Fodor's Expert Review Pensione Accademia Villa Maravege

Behind iron gates in one of the most densely packed parts of the city is this renowned Gothic-style villa with gardens and charmingly decorated accommodations with Venetian-style antique reproductions and fine tapestry. It all began in 1783, not as a hotel, but as the Russian embassy, and returned as the Russian Consulate between the two world wars. When the Salmaso family turned it into a modest hotel in 1951, Russians continued to gravitate here -- Josef Brodsky was a frequent guest (winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1987) -- not to mention European film stars and even royalty. Common areas and guest rooms overlook either the picturesque Rio San Trovaso or the lush gardens. Inlaid designs or mosaics decorate marble- or ceramic-tiled baths.