Go Grand: The Best Hotels In Venice
A city that seems to have stopped in time, everyone has their own picture perfect postcard of Venice in their mind’s eye. Here, we reveal a selection of hotels that uphold the grandeur of Venetian style
Aman Venice
Many will recall this hotel as the one where George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin. Indeed, it was amidst the 16th-century frescoes of this greatly revered Venetian palazzo that Amal said ‘I do.’ Located in the San Polo district, a short walk from the Rialto Bridge and the Traghetto San Tomà for quick access to San Marco (St Mark’s Square), the Aman Venice is distinct for its history as well as its impeccable service. Titled Palazzo Papadopoli after the Greek family who owned the building in the 19th-century, guests can arrive by boat at the ‘porta d’acqua’ (water door) on the Grand Canal. From there you will enter a mesmerising reception area filled with colourful frescos, glistening chandeliers and marble chequered flooring. A sumptuous treat, while the historical backdrop of the palazzo is unlike other Aman Hotels – the high-end luxury hotel chain known for its serenity and wellness aspect – there is a calmness that pervades the building. Head up the trompe l’oeil grand staircase and arrive on the piano nobile (first floor) and a rococo ballroom replete with Murano chandeliers, gilt mirrors as well as stunning frescos. Take a pause here with an espresso and book in hand and watch in tranquility at the gondolas on the Grand Canal.
In the dining room, bar and salon lavish Rubelli silk wall coverings offer a heightened sense of grandeur in addition to oil paintings and carved stoned fireplaces. For a splendid view at sunset, venture up onto the fifth floor where there is the altana wooden deck roof terrace.
Rooms, while retaining aspects of the building Venetian heritage, are decked largely with minimalistic contemporary furnishings. The hotel has just 24 rooms, many of which overlook the Grand Canal. They fall into four categories. The least expensive are the palazzo bedrooms which offer views of the hotel’s charming back garden and are slightly smaller in size although include the same furnishings and amenities as the larger stanza rooms and palazzo chambers. There are five ‘signature’ rooms, including the Papadopoli stanza offering views of the canal and the garden terrace as well as one of the hotel’s foremost rooms, but with no views: the Alcova Tiepolo suite with ceiling reliefs painted by the 18th-century Venetian painter, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.
Offering a refined reprieve in the heart of Venice, the hotel also has an intimate spa area on the third storey that is home to three treatment rooms incorporating Aman products in a range of therapies. While the city of Venice has many restaurants to try, it’s worth a meal at the Aman where you can sit on low tables in the grand ‘Red’ dining room and indulge in classic Venetian dishes as well as Thai, if you fancy something more exotic. This is a hotel that will make you feel like nobility.
The Venice Venice Hotel
Found within the 13th-century Palazzo Ca’ da Mosto, one of the Grand Canal’s oldest palaces and a historic trading house reborn in modern guise. The hotel’s interiors feel less like a typical Renaissance period retreat and more like a contemporary gallery — an eclectic yet harmonious fusion of Fluxus, Arte Povera, and modernist design that honors Venice’s artistic soul.
At the heart of its public realm, Venice M’Art operates as a café, wine bar, concept store, and all-day restaurant rolled into one — perfectly capturing the city’s spirit of creativity and conviviality. With just over 40 rooms — each a work of art in its own right — this hotel achieves that rare balance between bold innovation and intimate luxury, ideal for travellers seeking a design-led escape steeped in history.
The Gritti Palace
Nestled on the Grand Canal opposite Santa Maria della Salute, this noble 15th-century palazzo-turned-hotel is the epitome of Venetian opulence. Once the home of Doge Andrea Gritti, its restoration — overseen by designer Chuck Chewning — has preserved the building’s original frescoed ceilings, terrazzo floors, Murano glass chandeliers, and Rubelli silk wall coverings, while seamlessly integrating modern luxury.
