Beyond its canals and grand landmarks, Venice reveals itself in the places you choose to stay. From discreet boutique refuges to icons of timeless glamour, these five hotels capture the city’s essence with character and craft. This is our curated selection of addresses that make Venice feel more like home than a destination.
Just moments from St Mark’s Square yet blissfully tucked away, Hotel Flora feels like a whispered secret passed from one traveller to the next. The Romanelli family has presided over this 17th-century palazzo for more than half a century, shaping a boutique hideaway where time seems to slow. Its 40 rooms—each one a little different from the last—exude warm, lived-in charm; several face the inner courtyard for utter tranquillity. But the soul of the place is its leafy garden, a rare Venetian oasis where espresso is taken under climbing vines and afternoons drift softly by. Intimate, thoughtful and entirely unpretentious, Flora makes you feel like a cherished house guest rather than a visitor.
Venice Venice is the city’s cool, contemporary heart—equal parts gallery, concept store and boutique bolthole. Perched by the Rialto Bridge with its own Scarpa-inspired water entrance, it’s the kind of place where guests arrive by speedboat and settle into a world shaped by Alessandro and Francesca Gallo’s modern, art-infused sensibility. The 41 rooms are airy and luminous, each paying homage to a different artist, with clever touches that reveal a collector’s eye. Global influences meet Venetian craftsmanship in a way that feels fresh yet respectfully tethered to tradition. It’s Venetian heritage, but with a knowing wink.
Hotel Metropole is Venice at its most decadently theatrical. Think amber-glow lighting, velvet draped just so, lacquered antiques, and carpets sourced from far-flung corners of the world. The palatial corridors double as a cabinet of curiosities, housing more than 2,000 artefacts gathered by the Beggiato family. Rooms are voluptuous, cocooning you in layers of texture before revealing dreamlike canal views each morning. The hotel’s spiritual centre, however, is its gold-leaf-dusted spa—a shimmering sanctuary where hot pools and hushed treatment rooms offer reprieve after wandering the labyrinthine calli.
People visit Venice for all the well-known reasons, and they stay at the Hotel Cipriani because it is one of the most glamorous hotels in the world. Just take a look at the Hall of Fame in the corridor leading to the restaurant where you’ll find photos of Liz Taylor, Richard Burton, Sophia Loren, Mick Jagger, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and George Clooney (who hosted his wedding party there with Amal and created a cocktail—the “Buonanotte”—which remains on the menu to this day). Nothing feels more privileged than arriving aboard the wooden Hotel Cipriani boat, or stepping out in a bathrobe early in the morning onto the terrace, coffee in hand, to gaze at San Giorgio Island, or lounging for an afternoon by the only Olympic-sized pool in Venice. A dinner at Cip’s Club, the floating restaurant on the Giudecca Canal, is a must. With the gentle sway of the old dock, it will feel like a dream: St. Mark’s Campanile on one side, the intricate façade of the Doge’s Palace on the other.
The Gritti Palace is grandeur incarnate. The 15th-century noble residence—later home to Doge Andrea Gritti—remains one of Venice’s great architectural protagonists, reborn in the 19th century as a hotel that still murmurs with centuries of intrigue. Inside, everything gleams: Murano light fittings, gilt-edged frames, decadent textiles, portraits that watch knowingly from their walls. It is unapologetically opulent, yet oddly intimate—a sanctuary for travellers who want their Venice served with a side of history and haute couture. And the Signature Suite, beloved by Miuccia Prada herself? Quite simply one of the most arresting rooms you’ll ever step into.
Forget the Venice you think you know. Venice is different when you see it from within.
Thoughtfully designed and built with local voices, the Venice Edition is crafted as a keepsake for the modern wanderer. Far from the usual tourist paths, it reveals neighbourhood insight, artisan workshops, immersive itineraries, under-the-radar spots, meaningful encounters, and places where Venetian life still unfolds away from the crowds.
A book for lovers of beauty, craftsmanship, architecture, food, culture, and quiet discovery.
Explore a different Venice with our travel guide in your favorite format. Printed copies will begin shipping in February 2026.
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