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 Venice Guesthouse Hotels
The secret of a successful interlude in Venice is to get lost. Leave behind the crowds around San Marco and the Rialto and wander away, along quiet canals and through dusty squares, pausing from time to time in churches to find a Bellini here, a Vivarini there, and in neighbourhood osterie and bacari for something to eat and drink. Then back to your hotel or guesthouse, where, if the spell is not to be broken, atmosphere counts for everything. Always at least try for a room with a view: you need to book well in advance for high season, and be prepared to pay extra for the privilege. Or consider a winter visit: the skies are often blue, the crowds dispersed, prices are low, and that perfect room with a view is far more likely to be yours. We have divided the pick of the city's accommodation into two lists: Hotels; and Guesthouses. If you require hotel-style facilities and services, we know of places to stay that offer this, whilst still remaining atmospheric and characteristic of Venice. If, however, you prefer something less hard on the pocket and more intimate, you'll find that Venice is brimming with guesthouses and b&bs, often called locandas. We bring you the best. All the guesthouses are listed by price category, and their order bears no reflection on our preference.
 Reviews by Fiona Duncan |
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| Mid Price: Seductive and chic with oriental touches |
| Location: San Marco, between Piazza San Marco and Accademia |
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| Attractive, enveloping, refreshingly different and run with commitment by Gioele Romanelli (whose father owns the excellent Hotel Flora, also highly recommended). It’s a bit like walking into a Marrakech riad, with furniture, beds and fabrics from the orient, and a whiff of incense in the air. Cosy and intimate, with just nine bedrooms. |
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| Mid Price: Homely yet sophisticated inn on magical Torcello |
| Location: on the lagoon island of Torcello |
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| Torcello is the cradle of the Venetian civilization, yet all that remains are two serenely beautiful religious buildings. When the tourists drift home its magic takes hold, and the handful of guests at the Locanda Cipriani are there to share the privilege. The inn, opened in 1934 by Giuseppe Cipriani and still in the family, has six rooms: homely yet sophisticated. Dine in the garden or in the rustic dining room. Romance guaranteed. |
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| Mid Price: Beautifully decorated and welcoming |
| Location: Dorsoduro, on Eremite canal between Accademia and Frari |
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| Bed and breakfast in style in Roberta dal Carlo's family home, with three double bedrooms, one with romantic roof terrace, each with a glass and marble bathroom. Decorative highlights include the delicately coloured stucco ceiling in the sitting room, and a superb terrazzo floor in the hall. But it is Roberta herself - vivacious, warm and elegant - who makes the place. Breakfast, at the communal dining table, is delicious. |
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| Mid Price: Tranquil garden and stylish rooms |
| Location: San Polo, close to the Frari church |
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| This peaceful haven, home in the 1920s of Alma Mahler, the composer’s widow, stands in one of the city’s hidden gardens. Its four rooms and two suites are beautifully decorated and coloured, one turquoise, another soft green, another dove grey, with gorgeous bathrooms. You’ll find LCD TVs, adjustable air-con/heating and a mix of antique and contemporary furniture in the airy rooms. Breakfast in the garden in summer. |
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| Mid Price: Comfortable, sunny rooms with lots of attention to detail |
| Location: San Polo, just west of the Rialto fish market |
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| Don’t be put off by the rather scruffy entrance way and steep climb up to this charming guest house. Once inside Francesca Adilardi’s comfortable third-floor apartment, you will find six beautifully decorated bedrooms, each with its own character but all spacious and bright. Thai silks are draped over the generous-sized beds and at the windows of the subtly themed rooms. Breakfast is served round a big table in the sunny dining area. |
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| Mid Price: Stylish third floor apartment guesthouse with sitting room and some bedrooms overlooking the Grand Canal |
| Location: Cannaregio, just east of Campo Santi Apostoli, on the Grand Canal near Ca’ d’Oro |
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| Be on the lookout for a pair of handsome dark green doors which herald the discreet entrance of this converted palazzo. A quirky lift takes you up to the third floor where you find something quite unexpected: a lovely apartment that has been transformed into an elegant guesthouse, with a stylish sitting room overlooking the Grand Canal and bedrooms that are large and dotted with antiques and pretty china knick-knacks. |
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| Inexpensive: Popular, good value bolthole in a useful location |
| Location: Santa Croce, just off the Grand Canal behind San Stae vaporetto stop |
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| 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. Run by two Venetian friends, Walter and Sandro, its diminutive lobby has just enough space for a bar and breakfast area, while upstairs the bedrooms are resolutely Venetian but also smart and comfortable, with excellent bathrooms. |
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| Inexpensive: Calm and stylish locanda in an evocative area of Venice |
| Location: Cannaregio, in the Jewish ghetto quarter close to the Lista di Spagna thoroughfare and Rialto |
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| Surrounded by water, the Campo del Ghetto is the evocative, melancholy heart of what was the world’s first Jewish ghetto, yet also within easy reach of the Rialto. 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. |
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