San Clemente Palace

San Clemente Palace Review

If you prefer wide-open spaces to the intimacy of Venice, this is your hotel. This massive complex occupies an entire island, about 15 minutes from Piazza San Marco by (free) shuttle launch, with acres of parkland, a swimming pool, tennis courts, a wellness center, and four restaurants. The 19th-century buildings are on the site of a 12th-century monastery, of which only the chapel remains. They form a large quadrangle and contain spacious, modern, well-appointed rooms done in a variety of Venetian themes: nobles, doges, merchants, and navigators. Standard rooms are sumptuous and bright, but only some superiors and suites offer lagoon views; on a clear day, the view back to Venice with the Dolomites looming behind is stunning. You get all the five-star comforts here—and even three holes of golf.