Editor’s picks
The twelve we would book for a first Venice trip. One reason each, then stop reading.
Editor’s picks
How we chose the twelve
There are ninety-two hotels in the wider directory. This page is the twelve we have written about longest, and would put on a first shortlist for a traveller who asked one of us at dinner.
Eight of these are anchors the directory has covered since 2002. Four more come from the wider review signal and our own recent stays. None are paid placements, and none are chain listings we do not actually think you should book.
Editor’s picks
Our twelve for Venice
12 hotels across the sestieri, with a reason each.
Castello · Editor’s pick
Hotel Cà Formenta
Understated hotel featuring a a bar with a courtyard terrace, plus free breakfast and Wi-Fi. 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. The breakfast reputation holds up in recent reviews, which is not guaranteed in this sestiere. Why we love it: Castello sestiere, five minutes from Via Garibaldi. Small, well-run, the kind of place we would send a second-time-in-Venice traveller who wants a quieter week.
- First Venice trip, two or three nights
- You want walking-minute access to the main sights
- You want a quieter base and dinner on Via Garibaldi
4.4 on Google (541 reviews)
San Polo · Editor’s pick
Al Ponte Antico
Ornate hotel with an elegant old-world bar and a terrace, plus complimentary breakfast. 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. The breakfast reputation holds up in recent reviews, which is not guaranteed in this sestiere. Why we love it: A rooftop terrace that actually overlooks the Rialto Bridge, not a side canal. Book the terrace breakfast slot and skip the 9am queues below.
- First Venice trip, two or three nights
- You want walking-minute access to the main sights
- Rialto market mornings, walking over the bridges with a coffee
4.9 on Google (298 reviews)
San Marco · Editor’s pick
Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal
Elegant hotel with free Wi-Fi, plus a buffet restaurant and terrace dining on the canal. 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. Plain about what it is, which is part of why we keep recommending it. Why we love it: San Marco address, Grand Canal view, full-scale hotel service. The lobby alone is the point on a grey February morning.
- First Venice trip, two or three nights
- You want walking-minute access to the main sights
- You will be out early and want St Mark’s on the doorstep
4.5 on Google (1,509 reviews)
San Marco · Editor’s pick
Baglioni Hotel Luna
Elegant rooms, some with lagoon views, in an upscale hotel offering dining and a rooftop terrace. 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. Plain about what it is, which is part of why we keep recommending it. Why we love it: One of the oldest hotels in Venice, seconds from the piazza, and older-money than it looks on the website.
- First Venice trip, two or three nights
- You want walking-minute access to the main sights
- You will be out early and want St Mark’s on the doorstep
4.6 on Google (643 reviews)
San Marco · Editor’s pick
Splendid Venice – Starhotels Collezione
Refined hotel offering a luxe restaurant, a rooftop terrace and a plush bar with 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. Plain about what it is, which is part of why we keep recommending it. Why we love it: Mercerie address between the Rialto and San Marco, which means your first coffee is a two-minute walk from the main doors.
- First Venice trip, two or three nights
- You want walking-minute access to the main sights
- You will be out early and want St Mark’s on the doorstep
4.6 on Google (1,893 reviews)
Santa Croce · Editor’s pick
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. The palace bones are the point here, not a refurb that tried to hide them. Why we love it: Opposite Santa Lucia station across the Grand Canal. Best choice if the train arrival matters and you still want a canal view.
- First Venice trip, two or three nights
- You want walking-minute access to the main sights
- Early train, late arrival, or a Piazzale Roma drop-off
4.8 on Google (894 reviews)
Dorsoduro · Editor’s pick
Ca’ Pisani Deco Design Hotel
Chic rooms in an art deco-style property offering breakfast, plus a wine bar and a restaurant. 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. The breakfast reputation holds up in recent reviews, which is not guaranteed in this sestiere. Why we love it: Art deco interior, Dorsoduro address, two minutes from the Accademia. The hotel that rewards a quieter, art-first trip.
- First Venice trip, two or three nights
- You want walking-minute access to the main sights
- Art-first trip with the Accademia and Guggenheim in mind
4.8 on Google (614 reviews)
Cannaregio · Editor’s pick
Ca’ Sagredo Hotel
Elegant hotel in a 15th-century palace, with refined canalside dining and a rooftop cocktail bar. In Cannaregio, near the Jewish Ghetto and the Strada Nova. Easier to actually live in for a week than San Marco, with plenty of bacari within ten minutes. The palace bones are the point here, not a refurb that tried to hide them. Why we love it: A working Grand Canal palazzo on the Strada Nova side. Ceilings you will remember for longer than most of the sights.
- First Venice trip, two or three nights
- You want walking-minute access to the main sights
- You want dinners where Venetians actually eat
4.5 on Google (1,072 reviews)
Dorsoduro · Editor’s pick
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. Plain about what it is, which is part of why we keep recommending it. Why we love it: Dorsoduro canalfront with a private landing, a short walk to the Guggenheim. Quietly one of the best 4-star options in the city.
- First Venice trip, two or three nights
- You want walking-minute access to the main sights
- Art-first trip with the Accademia and Guggenheim in mind
4.7 on Google (665 reviews)
Dorsoduro · Editor’s pick
Pensione Accademia – Villa Maravege
Sophisticated rooms, some with canal views, in an old-world hotel offering free breakfast and a bar. 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. The breakfast reputation holds up in recent reviews, which is not guaranteed in this sestiere. Why we love it: Garden, a rio on two sides, and a breakfast room that still feels like it did in the photographs from the 1990s.
- First Venice trip, two or three nights
- You want walking-minute access to the main sights
- Art-first trip with the Accademia and Guggenheim in mind
4.8 on Google (295 reviews)
San Marco · Editor’s pick
Novecento Boutique Hotel
Warm rooms in a refined hotel offering free breakfast, a cozy lounge and a courtyard garden. 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. The breakfast reputation holds up in recent reviews, which is not guaranteed in this sestiere. Why we love it: Small, design-led, San Marco address without the tour-bus foot traffic on the front door.
- First Venice trip, two or three nights
- You want walking-minute access to the main sights
- You will be out early and want St Mark’s on the doorstep
4.9 on Google (112 reviews)
Santa Croce · Editor’s pick
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. The palace bones are the point here, not a refurb that tried to hide them. Why we love it: Santa Croce, a minute from Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio. Better value per square metre than anything in San Marco.
- First Venice trip, two or three nights
- You want walking-minute access to the main sights
- 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.
Still twelve
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