Few cities carry quite the same allure as Venice, where the tourists continue to flock and the hoteliers continue to build to welcome them.
(Photo: Violino d’Oro Venezia / Courtesy Booking.com)
Romance, history, glamour and a unique setting on more than 100 small islands in the Adriatic Sea help make Venice one of the most iconic travel destinations anywhere in the world. And while concerns over the city’s sustainability persist, it has done nothing to stem the waves of visitors who come here each year. Needless to say, the choice of accommodation awaiting them is suitably large – and keeps getting larger. Here are some of Venice’s best – and newest – hotels.
Violino D’Oro
There can be few experiences more quintessentially Venetian than stepping out of your hotel and onto a gondola. And it’s an experience that became real at the tail end of 2023 with the opening of this boutique property overlooking the San Moisè Canal, where a main gondola hub sits out front of one of its three entrances. Why three? Well. the family-owned hotel is in fact the result of three small adjacent hotels that have been transformed into one, and the result is sublime. The design aesthetic is rooted in the cultural and artistic heritage of Venice, as seen in the 1958 Poliedri chandeliers by Venini, hand-laid Terrazzo flooring and mix of 17th-century portraits and contemporary works. Style is at no expense of substance, either, with an intimate restaurant, a snack bar and a terrace among the amenities. The famed, gilded St Mark’s Square is just around the corner. From $549 per night.
Hotel Heureka
(Photo: Hotel Heureka / Courtesy Booking.com)
In a city where style and sophistication abound, Hotel Heureka slotted seamlessly into the urban landscape when it opened its doors in early 2023. Set along the canal side in the Cannaregio neighbourhood, the eye-catching concept hotel features exposed brickwork, polished marble floors and beamed ceilings that positively ooze elegance, character and charm. Striking art and playful furnishings soften the aesthetic while a tranquil shaded garden brings a sense of calm. There’s also a chic on-site bar. St Mark’s Square is a brisk 20-minute walk away. From $266 per night.
The Venice Venice Hotel
(Photo: The Venice Venice Hotel / Courtesy Booking.com)
Another opening at the front end of 2023, The Venice Venice Hotel – so good they named it twice? – can be found on the Grand Canal’s oldest palazzo, the 13th-century Ca’ da Mosto, overlooking the Rialto Bridge. But there is a whole lot more to the hotel than a prime location, boasting as it does a market-style dining concept, a boutique selling fine crafts, a private roof terrace and a state-of-the-art spa. Meanwhile, 20th-century artworks dotted around the hotel lend a dash of creativity and colour to proceedings. Basilica San Marco, Doge’s Palace and several other notable city attractions are all close by. From $561 per night.
Nolinski Venezia – Evok Collection
One of the most eagerly awaited Venice hotel openings of recent times also landed last March, making it a quartet of new arrivals almost all at once (see below). Located in the San Marco district on a street lined with international fashion boutiques and housed within the city’s former stock exchange, the 5-star hotel turns heads as soon as you enter, with a vast lobby set among marble columns and a ceiling adorned with contemporary frescos. Venture further inside and you’ll discover a courtyard bistro, a gold-mosaic spa bath in the eaves, a library bar and a grand dining room set in the building’s old trading hall. St Mark’s Square can be reached on foot in a mere 5 minutes. From $680 per night.
MEININGER Venezia Mestre
(Photo: MEININGER Venezia Mestre / Courtesy Booking.com)
It isn’t just well-heeled travellers who have benefited from the glut of new hotel openings in Venice last year. There was also a fresh budget option in the mix, situated in the city’s mainland suburb of Mestre, which instantly became a big hit with price-sensitive tourists, and in particular back-packers keen to save money but want a dash more for their buck than standard youth hostel simplicities. The hotel serves those needs perfectly, with its total of 434 beds, divided into a choice of private double rooms and multiple-occupancy dormitory-style rooms that are ideal for school trips, groups of friends, and solo budget travellers. Spread over seven stories, there’s a communal kitchen and 24-hour front desk, large common areas, a games room and bar service, plus practical conveniences including lockers, washing machines, and dryers. From $38 per night.
Hotel Gabrielli
A historic property dating back to the mid-19th century that once attracted the great and the good from the worlds of art, literature, fashion and politics., the Hotel Gabrielli will reopen in 2025 after a comprehensive renovation. Set on the Riva degli Schiavoni, a short walk from St. Mark’s Square, the revamped 5-star hotel will be packed full of enticing facilities, including a rooftop terrace and sky bar, a high-end Mediterranean restaurant, a pristinely-landscaped Venetian garden and an indulgent spa complete with a lounge pool, wet area, and treatment room. Several original features, including the precious Quadrifora windows on the main façade, ancient courtyard columns, marble bathrooms, and pavements in Istrian stone, have been retained, augmented by newly added Murano chandeliers and mirrors, painted wooden beams and lavish marble wall coverings.
Opening in Spring 2025