which is located just off the modern lobby.
Address: Rio Terrà Foscarini, 979A, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy, Ca' Pisani Deco Design Hotel
5. Aman Venice
In Aman's first European location, it's doubtful that you'll cross paths with Hollywood royalty and Italian nobility; the space is too large for such an encounter. Yet, you could see both at breakfast or on a Riva cruising up to the private pier. The Arrivabenes, who have owned the Palazzo Papadopoli for more than 200 years, live on the upper floors and are where George Clooney spent his wedding night. Even if there are impressive murals and Murano chandeliers, the all-out Italian restaurant Arva and its low-key setting are what draw VIPs time and time again.
Address: Calle Tiepolo Baiamonte, Aman Venice, Palazzo Papadopoli, Venice, Italy
6. Casa Burano
Casa Burano is spot-on, with pleasantly modern rooms furnished with regional pieces and bathrooms that stand out for their massive steam room and tub large enough for ten people. Homemade yogurt, jam, and croissants, along with an unlimited supply of espresso, are delivered to your door each morning in wicker baskets. The pricing, though, is the finest part. The family wants to go to destinations where prices are reasonable and not just high for the sake of it. Gianluca Bisol has handed the reigns up to his endearing son Matteo. As there is no reception and you are carried from vaporetto to room, it is simple to unwind right away. With its lace and linen stores, lollipop-bright fishermen's homes, and bakeries offering unique S-shaped Bussolai cookies only found in Burano, there are no interruptions—just wonderful Burano. That looks so outrageously picturesque that it might be a movie set.
The following address is in Venice, Italy: Casa Burano, Fondamenta di Santa Caterina, 3, 30142
7. The St. Regis
Visitors to Venice for the Biennale who stay at Saint Regis can get fully immersed in the city's vibrant contemporary art scene before they ever leave the foyer. There are well-known artists' works on the walls, a schedule of residencies, and a partnership with the glass company Berengo that encourages experimentation by artists. Look for Karen La Monte's Reclining Nocturne 3 in the gallery. A ballroom, library, and garden with views of the Grand Canal were among the impressive two-year renovations that St. Regis announced in 2019. The structure first opened as a hotel in 1895, the same year as the first biennale.
Address: San Marco at St. Regis in Venice, Italy
8. JW Marriott Venice Resort and Spa
Isola delle Rose, one of Venice's bigger lagoon islands, was uninhabited until 2015. Its most recent incarnation is as a JW Marriott hotel, the premium brand of the company created by Matteo Thun & Partners of Milan. The interiors are pleasantly modern for Venice, the spaces are glossy and bright with unfiltered Mediterranean light, and the stunning rooftop bar and pool is located on the fourth story (one of very few in the city, which makes this hotel doubly special). The most wanted apartments overlook the lagoon (number 506, please! ), the 1,000-year-old olive orchards, or the towering neo-Romanesque Catholic cathedral. The interiors are tidy but not austere. This house is more of a holiday hotel with all the bells and whistles than an urban hideaway because of its setting, size, light, and air. At Dopolavoro Venezia, Fabio Trabocchi offers his renowned Michelin-starred Fiola fine dining concept in addition to a chic culinary school led by Micki Milan. Jennifer Michelle Chan
Address: Isola Delle Rose Laguna Di, 30133 Venezia VE, Italy, JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa
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9. DD724
A little designer rigor is welcome after the 2,437th brocade-draped bedroom, and the DD724, which just gained a seventh bedroom, now exudes more assurance. Geometric lines and a wide range of brown tones are present. The armchairs, which are upholstered in Frigerio checkerboard textiles, and the modern Italian art on the walls are the sole sources of color in the room. A little marmalade-and-croissant dance is required in the cramped breakfast area, especially if everyone starts to grow hungry at the same moment. The nearby Peggy Guggenheim museum's visiting curators are expected to be other visitors at this event.
Italy's 30123 Venezia VE address is DD724, Dorsoduro, 724.
10 Ca Maria Adele
This romantic 12-bedroom boutique hideaway has sumptuous themed rooms with black Murano glass chandeliers, heavyweight damask fabrics, elegant furnishings, and gilded mirrors that push typically Venetian style to luxurious extremes. After being welcomed with refreshments and small bites, you will be shown through to the opulent guestrooms, where the baroque is tempered with the bohemian, creating an adult retreat with views of the Salute Canal.
Italy's 30123 Venezia VE is in Ca Maria Adele, Sestiere Dorsoduro, 111.
11. The Hotel Monaco and the Grand Canal
One of Venice's most prominent hotels just underwent a long-awaited restoration, revealing a unique fusion of designer hotel and classic Grand Canal damask-and-gilt four-star. The rebuilt Theatre del Ridotto, a 17th-century gambling den frequented by Casanova, is the focal point of the new-look Monaco, which the Benetton company purchased in 1992. Reserve a new room in the Palazzo Selvadego, a nearby annex housed in a former insurance company. It is a short distance from the main hotel. Warm colors, funky fabrics, and stylish lighting more than makeup for the lack of a view of the lagoon and the short walk to breakfast.
Italy's 30124 Venezia VE is home to the Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal in Plaza San Marco, 1332.
12. Gritti Palace
The Gritti Palace, built in 1525 for Andrea Gritti, the Doge of Venice, later served as the official home of the Vatican's diplomats in Venice. The luxurious, historic palace hotel now has 82 rooms, nine elegant suites, and a prime location on the Grand Canal.
