The Gritti Palace is the classic Grand Canal pick, Hotel Cipriani has the only big pool in central Venice, and the Danieli reopened in 2026 as a Four Seasons. For families, the JW Marriott's private island and pools make life easy. Expect $1,000 to $2,500 a night at the top hotels, and roughly $500 to $800 at boutique picks like Nolinski and Violino d'Oro.
Our Top Picks
Best for luxury: Aman Venice
Best classic Grand Canal hotel: The Gritti Palace
Best pool: Hotel Cipriani
Best for families: JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa
Best boutique hotel: Violino d'Oro
Best design: Il Palazzo Experimental
Where to Stay in Venice
Venice is small, but the area you pick changes your trip. San Marco puts you near the famous sights and the busiest crowds. San Polo, around the Rialto, feels more local and has the best food market. Dorsoduro is the art district, quieter and full of good wine bars. Castello, east of San Marco, faces the lagoon and gets calmer the farther you walk. Giudecca and the private islands across the water trade convenience for space, pools and real quiet.
Wherever you stay, sleep in the city. Venice is at its best early in the morning and late at night, after the day-trippers leave.
Aman Venice
Aman Venice fills Palazzo Papadopoli, a 16th-century palace on the Grand Canal in San Polo, a short walk from the Rialto. There are just 24 rooms, and many have painted ceilings, silk walls or Tiepolo frescoes. There's no lobby desk. You check in in your room. The family that owns the palazzo still lives upstairs.
The gardens are the rare part. Aman has one of the only private gardens right on the Grand Canal, and it's where you'll want to have lunch. There's no pool. Rates have started around $1,800 a night.
Book it for a special trip where you want the most private, most Venetian stay in the city.
The Gritti Palace
The Gritti is the Venice hotel most people picture. It was built in 1475 and became the home of Doge Andrea Gritti in 1525. Its 82 rooms and suites are full of antiques, Murano glass and Venetian fabrics. The terrace on the Grand Canal, looking across at the Salute church, is one of the best places in the city for lunch or a sunset drink.
It's in San Marco, a few minutes' walk from the piazza. It's about 40 minutes from the airport by water taxi. Rates have started around $1,400 a night.
Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel
The Cipriani sits at the tip of Giudecca, across the water from St. Mark's. A private boat gets you to the piazza in about five minutes, and it runs around the clock. It has about 80 rooms and suites in gardens and old buildings along the lagoon.
The pool is the big draw. It's Olympic-size, heated and filled with seawater, and it's the only pool like it in central Venice. Oro, the restaurant, has a Michelin star, and Cip's Club does lunch on a deck facing the Doge's Palace. There's a kids' club in summer, too. The Cipriani is seasonal and usually closes over the winter, so check dates. Rates have started around $2,300 a night, the highest on this list.
Danieli, A Four Seasons Hotel
The Danieli reopened in summer 2026 as a Four Seasons after a three-year restoration. It sits on the lagoon next to the Bridge of Sighs, a few steps from St. Mark's. The palazzo dates to the 14th century, and the new design is by Pierre-Yves Rochon.
It opened with 120 rooms and suites, and more are coming in 2027. The rooftop Terrazza Danieli has one of the best views in Venice. A spa with a sauna and hammam is due to open in late 2026. With connecting lagoon-view rooms, it's a strong new choice for families who want to be central.
The St. Regis Venice
The St. Regis spreads across several connected palazzi on the Grand Canal in San Marco, right by the Harry's Bar vaporetto stop. It has 169 rooms and suites, and many face the canal, some with big terraces. The garden is a lovely spot for an evening drink, and the Arts Bar mixes cocktails based on famous artworks.
It's more modern and polished than the Gritti, with bigger rooms. Rates have started around $1,000 a night.
Nolinski Venezia
Nolinski opened in 2023 in the old stock exchange building, near St. Mark's and La Fenice. It has 43 rooms and suites with marble, velvet and Murano glass. On the top floor, there's a small heated pool lined in gold tiles, with views over the rooftops, next to a little spa by La Colline. The restaurant menu comes from Philip Chronopoulos of Palais Royal in Paris.
It's a great mid-sized luxury pick, and rates have started around $500 to $550 a night.
Violino d'Oro
Violino d'Oro opened in late 2023 on a small canal off Calle Larga XXII Marzo, five minutes from St. Mark's. A Florentine hotel family runs it, and it has 32 rooms with mid-century furniture, Rubelli fabrics and pieces from local artisans. It feels more like staying with a friend who has great taste than like a hotel. It holds a Michelin Key.
