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San Cassiano-Ca'Favretto

Venice,Canal Grande

"Traditional interiors, a fabulous location just off the Grand Canal and even views of the Ca'd'Oro, without the extortionate price-tag."

From EUR 130.00 Read review

Pensione Accademia

Venice,Dorsoduro

"Venice's best kept secret - a well-priced, charming, 17th-century palace with enchanting gardens, located near the Grand Canal."

Read review

Ca' della Corte

Venice,Dorsoduro

"A family-run boutique hotel near Piazzale Roma, with tranquil gardens and self-contained apartments in various locations around the city."

From EUR 130.00 Read review

Venice is full of romance and full of secrets. There are plain churches in dusty squares that shelter masterpieces of Venetian art; crumbling palazzi encasing wildly rich interiors; high walls that hide lush private gardens; rooftop terraces with birds' eye views and tiny neighbourhood restaurants that serve the city's best food. And there are hotels, just a few - tucked away, mostly small and inexpensive - that have a certain something that sets them apart. It may be a garden or a tranquil, flower-filled courtyard, a frescoed ceiling, a private rooftop terrace or an entrancing view that makes them special, but whatever it is, they makethe best boltholes for a few enchanted days in La Serenissima. Prices quoted are for low season to high season rates and include breakfast.

Oltre Il Giardino
This peaceful haven is unique in Venice: a country house hotel in the heart of the city. A stone's throw from the Frari, it was the home in the 1920s of Alma Mahler, the composer's widow, and it stands in one of the city's many hidden gardens, entered via an unassuming door. The rustic, three-storey villa now belongs to elegant Franco-Venetian Alessandra Arudini Zambelli and is run by her charming son, Lorenzo. The interior is a clever, stylish mix of antique furniture, contemporary rugs and tasteful artifacts, and the six bedrooms are beautifully decorated and coloured, with spoiling bathrooms. Best are the two suites that overlook the garden where, in summer, a delicious breakfast is served.

Palazzo Abadessa
Its old world ambience won't charm everyone, but most guests who come across this palazzo, tucked behind Ca' d'Oro in secretive Cannaregio, adore it - and it's owner, Signora Rossi. In the early evening, as likely as not, she will invite you to join her in the spacious garden for a glass of Prosecco, and guests really do seem to make friends here. The dozen bedrooms have centuries-old painted beams, frescoed ceilings and trompe l'oeil walls, plus much gilt, silk and velvet. There's no restaurant, but breakfast is outstandingly good.

Ca Maria Adele
For more than a touch of decadence (and after all, Venice was nothing if not decadent) book the Sala Noir, with its purple walls and vast black chandelier, in this 16thcentury palazzo across a canal from Santa Maria della Salute. Or opt for one of the four other 'concept' rooms, including the lovely Oriental room, with delicate Chinese fabrics and antiques, the blood-red Doge's Room, the Moor's Room or the creamy white Fireside Room. Other rooms, nine in all, are traditionally decorated and well-equipped, with plasma TVs and smart bathrooms. No. 332 has fabulous views over Salute and a heavily beamed ceiling. Downstairs in the lovely breakfast room, there's a stunning photograph of the world's largest chandelier, made by the grandfather of the hotel's owners, two brothers from Murano.

Al Ponte Mocenigo
Two things especially have ensured that this newcomer has become a hit. One: it's right by the San Stae vaporetto, with no bridges over which to lug the luggage. And two: its setting behind a wrought iron gate and pretty courtyard (where breakfast is served in summer) is charming. Two Venetian friends, Walter and Sandro, spent much time looking for the right place to convert, and with this old beamed house behind Palazzo Mocenigo they've chosen well. In the diminutive lobby there�s just space for a bar and breakfast area, while upstairs the bedrooms are resolutely traditional (damask, Murano glass, gilt) but also stylish, smart and comfortable, with excellent bathrooms. A cosy bolthole, offering value for money.

Fondamente Rimpeto Mocenigo, Santa Croce 2063 (0039 041 524 4797; www.alpontemocenigo.com).

