Fodor's Expert Review Hotel Antico Doge

Once the home of Marino Faliero, a 14th-century doge who was executed for treason, this palazzo has been attentively "modernized" in elegant 18th-century Venetian style: all rooms are adorned with brocades, damask-tufted walls, gilt mirrors, and parquet floors—even the breakfast room has a stuccoed ceiling and Murano chandelier. Some guest rooms have baldacchini (canopied beds) and courtyard views; the suite and two superior rooms have canal views. The location, on the main thoroughfare from the station to San Marco, is handy but can stay quite lively well into the night, especially during festivals. An ample buffet breakfast is served.