Rates have started around $700 a night. It's our boutique pick for a couples trip.
Ca' di Dio
Ca' di Dio sits on the lagoon in Castello, near the Arsenale and the Biennale gardens. Patricia Urquiola designed the interiors, and most of the 66 rooms are suites. There's a rooftop altana for a drink, and you can arrive by water. It's a good choice during the Biennale or if you'd rather be away from the San Marco crowds.
JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa
The JW Marriott takes up Isola delle Rose, its own private island in the lagoon. A free boat runs to St. Mark's in about 15 to 20 minutes, from morning until late at night. The island has gardens, olive groves and three outdoor pools, including an adults-only rooftop pool with views of the city. There's a kids' club, a family pool, a big spa and several restaurants.
For families, this is the easiest stay in Venice. The kids get space to run, and you get a pool at the end of a sightseeing day. Just know you'll be riding the boat for every dinner in town.
Il Palazzo Experimental
Il Palazzo Experimental sits on the Zattere in Dorsoduro, in the former headquarters of a shipping company, looking out at Giudecca. It has 32 rooms and suites, a back garden on a quiet canal, and a cocktail bar from the Experimental group. It's a four-star hotel, and the best value on this list for design and location.
Check rates at Il Palazzo Experimental
New in Venice for 2026
2026 has been a big year for Venice hotels. Along with the Danieli's return as a Four Seasons, Orient Express Venezia and Airelles Venice both opened. We'll add them to this guide once we've had a proper look.
Venice Hotels With a Pool
Pools are rare in Venice. Hotel Cipriani has the big one, and the JW Marriott has three. Nolinski has a small heated rooftop pool. If a pool matters, book one of these three.
Best Family Hotels in Venice
The JW Marriott is the easiest with kids, thanks to the island, the pools and the kids' club. The Cipriani has a summer kids' club and that huge pool. For a central base, the new Four Seasons at the Danieli has connecting lagoon-view rooms. For more ideas, see our list of the best luxury family resorts in the world.
Getting to Your Hotel
Most visitors fly into Marco Polo Airport. The best way into the city is a private water taxi straight to your hotel's dock. Ask your hotel to book it. The public Alilaguna boat is much cheaper but slower and stops along the way. If you arrive by train at Santa Lucia station, you can take a water taxi or the vaporetto from right outside.
The Venice Access Fee
In 2026, Venice charged day-trippers a fee of €5 to €10 on 60 busy days between April and July. If you're staying overnight, you don't pay it. You do need to register for a free exemption QR code on the city's website before those dates. Your hotel can usually help.
Best Time to Visit and Book
April to June and September to October are the best months. The weather is warm, the light is beautiful and the crowds are thinner than in July and August. Summer is hot, busy and expensive. Carnival in February is magical but packed. From late fall into winter, high tides called acqua alta can flood parts of the city, and some hotels, including the Cipriani, close for the season.
For spring, summer and Biennale dates, book three to six months ahead. The smaller hotels, like Aman and Violino d'Oro, fill up first.
How to Choose
For a once-in-a-lifetime trip, book Aman or the Gritti. If you want a pool and space, choose the Cipriani. For a classic stay steps from St. Mark's, book the Four Seasons at the Danieli or the St. Regis. Book Violino d'Oro or Nolinski for boutique style at a lower price. Families should book the JW Marriott. Il Palazzo Experimental is the best value.
Planning more of Italy? Start with our Italy destination guide.
FAQ
What is the best hotel in Venice? Aman Venice, a 24-room palazzo on the Grand Canal with a private garden. The Gritti Palace is the best classic choice.
What is the most luxurious hotel in Venice? Aman Venice and Hotel Cipriani are the top two. The Cipriani has the only large pool in central Venice.
Which Venice hotels are on the Grand Canal? Aman Venice, The Gritti Palace and The St. Regis Venice all sit right on it.
Which Venice hotels have a pool? Hotel Cipriani, the JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa and Nolinski Venezia.
What is the best area to stay in Venice? San Marco for the sights, San Polo for food and a local feel, and Dorsoduro for art and quiet.
What is the best hotel in Venice for families? The JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa, with its private island, three pools and a kids' club.
How much do luxury hotels in Venice cost? The top hotels run about $1,000 to $2,500 a night. Boutique luxury picks start around $500 to $700.
Do hotel guests pay the Venice access fee? No. Overnight guests are exempt, but you need to register for a free QR code on fee days.
When is the best time to visit Venice? April to June and September to October.