Italy's 30124 Venezia VE is home to the Gritti Palace in Campo Santa Maria Del Giglio 2467.
13. Al Ponte Mocenigo
You'll struggle to find lodging in Venice with a better price-quality ratio, so reserve early at this two-star, 10-bedroom beauty, which is accessible via its tiny bridge across the serene River San Stae. The hotel is located on the bottom two floors of a traditional Venetian palace with a charming courtyard where breakfast is served in the summertime beneath a large white canopy. Inside, the public areas are confined to a little bar and breakfast area, but the bedrooms are roomy and welcoming. The decor is elegant, modern-Venetian.
Address: Santa Croce 1985, Al Ponte Mocenigo, 30135 Venezia VE, Italy
14. The Bauer Palazzo
The Bauer (formerly Il Palazzo), a hotel built by vivacious young hotelier Francesca Bortolotto Possati, who inherited the property from her grandpa, has emerged as a significant alternative for the discreetly wealthy. After experiencing the omnipresent Venice gilt-and-brocade experience, one starts to appreciate its restrained design and serene sense of ancient beauty. Couples looking to cuddle up together should choose room 846, a light mansard room with views of the roofs on two sides.
Italian city of Venezia 30124 Bauer, San Marco, 1459
15. Hotel Ca'Sagredo
This Grand Canal house from the fifteenth century is a national monument and has authentic murals by Giambattista Tiepolo and Pietro Longhi, a ceremonial marble staircase, and an elaborate music chamber from the eighteenth century where you half-expect to run across Casanova. This five-star luxury hotel, which took seven years to restore, includes four breathtaking historical rooms, one of which is located in Count Sagredo's former library, where Galileo (a relative's acquaintance) used to study. Basic doubles, serviced by bland contemporary hallways, are smaller, although some on the fourth floor feature lovely balconies with rooftop views.
Italian city of Venezia VE in Ca'Sagredo, Campo Santa Sofia, 4198/99
16. Corte 1321
Make sure you acquire precise directions before beginning the short walk from the San Silvestro vaporetto stop to this laid-back tiny B&B managed by an American mother and daughter. The B&B takes up a portion of the ground and mezzanine floors of the worn-out 15th-century Palazzo Bernardi, which is tucked away behind inky blue doors on a little Campiello behind Sant' Aponal in the bustling sestiere of San Polo. The four roomy bedrooms, which are all painted in warm colors and have low, beamed ceilings and wood flooring, have undergone careful decoration. There are Bali-made mattresses and fabrics, silk pillows, oriental carpets, cozy lighting, and nice, spacious bathrooms.
Italy's 30125 Venezia VE is the location of Corte 1321, Campiello De Ca' Bernardo, 1321.
17. The Palazzo Cristo
This 16th-century house on Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo in the Castello, a neighborhood still vibrant with Venetian families and local life, has undergone an imaginative renovation by Paris-based interior designers Anna Covre and Frédéric Tubau. The couple had the chance to purchase an extra story in the building after first renovating what was to be their second home and creating the type of ultra-slick, ultra-smart, bells-and-whistles apartments never before seen in the lagoon. Oak parquet flooring, bespoke lighting, the repair of the original exposed timber beams, the installation of Carrara marble and travertine, the placement of canopy beds and flock velvet recliners, and more have all been done to perfection. The muted color scheme is a far cry from the typical Murano glass extravagance and gilded ceilings. Weinreich, Jill
Italy's 30122 Venezia VE is home to the Palazzo Cristo in Campo S.S. Giovanni e Paolo, 6805A.
18. The Novocento
The Novocento embodies the ideal characteristics of a townhouse boutique hotel: it is cozy, eccentric, and has some wear on the edges. When the weather is suitable, the morning feast of croissants, fruit, coffee, and freshly squeezed orange juice is served in the oak-beamed breakfast room below, which also occasionally holds photography or glassware exhibits. The nine bedrooms each have their unique design and are furnished with pieces from Bali, India, and (on occasion) Venice, reflecting the maritime republic's Eastern perspectives. The furniture has firm mattresses, and modern conveniences like air conditioning, satellite TV, and even Wi-Fi Internet connection blend in seamlessly with the ethno-antique design. There is no snobbish, world-weary attitude in the service, as there frequently is at many of the city's more costly hotels. Instead, it is responsive and willing.
Address: San Marco, 2683, The Novocento, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
19 Oltre Il Giardino
Its location—a country-house hotel in the heart of Venice—is truly unique. The composer's widow Alma Mahler resided here in the 1920s; Franco-Venetian Alessandra Arduini Zambelli and her son Lorenzo have since transformed the property into a posh yet cozy six-bedroom refuge. A combination of antique furniture, modern carpets, designer objects, Edwardian paintings, and modern conveniences (LCD Televisions, Jacuzzis) are buried within the stylish clutter inside this home-like setting. The Turquoise and Green rooms are the two largest and cost the most; the rooms range in size, design, and price.
Address: San Polo 2542, Oltre Il Giardino, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy
20. The Palazzo Vendramin
If there were a six-star rating system in Italy, this ultra-exclusive extension of the already opulent Giudecca mothership would likely qualify as Venice's first example. The 11 beautiful rooms are quite nice, and the private butler service is genuinely a private butler service and not just a front desk. Even for Venice, the costs are oppressive.
Address: Cannaregio 30121 Venice, Italy, Palazzo Vendramin