Destination guide · Italy
Venice,
hotel by hotel
Four of the city’s best hotels, toured in one day in October 2026. Who each one is for, which floor to ask for, and why Venice is the gateway to the Dolomites.
Destination guide · Italy
Four of the city’s best hotels, toured in one day in October 2026. Who each one is for, which floor to ask for, and why Venice is the gateway to the Dolomites.
This is a very exciting time for Venice.
Airelles Palladio, Orient Express and the newly reopened Danieli under Four Seasons have joined Aman, the St. Regis, the Gritti Palace, Venice Venice and the Cipriani. Travelers still want to see Italy’s iconic cities, but they also want calm and serenity, and the best of these hotels deliver both.
I toured four of them in person in October 2026 and met with the teams on property. Here is where I would send my own clients, and why.
Three wowed me. One is a great option with a showstopping lobby. All four toured in person.
Garden estate with pools (Airelles)
Set away from the crowds on Giudecca, five minutes by boat from everything. It is private and secure, yet lively, social and fun; sophisticated, never stuffy. The arrival is spectacular, the rooms are spacious and the gardens are truly serene.
Keith’s notes
You are on Giudecca, deliberately. The hotel boat makes the crossing in about five minutes. If you want to step out your door into the streets of Venice, look at Aman instead.
Stay four nights. Three is my sweet spot for Venice; at Airelles I could easily do four.
Book early for July and Biennale years. Redentore weekend in July puts the fireworks right over the Giudecca Canal, and Biennale years fill the city.
The verdict
The most spectacular hotel I toured, and one of the most beautiful properties I have ever seen.
Palazzo on the Grand Canal (Aman)
Twenty-four rooms in a 16th-century palazzo, with beautiful natural light, gardens on the canal and an understated restoration that lets the frescoes and silk walls speak. The general manager, Licinio Garavaglia, is genuinely a fantastic person, and I know he will take great care of my clients.
Keith’s notes
There is no pool. The spa is small. If a pool or a big spa matters, look at Airelles Palladio.
Pair it with the Dolomites. Aman offers two nights at Aman Venice and three at Aman Rosa Alpina, with transfers included. I can also arrange a helicopter; the nearest helipad is about eight minutes away.
Three nights is the sweet spot. Long enough for the city, the islands and a few long lunches.
The verdict
One of the most beautiful Amans I have seen, built around privacy and classic Aman service.
Restored Gothic palazzo (Orient Express)
An eight-year renovation of a 15th-century palace, and truly jaw dropping. Dark wood with some seventy kinds of marble, restored painted ceilings and chandeliers; everywhere I looked, something new caught my eye. I have not seen that much marble since the bathrooms at Villa San Michele.
Keith’s notes
There is no pool. This is a palazzo hotel. If a pool matters, look at Airelles Palladio on Giudecca.
Easy by train. It is close to Santa Lucia station, so it works well if you are arriving from Florence, Milan or the Dolomites by rail.
Three nights is the sweet spot. Long enough for the city, the islands and a few long lunches.
The verdict
“It is almost overwhelming how beautiful this property is.” I said that out loud on the tour.
Historic grand hotel (Four Seasons)
The Gothic atrium is the place to see and be seen, and Terrazza Danieli on the roof looks over the Salute, the Doge’s Palace and the lagoon. The rooms are understated and very classic.
Keith’s notes
It is busy outside. The Riva is the liveliest waterfront in Venice, which is part of the fun. If you would rather come home to calm, look at Airelles Palladio or Aman.
Service at scale. A larger hotel runs differently from a small palazzo, and my relationships with the team mean my clients are looked after.
The spa is now open. There is no pool, but the new spa has opened, a welcome addition to a classic hotel.
The verdict
The lobby is a showstopper, and the rooftop restaurant has one of the great views in Venice.
Venice is the perfect gateway to the Dolomites, and I do not think a Dolomites trip is complete without two or three nights here first.
Aman makes it easy: two nights at Aman Venice and three at Aman Rosa Alpina, with transfers included. For the fastest connection I can arrange a helicopter; the nearest helipad is about eight minutes from Aman Venice.
For me, Airelles Palladio on Giudecca. It is the most beautiful hotel I have seen in Italy, with gardens, pools, a three-story spa, four restaurants and four bars, five minutes by boat from St. Mark’s. Aman Venice and Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli are close behind for travelers who want a smaller palazzo.
Airelles Palladio. It has outdoor and indoor pools, a kids club, room to roam, a three-bedroom suite with its own private pool and the four-bedroom Suite del Doge.
Three nights is the sweet spot. At Airelles Palladio I could easily do four. If Venice is the gateway to the Dolomites, two or three nights works well.
The piano nobile, or noble floor: one level above the ground floor, the second floor in American terms. It was where the owning family lived, and the ceilings are much higher. That holds for palazzi across Italy.
Yes, if you want calm. Giudecca faces Venice across the water, and the hotel boats reach St. Mark’s in about five minutes. You get peace and quiet in a very busy city.
Yes, and I recommend it. Aman offers two nights at Aman Venice and three nights at Aman Rosa Alpina with transfers included, and I can arrange a helicopter between the two. Any Dolomites trip is better with two or three nights in Venice first.
“Venice in May, then the Dolomites” is a complete answer. I will take it from there.