Humans have bathed in the grandeur of Venice for over 1,500 years. From its improbable beginnings in a lagoon, the city grew into one of history’s great maritime civilisations, accumulating wealth, art and ideas from across the world and building some magnificent palazzos along the way. Many of these storied buildings have since found new lives as hotels, an endeavour that requires not only deep pockets, but also immense creativity and a serious commitment to craftsmanship.
One of the most magnificent transformations is Aman Venice, housed in the 16th-century Palazzo Papadopoli and reimagined by Jean-Michel Gathy. Inside, the palazzo’s rococo exuberance and treasures such as original frescoes, gilded ceilings and centuries-old leather wall coverings meet Gathy’s contemporary restraint. It is, however, a building that isn’t shy about showing off its history. Case in point: the Tiepolo Room on the second noble floor where handcrafted silks by treasured Venetian house Rubelli line the walls. The unabashed opulence is best experienced at Arva,where a succession of mirrors, a striking chandelier and soaring windows framing the Grand Canal turn a morning cappuccino into its own special moment.
personally curated by the founders of Golden Goose. Courtesy of The Venice Venice Hotel
A five-minute water taxi ride down is The Venice Venice Hotel, the passion project of Alessandro Gallo and Francesca Rinaldo, founders of cult fashion brand Golden Goose. Together they rescued Ca’ da Mosto after decades of abandonment, meticulously restoring centuries-old ceilings and Byzantine architecture. A tribute to the city’s avant-garde spirit, the hotel feels like a mix of a contemporary gallery and chic apartment boasting hand-painted wallpaper, locally woven tapestries and works from the founders’ art collection. It recently unveiled Il Gesto, a new work by Parisian artist JR for the 2026 Art Biennale—one of the many artist collaborations that unfold in the hotel. Here you get the sense that the best of Venice is not in the past, but yet to come.
Across the water on Giudecca Island, another Venetian grande dame is being carefully reinvented. Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel, Venice is working with fashion’s favourite architect, Peter Marino, to enhance the inherent glamour of this iconic property. As chairman of the Venetian Heritage Foundation, Marino knows the city intimately, expressing its refinement through architectural details, local savoir-faire and hand-picked objets d’art. The new era of the Cipriani is conceived as an ode to Venetian craft but that doesn’t mean it’s changing everything. The much-loved original lobby remains untouched, while a new arrival space and 13 redesigned rooms—including two master suites conceived as Venetian apartments—will be introduced to its legions of loyal guests (Clooney included, of course).
