Best Luxury Hotels in San Marco, Venice

A 10-room boutique in one of Venice’s most elegant neighborhoods, Corte Di Gabriela is a chic residence that blends modern polish with historical touches. Located in San Marco an easy walk from the city’s top attractions, this quiet hotel has a pretty internal courtyard and lovely breakfast room with big buffet. No two stylish rooms are the same; some have frescoes on the ceiling while others have canal views -- all have big, modern bathrooms, iPads, and free Wi-Fi. All in all, it's one of the best upscale choices in the neighborhood, but it's worth comparing rates with the Hotel Saturnia.

Locanda Orseolo is a 12-room guesthouse located in the heart of Venice, a short walk from Piazza San Marco. Traditional, elegant rooms have theatrical wall murals, glass chandeliers, and small flat-screen TVs. This restored Venetian home has charming, original elements such as exposed beam ceilings. A quality free breakfast is served in a room overlooking a small canal, but there is no elevator and canal-facing rooms can experience some early morning noise. Rates are among the most competitive in the area for what you get.

Built in the late 15th century as the home to one of Venice's noble families, The Gritti Palace has operated as a hotel since the late 1800s. With opulent style and an impressive roster of influential guests, this luxury property has been meticulously restored to feature original floors, fixtures, archival fabrics, and rare antiques. Its 82 rooms reflect hundreds of years of Venetian history, style, and culture, while Acqua di Parma toiletries, free Wi-Fi, stocked minibars, and flat-screen TVs keep rooms modern. This is a spare-no-expense hotel with a spa, gourmet food, cooking school, and fitness and business centers. Guests looking for similar features and history could also consider the Ca'Sagredo Hotel, where stays come with free breakfast.

Hotel Saturnia & International is a sprawling 87-room, four-pearl property. It has a stunning position on a street of designer boutiques that connects directly with St. Mark’s Square and the Accademia area. The hotel embraces its history with rooms that have original 14th- and 15th-century features alongside Art Deco style. High-end amenities include 26-inch LCD TVs, Geneva Guild toiletries, and sunken bathtubs. La Caravella restaurant receives excellent reviews from previous guests, as does the rooftop terrace and its incredible cityscape views. As of our early 2018 visit the meeting room was being refurbished, and a spa is in the works. Unfortunately, there’s no fitness center, but guests can use a local gym for free. For a similar stay, it's also worth considering the Royal San Marco Hotel.

The 14th-century Hotel Dona Palace delivers an upscale, Old-World Venetian vacation beside the Bridge of Sighs, with a private canal landing for water taxis. The 27 spacious rooms feature traditional designs with canal views in many, and suites offer antique-inspired furnishings and whirlpool tubs. However, the occasional worn interiors are a turnoff to some guests. Restaurants and shops in Saint Mark's Square are five minutes away on foot. The hotel has a lovely dining room and terrace with a free breakfast, a small wine bar, and a courtyard overlooking the canal. Travelers may want to compare rates and features at the Ca’ dei Conti, which offers rooms with a little more pizzazz.

The Luna Hotel Baglioni is a luxury chain hotel with 104 rooms located less than a two-minute walk from the shops, restaurants, and architecture of Saint Mark’s Square. The classic hotel delivers a high level of service in a beautiful setting. Canova, an award-winning restaurant serving Italian and international cuisine, is on-site along with a café and full bar. Prices are a lower at the Bauer Hotel, but it’s farther from Saint Mark’s and less luxurious.

Starhotels Splendid Venice is an upscale property within a two-minute walk of the Piazza San Marco. Its 165 contemporary rooms include Italian marble bathrooms, fine fabrics, and modern amenities like espresso machines, minibars, and flat-screen TVs -- but guests report that the air-conditioning can be weak. A free breakfast is served under a glass roof in a courtyard, and the hotel has a formal restaurant as well as a lovely rooftop bar and lobby lounge. Wi-Fi is free, and guests can use computers at the on-site business center. The hotel even has a private water taxi landing and marina. Travelers could also consider the five-pearl Baglioni Hotel Luna, which features similar amenities and rates and more traditional, antique decor -- though some might find it stuffy.

