Hotels

Venice: the finest hotels and charming addresses

What are the best hotels in Venice? The Serenissima, a historic and unmissable destination, boasts hundreds of addresses. We’ve selected the finest 4 and 5-star hotels in Venice, from trendy boutique hotels to intimate palaces and legendary grand hotels.

Visiting or rediscovering Venice is a dream that attracts millions of travelers every year to the waterfront streets of the Serenissima. Hidden palaces, little-known islets, cichetti on the banks of a canal, here’s our selection of the best hotels in Venice, with our favorite 5-star addresses at the top of the list, followed by a selection by district: San Marco, Dorsoduro, Santa Croce and finally the lagoon, including the Lido.

Londra Palace Venezia

A romantic cocoon with postcard allure, the Londra Palace Venezia boasts a 170-year history on the banks of the Grand Canal. After a year and a half of renovation, Venice's 5-star hotel, the only Relais & Châteaux in the lagoon city, has undergone an unprecedented contemporary makeover. The DNA of this emblematic 52-room private hotel, with 100 windows overlooking the San Marco basin, has been reinterpreted and renovated in an elegant contemporary style.

londra Palace Venezia

Rooms have been refurbished with high-end Italian fabrics and bespoke furniture, while bathrooms have been fitted with marble tiles and mosaics. Four new suites are inaugurated, including two signature suites: the Verne and the Borges, which pay tribute to French writer Jules Verne and poet and scholar Jorge Luis Borges, two of the many writers who have stayed at the hotel.

The communal areas have also been refurbished, with an elegant new bar offering a wide variety of cocktails including L'Etats-Unis n° 4.1: a signature cocktail made with four different vermouths and four bitters. The gourmet restaurant is now headed by chef Daniele Galliazzo, and offers panoramic views over Venice. Guests can also enjoy the highest terrace in the city, Altana.

londra Palace Venezia

Londra Palace Venezia
52 keys from €565 per night

Riva degli Schiavoni, 4171, Venice

Palazzo Garzoni

Why book? Although not strictly speaking a hotel in Venice, welcome to this 15th-century Venetian palace on the Grand Canal between the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco. Completely refurbished to retain its former splendor, the 1,000 m² of interior space overlooking the waters criss-crossed by the traghetti now house 4 luxury apartments for rent, with hotel service included. The largest, the Piano Nobile, extends over two levels. With a terazzo floor, period frescoes on the ceiling, carefully selected works of art and a marble balcony overlooking the Grand Canal, the apartment has 5 bedrooms and a gym.

Piano Nobile © Almae Collection

The second apartment, on the third floor, can accommodate up to 8 people and combines resolutely contemporary Italian design with the palace's historic fittings. Also on the third floor, the Terrazzetta, designed for 3 people, is the ideal pied-à-terre for a Venetian getaway, with its balcony overlooking the rooftops of Venice. Finally, on the fourth floor, the Rialto apartment offers an indescribable experience from its roof terrace (la altana) overlooking the city and its rooftops all the way to the Rialto. Rustic beams contrast with sleek Italian furnishings and a minimalist kitchen. When the Riva drops you off on the pontoon of Palazzo Garzoni, your dream getaway can begin.

Palazzo Garzoni
4 apartments prices on request

30124, C. del Tragheto, 3417, 30123 Venezia

Aman Venice

Why book? Since its opening in 2013, the Aman Venice, one of the few in the Aman collection in Europe, has established itself as Venice's most exclusive hotel address. Although the establishment cultivates a certain discretion - it can be reached by gondola or (with difficulty) on foot after getting lost in a maze of alleyways in the San Polo district - it gained worldwide attention the following year on the occasion of George Clooney's wedding.

For its very first urban address, Aman has taken over a XIVᵉ century palace, where the décor by Jean-Michel Gathy [a loyal collaborator of the brand, who also imagined the interiors of the future Aman New York, Editor's note] cleverly blends rococo style and contemporary design: imposing wooden doors, stucco veneziano that makes the marbles shine and other murano chandeliers. Each room reflects the spirit of its successive owners: a secret room whose entrance is hidden behind a hanging, a magnificent library of antique books, three dining rooms each with its own color and identity, and rooms that are both vast and luminous. Not to mention one of the city's finest spas, and a rooftop from which you can see the Dolomites on a clear day. A must.

Aman Venice Suite Tiepolo © Aman

Good to know? Since December 2019, chef Norbert Niederkofler, 3 Michelin stars at the St Hubertus restaurant (Rosa Alpina Hotel & Spadans the Dolomites) has been bringing his expertise to the Aman Venice. Famous for his Cook the Mountain culinary philosophy, he brings his locavore approach to cooking to Venice with a collection of dishes and menus on the theme of Cook the Lagoon.

