The best hotels in Venice

A genuinely affordable option close to Piazzale Roma, making arrivals and departures straightforward. Rooms are small and simply furnished, but clean and functional for the price. The family who runs it is helpful and knows the city well. Breakfast is basic but included. This is not a place for luxury, it is a place to sleep cheaply in one of the world's most expensive cities.

This small hotel sits just a few steps from Piazza San Marco, which is remarkable at this price point. Rooms are compact and some lack air conditioning, so check before booking in summer. The location on Calle Larga San Marco saves you considerable walking time every day. Staff are efficient and no-nonsense. For the address alone, this represents strong value.

Tucked along a quiet canal in Cannaregio, this three-star hotel gets overlooked in favor of flashier options closer to the Rialto. Rooms facing the canal are worth requesting, as the morning light off the water is genuinely beautiful. The neighborhood itself feels more local and less crowded than San Marco. Breakfast is served in a small ground-floor room with exposed brick. A solid mid-range pick with genuine character.

Located near the Grand Canal on Fondamenta dei Tolentini, this hotel offers easy access to the train station and vaporetto stops. Rooms are comfortable and larger than average for Venice, which matters after long days of walking. The private garden courtyard is a rare feature in this city and makes afternoons genuinely relaxing. Staff speak English well and handle booking canal tours and restaurant reservations. Good all-round choice for first-time visitors.

Ca' Pisani is a design-forward boutique hotel on Rio Terra Antonio Foscarini, a short walk from the Accademia Gallery. The art deco interiors from the 1930s and 1940s give it a distinct personality absent from most Venice hotels. Rooms are individually styled with original furniture and feel genuinely curated rather than generic. The rooftop terrace has views over Dorsoduro rooftops and is a strong selling point. Couples in particular tend to love this place.

Facing the San Marco Basin directly on Riva degli Schiavoni, this hotel has one of the best waterfront positions in Venice. Tchaikovsky composed his Fourth Symphony here in 1877, a fact the hotel mentions with justified pride. Rooms overlooking the lagoon cost more but the views toward San Giorgio Maggiore justify the premium. The Do Leoni restaurant on-site is well regarded locally, not just a hotel afterthought. A strong choice for those who want a serious address without paying Gritti Palace prices.

This converted Gothic palazzo on the Grand Canal in Dorsoduro offers a genuine historic setting without the sterile museum feel some restored buildings develop. The terrace directly over the water is a major draw, especially during Regata Storica season. Rooms vary considerably in size and decor, so reviewing specific room options before booking pays off. Breakfast on the terrace in good weather is one of the better hotel experiences in Venice. Staff are professional and attentive without being intrusive.

Situated on the island of Giudecca in a converted 16th-century convent, this hotel offers space and calm that the main islands simply cannot provide. The garden is one of the largest private green spaces in Venice, genuinely useful for families with children. Vaporetto line 2 connects you to San Marco in about eight minutes from the adjacent stop. Rooms in the historic wing have original architectural details including vaulted ceilings. The spa facilities are among the most complete in the Venice area.

Aman occupies the 16th-century Palazzo Papadopoli on the Grand Canal near the Rialto, and the scale and quality of the restoration are difficult to overstate. Public rooms include frescoed ballrooms and private gardens that few other properties in Venice can match. The staff-to-guest ratio is extremely high and service is genuinely anticipatory rather than reactive. This is one of a small number of hotels in the world where the building itself is as significant as any nearby attraction. Rates are extremely high but the experience is consistently cited as among the best in Italy.

The Gritti Palace occupies a 15th-century Grand Canal palazzo on Campo Santa Maria del Giglio and has been a reference point for luxury in Venice for over a century. Hemingway and Somerset Maugham both stayed here repeatedly, and the hotel maintains genuine historic substance rather than manufactured heritage. Rooms facing the Grand Canal command high premiums but the views are unmatched in this part of the city. The Club del Doge restaurant terrace over the water is one of the finest dining settings in Venice. This is a hotel for guests who want the definitive Venice address and are prepared to pay for it.