Hotel Galleria
For an affordable view over the Grand Canal, look no further than this diminutive upper floor hotel right beside the Accademia. Its improbable entrance is next to a craft shop, whereupon you climb steepish stairs and travel back in time to the turn of the last century, courtesy of the dark red flock wallpaper, wooden floors and large, old-fashioned wardrobes, beds and chandeliers. The room of choice here is No. 10, large enough for four and perfect for two, with a glorious painted ceiling. Accademia, Dorsoduro 878a (0039 041 523 2489; www.hotelgalleria.it).

Ai Do Mori
If you crave a rooftop terrace all to yourself, consider Ai do Mori, run by vivacious Antonella Bernardi. With only a lantern discreetly displaying its name, this budget San Marco hotel is hard to spot. Rooms No. 6 and 7 have rustic beams but by far the most endearing is what Antonella calls her 'Painter's Room'. Tucked under the eves, it's just large enough for a double bed and a few carefully chosen pieces of furniture, but from its suntrap terrace you can almost reach out and touch the figures on the Basilica San Marco. Just the place for a glass of Prosecco in the sunshine.
Calle Larga, San Marco 658 (0039 041 5204817; www.hotelaidomori.com).

Locanda del Ghetto
Surrounded on all sides by water, the Campo del Ghetto is the evocative, melancholy heart of what was the world's first Jewish ghetto. Quiet and contemplative, it lies close to the heaving thoroughfare Lista di Spagna, but also within easy reach of the Rialto, and the quiet backwaters of Cannaregio. With original decorated wooden ceilings, this stylish nine-room locanda dates from the 15th century and perfectly compliments its surroundings. From the front portico, the reception area glows invitingly, while the light and airy bedrooms are all done out in the same elegant, understated style. Two have small terraces overlooking the campo, perfect for dreaming.
Campo del Ghetto Nuovo, Cannaregio 2892 (0039 041 275 9292; www.veneziahotels.com).

Locanda La Corte
What sets this locanda apart? Its original courtyard, part of the 16th century palazzo in which La Corte is housed. Perhaps not the best choice in winter months, this 16-room guesthouse (with spacious bar and sitting room) comes into its own in the warmer months, when you can share a drink or breakfast at one of the pretty yellow-clothed tables with wrought iron chairs that surround the old well. Lost in the dense, tranquil calli of Castello, it's close to San Giovanni e Paolo, largest Gothic church in the city, and minutes from the Rialto. Rooms are smart rather than atmospheric, but well-equipped, mostly large and light, with original floors and beamed ceilings.
Calle Bressana, Castello 6317 (0039 041 241 1300; www.locandalacorte.it).

Antico Doge
No courtyard or garden at this hard-t0-find palazzo, once the home of Doge Marin Falier (whose startled-looking portrait hangs in the Falier suite, with canal view) but instead a glittering central salone, resplendent in gold, with vases of fresh flowers, which does duty as a breakfast room and bar. Bedrooms are no less impressive, dripping in silk, brocade and damask on walls, windows and beds. Huge chandeliers, gilt mirrors, antique furniture and fine rugs on parquet floors complete the picture. You'll (eventually) find this privately owned hotel close to the Rialto, in a delightfully domestic and watery area of Cannaregio.

Ca Pisani
If finding romance amongst the pseudo-Baroque gilt-and-cherub flounces of most Venetian hotel bedrooms is impossible for you, then Ca'Pisani, built in the shell of a 16th century deep-pink palazzo, might hit the spot. Art Deco meets cool minimalism one of the city's few design hotels, with individual period pieces, including beds, much use of silver, intricate woodwork, Italian Futurist artwork and futurist bathrooms too. The overall effect, however, is warm, not cool. Best are the corner rooms with two windows, such as No. 16. The location, between Accademia and the sunny Zattere, with tables and chairs set on the pavement outside and a basement restaurant, is excellent.

Bel Sito & Berlino
With rooms that are small and worn at the edges, the Bel Sito hasn't, to be honest, much to recommend it, save its very central location between San Marco and the Rialto, and its flowery patio right on its little campo. But it's still a pleasure to stay in one of its 17 front-facing rooms, particularly Nos 1,7,9,30,40,52 or 53, with their wonderful close-up views of Santa Maria del Giglio opposite. In the morning, open the window and reach out: you can almost touch its exuberant Baroque facade, like fancy icing on a wedding cake.
Campo Santa Maria del Giglio, San Marco 2517 (0039 041 522 3365; www.hotelbelsito.info).