What makes the difference? Located along the Grand Canal, Aman Venice is the only palace in Venice to be surrounded by two gardens.

The room to book? Suite n°20 Papadopoli Stanza, with views of the garden and the Grand Canal.

Aman Venice
24 keys from € 950 per night
Palazzo Papadopoli, Calle Tiepolo 1364, Venice

San Marco district: the best hotels

St. Regis Venice

After two years of renovation of the Grand Hotel Britannia, the St. Regis Venice (Marriott Group) opened its doors in autumn 2019. A blend of heritage and design, the hotel is spread over five Venetian palaces, the oldest of which dates back to the 17th-century.

Highlights? A rose garden on the banks of the Grand Canal, where you can dine, have breakfast or a drink, unobstructed views of the city's most beautiful buildings (including the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute and San Giorgio Maggiore) from the rooms and suites, cultivating the glamorous, luxurious spirit of the collection, and planted terraces and balconies, a major asset in a mineral city.

St. Regis Venice - the garden terrace © Niall Clutton

St. Regis Venice
From €560 for a double room.
San Marco 2159, Venice

With its 1940s façade, the Bauer cultivates a skilful blend of Art Deco and urban design.

Hotel Danieli, Venice

Why book? A mythical hotel, a stone's throw from Piazza San Marco, made up of three buildings dating from the XIVᵉ, XVIIᵉ and XIXᵉ centuries. While the main entrance is already impressive - it houses the famous Dandolo cocktail bar and the Scala d'Oro, a stairwell dating back to medieval times - this part of the hotel is famous for having been the setting for several James Bond film shoots.

Each room is a museum in its own right, featuring period gilding and spaces redecorated by renowned French interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, a leading specialist in the world's finest palaces, from the George V to the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat and the Peninsula Shanghai. A must-see: Doge Dandolo's suite, a vestige of Venice's heyday.

Hotel Danieli - Terrace bar with view © DR

The style? A hotel museum that spans the ages.

Which room to book? Number 10, where Alfred de Musset and George Sand fell in love.

Hotel Danieli
204 rooms and suites, from €550 for a double.
Riva degli Schiavoni, Venice

Dorsoduro district: the best hotels

Ca' Pisani Hotel

Housed in a typical late XIVᵉ Venetian palazzo - and redesigned in the XVIᵉ century with the creation of a piano nobile (noble floor) - the Ca' Pisani Hotel has been completely reinterpreted in Art Deco and design styles. With 29 rooms, it's one of the ideal addresses for a stay in the (relatively) untouched Dorsoduro district, not far from the Guggenheim Collection, Punta della Dogana (home to the Pinault Foundation) or the little-known Quai des Zattere, which runs alongside the Giudecca canal.

The façade of the Ca'Pisani Hotel © DR

Ca' Pisani Hotel
From €160 for a double room.
Dorsoduro 979, Venice

Ca' Pisani has been completely reinterpreted in Art Deco and futuristic styles.

Santa Croce and Cannareggio districts: the best hotels

Combo Venezia

Housed in a former convent with cloister and frescoes in the Cannareggio district, Combo Venezia is a youth hostel with a young, welcoming atmosphere. A contemporary address with individual rooms in the form of small apartments overlooking the canals, it subtly blends modern design with traditional Venetian elements. The communal areas are equally impressive, with a magnificent inner courtyard and an elegant bar-restaurant serving inventive Italian cuisine. A perfect choice for young travelers looking for a trendy, typically Venetian hotel at the best value for money.

combo

Combo Venezia
From 110€ for a double room.
Campo dei Gesuiti, 4878, Venice

 

Venice Lagoon & Lido: the best hotels

Hotel Excelsior - Venice Lido Resort

Situated on Venice's famous Lido beach, the Hotel Excelsior is particularly distinguished by its Moorish architecture, which is reflected in the rooms through subtle references to the Venetian-Byzantine oriental style. Outside, there's a vast heated swimming pool, where you can swim for long hours admiring the reflections of the Adriatic Sea.

Arrival by boat at the Hotel Excelsior on the Lido © DR

Hotel Excelsior
From €215 for a double room.
Lungomare Marconi 41, Venice

San Clemente Palace Kempiski: undoubtedly the most exclusive address in the Serenissima.
All locations are independently selected by our specialist journalists. If you make a reservation, we may receive an affiliate commission.

Recommanded

Receive the best of travel every week
newsletter
Exceptional hotels, fabulous destinations, exclusive addresses: get inspired all year round with our Newsletter.