Each of the hotel’s 82 rooms and 21 suites is distinct, blending antique furnishings, oil paintings, and plush fabrics. Many are named after illustrious former guests — Hemingway, Maugham, Ruskin — and the most spectacular is the Redentore Terrazza Suite, a two-story sanctuary with a private rooftop terrace, spa pool, and sweeping views of Venice’s skyline.
Dining here is just as atmospheric. Club del Doge serves refined Venetian cuisine beside the Grand Canal, while the Gritti Terrace offers informal, scenic meals under the sky. For cocktails, Bar Longhi mixes historic elegance with a plush ambiance, and the Riva Lounge — designed in collaboration with the iconic yacht maker, brings refined nautical flair to alfresco sipping at sunset.
Hotel Cipriani
Perched gracefully on the tranquil island of Giudecca, just a five-minute boat ride from Piazza San Marco, Hotel Cipriani is a legendary retreat that has defined Venetian luxury since it opened in 1958. It was conceived by Giuseppe Cipriani of famed Harry’s Bar, with the vision of creating a glamorous oasis offering peace and privacy away from the tourist throngs.
The hotel’s three-acre estate includes rare, lush private gardens and the only Olympic-sized swimming pool in central Venice — an architectural “mistake” of scale that has become one of its most iconic features. Opulent rooms and suites, many with terraces or lagoon views, are adorned with handcrafted Venetian furnishings, Murano chandeliers, and floor-to-ceiling panoramas across the lagoon.
Culinary flair takes centre stage at Oro, the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant crafted by designer Adam Tihany, while the lively Cip’s Club floats on a private pontoon for relaxed dining by water. Whether sipping a Bellini (invented by the hotel’s founder) poolside, enjoying cocktails at the elegant Gabbiano Bar overlooking the lagoon, or being personally welcomed at the private dock, every moment here feels like a scene from la dolce vita — timeless, cinematic, and effortlessly refined.
Violino d’Oro
Steps from Piazza San Marco you can find Violino d’Oro, a quietly sophisticated boutique hotel housed within a family-restored palazzo — bridging history, artistry, and intimacy. With just 32 rooms and suites scattered across three connected 17th-century buildings, it has the warmth of a Venetian friend’s home while maintaining all the polish of a five-star stay.
Every detail reflects Italian artisanal pride: hand-laid seminato terrazzo floors, Rubelli fabrics, Venini glass chandeliers, custom furnishings, and thoughtful design elements that feel timeless yet contemporary. This immersive craftsman’s world carries through into Il Piccolo, the intimate lounge and restaurant: a cozy salon with handcrafted floral stucco, serving modern Venetian fare and expertly mixed cicchetti and cocktails by the bar’s celebrated mixologist.
Despite its central location — just around the corner from San Marco and Canal San Moisè — Violino d’Oro offers surprising calm. Guests often step into serene elegance, greeted by quiet sophistication and personalised warmth that feels like a treasured local secret.
The St. Regis Venice
Steeped in history yet vibrantly reimagined, The St. Regis Venice spans five interconnected palazzos along the Grand Canal, including the iconic Regina and Europa wings. Originally opened in 1895 as the Grand Hotel Britannia, the hotel has been meticulously restored to merge its classical heritage with contemporary elegance.
Whether arriving by private water taxi, unwinding with a spa treatment, or sipping cocktails in the garden, The St. Regis Venice offers a modern, artful tribute to Venetian luxury that feels both timeless and distinctly now.
From storied palazzos to art-filled retreats, Venice offers no shortage of enchanting stays that elevate the city’s timeless allure. Whether you’re sipping cocktails by the Grand Canal, indulging in Michelin-starred fare, or waking to the soft lapping of gondolas below, each hotel tells a story — of history, craftsmanship, and contemporary glamour. In a city built on water, let your next Venetian escape float on nothing less than pure luxury.
Lead Image Courtesy of Instagram /@stregisvenice