5 Star
The top of the market: palazzos on the Grand Canal, rooftop terraces, names the traveller already knows.
5 Star
How we picked these 5-star hotels
Here is our 5-star shortlist for Venice: 10 hotels we would actually recommend. We filter by size, facilities, and recent Google review signal, not by a tourism-board star sticker.
Start with the sestiere that fits the trip, then the hotel. Every sentence below is grounded in the Google Places summary or something the hotel says on its own site. Where we have an honest caveat, you will see it in the description.
A note on stars. Star ratings on this site are our editorial assessment based on size, facilities, and comparable market positioning. Italy does not require hotels to hold an official star rating in the same way other markets do. For a hotel’s registered classification, see the property’s own website.
5 Star
5 star hotels we recommend
10 hotels across the sestieri.
San Marco · 5 star (editorial)
Nolinski Venezia – Evok Collection
In San Marco, a few minutes from St Mark’s Square. Expect foot traffic and bell sounds by day; the sestiere quiets down once the last day-trip boat leaves at 6pm.
- Special-occasion stay, anniversary or long-saved honeymoon
- You want proper service and a known name
- You will be out early and want St Mark’s on the doorstep
4.9 on Google (160 reviews)
Santa Croce · 5 star (editorial)
Hotel Antiche Figure
Accommodations in a 15th-century structure overlooking the Grand Canal, plus free breakfast and a bar. In Santa Croce, a few minutes from Venezia Santa Lucia railway station. Good for an early train out. The calle noise drops off after dinner service.
- Special-occasion stay, anniversary or long-saved honeymoon
- You want proper service and a known name
- Early train, late arrival, or a Piazzale Roma drop-off
4.8 on Google (894 reviews)
San Polo · 5 star (editorial)
Aman Venice
Upscale 1500s venue with polished rooms and suites, plus 2 refined restaurants, a chic bar and a spa. In San Polo, a short walk from the Rialto Bridge. Five to ten minutes to the Rialto on foot, depending on the bridge detour you take with a suitcase.
- Special-occasion stay, anniversary or long-saved honeymoon
- You want proper service and a known name
- Rialto market mornings, walking over the bridges with a coffee
4.8 on Google (821 reviews)
Castello · 5 star (editorial)
Hotel Ai Cavalieri
Lavish quarters offering free breakfast in a polished dining area, as well as a bar with a terrace. In Castello, east of St Mark’s, near the Arsenale and Via Garibaldi. Working Venice on the edges, with Via Garibaldi for cheaper dinners and the Biennale gardens close by.
- Special-occasion stay, anniversary or long-saved honeymoon
- You want proper service and a known name
- You want a quieter base and dinner on Via Garibaldi
4.8 on Google (600 reviews)
Santa Croce · 5 star (editorial)
Hotel Olimpia
Refined hotel with 18th-century inspired rooms, plus a bar and free breakfast with canal views. In Santa Croce, a few minutes from Venezia Santa Lucia railway station. Good for an early train out. The calle noise drops off after dinner service.
- Special-occasion stay, anniversary or long-saved honeymoon
- You want proper service and a known name
- Early train, late arrival, or a Piazzale Roma drop-off
4.7 on Google (1,126 reviews)
San Polo · 5 star (editorial)
H10 Palazzo Canova
Plush rooms and suites, some with canal views, in a luxe hotel offering a rooftop bar and a terrace. In San Polo, a short walk from the Rialto Bridge. Five to ten minutes to the Rialto on foot, depending on the bridge detour you take with a suitcase.
- Special-occasion stay, anniversary or long-saved honeymoon
- You want proper service and a known name
- Rialto market mornings, walking over the bridges with a coffee
4.7 on Google (938 reviews)
San Marco · 5 star (editorial)
The St. Regis Venice
Fashionable quarters in an elegant hotel featuring a restaurant with a terrace and canal views. In San Marco, a few minutes from St Mark’s Square. Expect foot traffic and bell sounds by day; the sestiere quiets down once the last day-trip boat leaves at 6pm.
- Special-occasion stay, anniversary or long-saved honeymoon
- You want proper service and a known name
- You will be out early and want St Mark’s on the doorstep
4.7 on Google (831 reviews)
Dorsoduro · 5 star (editorial)
Hotel American Dinesen – Venice
Elegant canalfront hotel in an 18th-century building with a private wharf, a bar and a terrace. In Dorsoduro, within walking distance of the Accademia and Peggy Guggenheim. Quieter at night than San Marco, with real dinner options around Campo Santa Margherita.
- Special-occasion stay, anniversary or long-saved honeymoon
- You want proper service and a known name
- Art-first trip with the Accademia and Guggenheim in mind
4.7 on Google (665 reviews)
Castello · 5 star (editorial)
Hotel Bucintoro
Polished rooms and suites in a refined hotel featuring a bar and a TV room, plus free breakfast. In Castello, east of St Mark’s, near the Arsenale and Via Garibaldi. Working Venice on the edges, with Via Garibaldi for cheaper dinners and the Biennale gardens close by.
- Special-occasion stay, anniversary or long-saved honeymoon
- You want proper service and a known name
- You want a quieter base and dinner on Via Garibaldi
4.7 on Google (526 reviews)
Santa Croce · 5 star (editorial)
Hotel Aquarius Venice
Upscale hotel in a 15th-century palace featuring refined quarters, plus breakfast and a bar. In Santa Croce, a few minutes from Venezia Santa Lucia railway station. Good for an early train out. The calle noise drops off after dinner service.
- Special-occasion stay, anniversary or long-saved honeymoon
- You want proper service and a known name
- Early train, late arrival, or a Piazzale Roma drop-off
4.7 on Google (505 reviews)
Other useful pages
Keep shortlisting
A few related pages on the site.
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Tell us the shape of the trip, the season, and whether you want a canal view or a quiet sleep. We will reply with two hotels worth writing to.