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Venetian magic can still linger when you retire for the night, whether you're staying in a grand hotel or budget locanda (inn). Some of the finest Venetian hotel rooms are lighted with Murano chandeliers and swathed in famed fabrics of Rubelli and Bevilacqua, with gilded mirrors and furnishing styles from baroque to Biedermeier and art deco.
Though more-contemporary decor is working its way into renovation schemes, you still may find the prized Venetian terrazzo flooring and canal views in more-modest pensioni. Your window will open, sometimes onto a balcony, so you may enjoy gondoliers' serenades, watch the ebb and flow of city life in the campo (square) below, or simply contemplate what the lack of motor traffic permits you to hear, or not hear.
Even if well renovated, most hotels occupy very old buildings. Preservation laws prohibit elevators in some, so if climbing stairs is an issue, check before you book. In the lower price categories, hotels may not have lounge areas, and rooms may be cramped, and the same is true of standard rooms in more expensive hotels. Space is at a premium in Venice, and even exclusive hotels have carved out small, dowdy, Cinderella-type rooms in the "standard" category. It’s not at all unusual for each room to be different even on the same floor: windows overlooking charming canals and bleak alleyways are both common. En suite bathrooms have become the norm; they’re usually well equipped but sizes will range from compact to more than ample; tubs are considered a luxury but are not unheard of, even in less expensive lodging. Carpeted floors are rare, as they’re traditionally considered to be unhygienic. Air-conditioning is rarely a necessity until mid-June. A few of the budget hotels make do with fans. Mosquitoes can begin to pester in midsummer; turn lights off in the evening if you leave windows open, and ask the hotel staff for a Vape, an anti-mosquito device. The staff members at most Venetian hotels will be able to converse with you in English, and don’t be afraid to ask for anything you need or even to change rooms if you consider it necessary to do so.
Up a narrow calle and across the bridge from the bustling Strada Nova, this 15th-century palazzo sits by a tranquil canal and an evocative little campo; inside you'll find traditional Venetian decor and guest rooms featuring silk damasks tufted onto multiwindowed walls. Standout options include a suite with a columned balcony overlooking the Priuli Canal, or the hideaway attic mansarda, with sloping ceilings and a rooftop view from several windows.
At this atmospheric late-16th-century palazzo, you can experience warm hospitality, a lush private garden, and unusually spacious guest rooms well appointed with antique-style furniture, frescoed or stuccoed ceilings, and silk fabrics. The location is remote enough to escape the San Marco masses while still within striking distance of major sights, and there's a private dock for taxi arrival. In summer, breakfast is served in the gorgeous garden.
This former palace was formally named Palazzo Barbarigo della Terrazza because of its unique open-air terrace. While it is not unusual to find an opulent hotel along the Grand Canal, it is unusual to discover black marble, matte lacquer, indirect lighting, and 1940s design perfectly ensconced in a 16th-century Venetian palace. Massive mirrors soar from floor to ceiling to create a feeling of spaciousness. Each room, whether suite or standard, feels like a refuge; a long, ultra-chic bar runs the length of the piano nobile (principal floor) to a balcony above the canal, just large enough for a table and two chairs.
Behind iron gates in one of the busiest 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 (winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1987) was a frequent guest—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.
Renaissance- and Baroque-style common areas are soaring spaces with Venetian terrazzo flooring, frescoed and exposed-beam ceilings, and Murano chandeliers; guest rooms tastefully mix historical style with contemporary furnishings and appointments. Even smaller rooms are quite comfortable, and some of the larger doubles and suites showcase paintings by Tiepolo's maestro, Gregorio Lazzarini. Suites are supplied with coffeemakers, bathrobes, and DVD players.
This elegant palazzo is large enough to deliver expected facilities and services but small enough to pamper its guests; rooms have red-and-gold tapestry-adorned walls and carpeting and Carrara and Alpine marble in the bath, and those facing the Grand Canal have balconies. Common areas include an entrance hall with elegant marble flooring, a bright front lounge, and an intimate bar facing the Grand Canal. Ask ahead for a room with a view.
The Excelsior's imposing, Moorish-style building with its green cupolas and inner courtyard comes complete with potted lemon trees, a reflecting pool; and dramatic windows overlooking the Adriatic Sea; the feel is decidedly Mediterranean. No longer a haunt of the noble and famous of the dolce vita days (except during the Biennale and Venice Film Festival), the hotel nonetheless offers the same panache, luxury, and space as ever. Rooms are spacious and tastefully modern, done in bright colors, and face either the inner garden or the beach below; there are all the services you might expect from a five-star hotel, including a pool, fitness center, tennis, and restaurants and bars in the hotel and on the beach. A shuttle boat between the hotel and San Zaccaria runs every half hour.