Casa Verardo
This is a palazzo with a chequered past: built in the 16th century, it became a Jewish school during World War I and later a boarding house. In 1999, the Mestre family bought and restored it, preserving the many splendid features that, remarkably, were never interfered with. With its perfect proportions, moulded ceilings and light streaming in from both ends, the piano nobile makes a memorable setting for breakfast. Alternatively there's a sunny terrace with wicker sofas and parasols. The best bedrooms are wonderfully light and overlook the canal on two sides, while No. 305 has a private terrace. All in all, there's much to recommend here, though it just misses that home-from-home feel. Campo SS Filippo e Giacomo, Castello 4765 (0039 041 528 6138; www.casaverardo.it).

Ca della Corte
In a tranquil, canalside location, yet close to Piazzale Roma, this is a private family-owed palazzo, with nine rooms for guests (plus self-catering apartments nearby) which are let out along hotel lines, with a simple breakfast served in the rooms. You will be greeted with great warmth and one of the distinct advantages of staying here is the help and advice offered at reception. Try for a suite, particularly the gracious yet affordable Piano suite (with grand piano); the Marco Polo Suite, Blue Suite and Stucci are also recommended. There's a small communal roof terrace that you'll probably have to yourselves, and next door a building, under the same ownership, in which you can have a party or even marry.

Bauer Il Palazzo
The most romantic place to dine in Venice is, without doubt, on the waterfront terrace of restaurant Pisis at the Bauer Hotel, and you will not be disappointed in the gourmet cuisine. By moonlight and candlelight, it's situation is heart-stoppingly lovely, where the Grand Canal meets St Mark's Basin, with views not just of Santa Maria della Salute but of San Giorgio Maggiore as well. With both the legendary Gritti and the Danieli currently in gentle decline, Il Palazzo, under the same private ownership as the bland 1950s Bauer and sharing the Pisis restaurant, but with its own discreet entrance, is a much more recent addition to the luxury scene, yet with the timeless atmosphere of a palazzo hotel that has been receiving the great and the good for decades, with dedicated staff for which nothing is too much trouble. Rooms and suites are lovely, whether clothed in regal red or duck egg blue silk, but if you have about GBP 3,500 per night to spare you'll gravitate effortlessly to one of the two Royal Suites (or both if you like: they adjoin) on the piano nobile. With entrancing views from their balconies, they are frothy, elaborately stuccoed confections in pastel shades of green and pink, with chipped stone floors, vast, glittering Murano glass chandeliers and marble bathrooms that are slithers of sheer glamour. At the top of the building: a discreet spa (book the rooftop Jacuzzi just for yourselves) and a spacious roof terrace for breakfast.

Locanda Cipriani
Any list of romantic hotels in Venice couldn't be complete without mention of this country inn on the tiny lagoon island of Torcello, the cradle of Venetian civilization, where all that remains are two serenely beautiful religious buildings: the church of Santa Fosca and the Byzantine cathedral. The locanda has just six bedrooms: simple and homely yet sophisticated, plus its rustic dining room and its sprawling garden overlooking the cathedral, surely one of the most romantic places anywhere in which to lunch or dine. Piazza Santa Fosca 29, Torcello (0039 041 730 150; www.locandacipriani.com).

Five Tips for Romance in Venice

Arrive in style: take the Orient Express from London, arriving in Venice at sunset and transferring to a water taxi or gondola right outside the station to waft you to the water gate of your hotel.

Stick your map and guidebook in your pocket and get to know Venice by getting lost. The city's greatest romantic charms are in its backwaters and its hidden surprises; and wherever you go you can be sure that you won't come across a single ugly site.

Forget a daytime gondola ride with all the other tourists. Instead negotiate with a gondolieri for a midnight ride, perhaps after a candlelit dinner on the terrace at Pisis, on the Grand Canal.

Alternatively, head after dinner for Piazza San Marco, eloquently described by Napoleon as Europe's grandest drawing room. At Florian's and Quadri the cafe orchestras play on towards midnight, even if there's just a smattering of people left in the square, some of them waltzing to the music.

When Venice becomes too much, take a boat trip and explore the mysterious, often misty lagoon and its island - Torcello, Burano and Sant'Erasmo to name but three. Lunch in colourful Chioggia, with its amazing fish market, is highly recommended.

Copyright 2007 The Hotel Guru