Hotel Cipriani

Long regarded as Venice's top hotel, the Cipriani is a gorgeously elegant inn set into a string of Renaissance-era buildings on 1.2 hectares (3 acres) at the tip of Giudecca. Although by staying here you give up a central location and easy access to central Venice's sights, shops, and restaurants (it's a 10-min. boat ride to Piazza San Marco), that's the whole point: The Cipriani is a gilded retreat. The hotel was opened in 1959 by Giuseppe Cipriani, who founded Harry's Bar and Torcello's Locanda Cipriani, and was such a good buddy to Ernest Hemingway that he appeared in one of the master's novels (Across the River and into the Trees). Room decor varies greatly, from full-bore 18th-century Venetian to discreetly contemporary, but all are among Venice's most stylish accommodations. The amenities-filled rooms overlook some combination of the gardens and Olympic-size pool, the lagoon, San Giorgio Maggiore, and St. Mark's Square across the wide mouth of the Grand Canal. The 15th-century Palazzo Vendramin annex, connected via a garden, is for guests who desire more privacy (not unusual, given their celebrity guest list), a more homelike feel, and a private butler.

Facilities:
3 restaurants (excellent Italian Cipriani w/lagoon views, bar eatery, poolside lunch); 3 bars; babysitting; courtesy boat (back and forth to Piazza San Marco 24 hr.); concierge; docking facilities; golf course; exercise room; Olympic-size outdoor pool; room service; sauna; spa; indoor tennis courts

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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