It is many people’s dream to visit Venice - La Serenissima - and stay in a Venetian palazzo. To imagine drawing back the curtains in the morning and gazing down on a canal busy with vaporetti and gondolas; no doubt also having your own personal canal-side mooring. And your bedroom, of course, with be lofty and frescoed, with high arched windows and gilded furnishings. Breakfast might be taken on a balcony or in a shady courtyard. And then you can stroll to all the major sights, or find hidden little back-streets to a bácaro, a small, local bar selling snacks called cicheti. In your dreams? No; these palazzi do exist, and you can stay in them - not always cheaply, but then they were built for noblemen. However, don’t despair, if you look carefully - and we have done - some of best the palazzo hotels in Venice are tucked away from the tourist routes and are more modestly priced but just as atmospheric.

8 of the Best Palazzo Hotels in Venice

Modestly priced

Two more modestly priced palazzo hotels are the Cima Rosa and the Metropole.

• The 15th-century Cima Rosa has just three beamed and softly coloured bedrooms, and is quietly tucked away in the Santa Croce district but still on the Grand Canal.
• The privately run Metropole is a steal; overlooking the lagoon and steps from St Mark’s. The family’s antiques collection spills everywhere, with rooms ranging from lavish to more traditional. A Michelin-starred restaurant, too.

For antique filled rooms

• Also privately run by the owner, Palazzo Abadessa is a 16th-century building quietly tucked away in the Cannaregio district. Frescoed rooms are filled with antiques and Murano glass, and there’s also a walled garden; rare for Venice.
• Centrally placed, but tucked away, Palazzo Priuli has charming rooms of raftered ceilings and antique furnishings. It also has an excellent restaurant just stepping distance away.

For Grand Canal location

• Slap-bang on the Grand Canal waterfront, the 14th-century Ca' Sagredo has everything you would expect of a Venetian palazzo: frescoes, stucco work, gilded furniture and rich fabrics. It even boasts artwork by Tiepolo and Longhi, plus a canal-side terrace for dining.

For a room with a view

One of the finest Venetian views is across the lagoon to the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute - a view shared by both Ca Maria Adele and the Gritti Palace.

• The 16th-century Ca Maria Adele has all the usual palazzo trimmings of rich fabrics and antiques, but also has a bold, decadent feel in its themed bedrooms. A small terrace, too.
• The famed Gritti Palace, a former 15th-century Doge’s palace in a peerless position on the Grand Canal, has all the tradition, sumptuousness and flawless service that you would expect. Plus one of the city’s finest dining terraces for Venetian views.

Venice is a city of superlatives and it doesn’t get much better than a stay in one of the best palazzo hotels in Venice. But if there's nothing here that fits the bill, then check out all our Venice recommendations, or contact a friendly guru for advice.

 

Written by Helen Pickles

posted Monday, 14th November 2022