The Metropole Hotel is a centrally located upscale property overlooking the Venetian Lagoon. Like the rest of the hotel, the 67 guest rooms feature elaborate antique decor with modern amenities like flat-screen TVs, minibars, and free Wi-Fi. The Michelin star Met Restaurant serves a buffet breakfast, plus gourmet lunch and dinner menus. Note that breakfasts are not included in all room rates. There is also an on-site bar, with seasonal citrus garden and tea ceremonies. The Gallery, with a collection of antiques and curiosities from as far back as the 1500s, is a nice addition. The hotel is within walking distance to several dining facilities, as well as a 10-minute walk from San Marco Square and Calle Larga XXII Marzo. Travelers can also consider Starhotels Splendid Venice, which is a more contemporary hotel with free buffet breakfasts.

Tucked onto a charming street a 10-minute walk from bustling St. Mark's Square, the 13-room Palazzo Paruta is a four-pearl boutique hotel with lavish interiors full of period details. With its coffered ceilings, marble floors, and velvet drapes, the converted nobleman's residence could feel stodgy, but the candle-lit steps to the terrace and the scent of flowers drifting from the courtyard enliven the pink stuccoed palace. Beautiful rooms feature sumptuous decor, marble bathrooms, and modern comforts like free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and minibars. On-site features are limited, but a free breakfast is served in a beautiful dining room, plus the hotel offers free afternoon tea as well. Travelers seeking something with more facilities might want to consider the nearby Ca' Pisani Hotel, which has a restaurant, bar, lounge, and fitness center.

The 119-room Bauer Hotel is a convenient two-minute walk from St. Mark's Square in the heart of Venice. This exclusive Art Deco-influenced property has a grand lobby full of gold accents and chandeliers as well as traditionally decorated rooms with high ceilings and big, modern bathrooms. The hotel features a restaurant and two bars; Bar Canale has an outdoor terrace and Grand Canal views. There is nice variety in the daily breakfast buffet, but rooms lack tea or coffee facilities. Rates are typically lower at the nearby Hotel Saturnia, but the Bauer is arguably a bit more elegant.

The Palace Bonovecchiati offers an upscale, boutique hotel experience in the heart of Venice, with major tourist sights, restaurants, shops, and entertainment all within an easy stroll. The hotel has an on-site spa with large hot tub and sauna, which is unusual for Venice, as well as a bar and canal-front restaurant. The 70 sleek guest rooms are outfitted in clean-lined furnishings, minibars, and flat-screen TVs. Modern art is on display throughout, and, while some of the decor borders on garish, it certainly offers an interesting juxtaposition to the trove of historic buildings in the vicinity. There's free Wi-Fi, but it can be unreliable. An average buffet breakfast is included in the rate. 

The Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal in Venice is historic hotel that offers an upscale environment in a prime location near St. Mark's Square, and the price reflects that. Rooms have classic Venetian style but may fall a tad short of four-star expectations, and there's not much in the way of property features besides the restaurant and meeting rooms. The nearby (and comparable) Hotel Saturnia & International is often a bit cheaper, but it lacks Hotel Monaco's waterfront setting.

Palazzina G (formerly Palazzina Grassi), is a 25-room luxury hotel known for being the first hotel in Italy to be designed by the renowned French designer Philippe Starck. It’s a small and quiet property in a great location -- all the main tourist spots in Venice are within walking distance, as are a good variety of shops and restaurants. There’s a fashionable bar and restaurant on-site, and the decor throughout is eclectic and hip. Rooms are chic and elegant, but for five-pearl prices, they are small, with no tea- and coffee-making facilities, and many have no view (though some have big balconies and some suites have Grand Canal views). Room rates are comparable with the Boscolo Venezia Autograph Collection, which is further out of the historic center of Venice, but offers a grander, more traditional style with the bonus of a spa. 

The 25-room Hotel Dei Dragomanni is an upscale property in the heart of Venice. Piazza San Marco is less than a 10-minute walk from the hotel, and there are plenty of luxury boutiques in the immediate area. Rooms are elegant, with classic details and modern amenities such as minibars, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs. For Venice, many of them are spacious, and families can get connecting rooms. Some have terraces and views of the Grand Canal. A free continental breakfast is available, and there is a bar, but otherwise features here are thin. The Hotel Rialto Venezia has nice outdoor spaces and directly overlooks the Grand Canal, but interiors are much fussier.  

The 79-room Hotel Rialto Venezia has a fabulous, central location overlooking the Rialto Bridge and Grand Canal. Features include a canal-side outdoor terrace and quality breakfast buffet. Rooms are clean and have nice details like glass chandeliers, but the decor is dated and a bit worn. The location is near a vaporetto stop and host of attractions, while some guests complain about noise.