Rooms

There are just 14 rooms divided into 4 categories. Expect a kingsize bed and at least one window with a view (there are more than 80 windows between the rooms!). All are full of bygone decadence while still offering a fun and dramatic take on the Venetian style.

The Concept Rooms are the most striking and are all individually decorated and named. You’re welcome to choose your favourite and they'll do their best to honour it. The Sala del Doge is fit for a Venetian king: clad in red velvet from floor to ceiling with a huge glass chandelier that was specially designed for the room. It also has a Jacuzzi tub and views onto the church. Sala Noire is perhaps the sexiest, its dusky walls and black chandelier creating a cosseting sense of decadence! It has views over the streets of Dorsoduro, and a dark mosaico bathroom with a big shower. The opulent Sala dei Mori is resplendent in blue, the Sala Orientale gleams with gold and spicy browns; and the Sala del Camino, with its pale cream walls and whitewashed floorboards, is a more soothing experience.

The Deluxe Rooms are plush and comfortable, with damask walls, traditional tiled or carpeted floors and simple antique pieces. Ours had an exposed beam ceiling, and stunning views of the Salute church. There’s considerable variation between the rooms sizes, but you’re guaranteed a spacious bedroom and shower room with all the comfort and attention to detail you could wish for. The Suites are hidden away at the top of the palazzo with dramatic vaulted ceilings and pared-down cappuccino décor. One has a separate living room and a private terrace, while the other has and in-room bathtub and stunning views of Madonna della Salute and Giudecca.

In 2013 the hotel expanded into the nearby Palazzetto 113 building, where 2 slightly more affordable guest rooms are regally decorated in rich purples and golds. There’s a delightful terrace overlooking the Salute Church. We haven’t seen these rooms yet, but the added privacy (combined with proximity to the main hotel) sounds perfect for slightly more independent travellers and honeymooners.

Some bathrooms have a tub or Jacuzzi tub, but most have showers (with a cymbal-sized head), so if this is important to you, please specify when booking.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Ca Maria Adele provided one of the best breakfasts we had in Venice; the Italians are not famed for their morning meals but Ca Maria Adele has broken the mould. The experience begins the night before when menu cards are left in your room at turndown (they also include a helpful insight into the next day’s weather forecast). You can choose what you’d like and hang the card on the door ready to be collected in the morning, or call in your request when you wake up the next day.

The selection on offer is marvellous: pastries and bread with several jams and honey, fruit, cereal and mueslis, yoghurts and freshly cooked eggs and bacon to order. There’s also Prosecco should you wish to start your day with a more than just a caffeine kick.

It's all served in an extremely stylish but rather hushed breakfast room, with large windows facing the church. There’s a huge chandelier, and the friendly staff serve until a generous 12 noon, although the bells will have awakened you long before that! In the summer the doors and windows are thrown open onto the small balcony, but guests often choose to dine out on the terrace at this time of year. Of course, if can’t bear to tear yourself away from your room, you can always have breakfast brought to you. Guests staying in Palazetto 113 can choose to be served a continental spread in their bedroom, an American-style option in the building's ground-floor living room or morning meals in Ca Maria Adele's breakfast room.

For other meals, you can walk to Accademia (10 minutes), where several good restaurants can be found. We recommend asking for advice at reception as it can be difficult to judge the quality of Venetian restaurants on their looks alone -we received some excellent suggestions. Staff can also make reservations and arrange for water taxis to collect you from the hotel’s canal-side entrance. For a taste of iconic Venice, dine outdoors at Caffé Florian (Italy's oldest café) on the Piazza San Marco, or head to the famous (and outrageously expensive) Harry’s Bar for world-class Bellinis and Carpaccio.

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Honesty bar
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Directly in-front of the hotel is the atmospheric church of Santa Maria della Salute (Our Lady of Health). In 1630, the Venetian Senate prayed to Mary to end the plague, promising her a new church. She obliged, and the result is a masterpiece of Venetian architecture
  
  
• Take a peaceful stroll along the water to the very tip of Dorsoduro, where Punta della Dogana hosts the stunning contemporary art collection of billionaire Francois Pinault
  
  
• Five minutes in the opposite direction will bring you to Peggy Guggenheim’s famous modern art collection, in her impressive home overlooking the Grand Canal. Works on display include those by Pollock, Picasso and Peggy’s ex-husband, Max Ernst
  
  
• Marvel at the glittering Basilica di San Marco, the historic Palazzo Ducale, and the Museo Corror - all in St Mark's Square
  
  
• Rather than ascending the busy Campanile di San Marco, take a vaporetto across the water to the Chiesa di San Giorgio bell tower. It's much quieter and the views encompass all of Venice's most iconic landmarks
  
  
• Visit the nearby islands of San Michele (a huge cemetery park), Murano (glass-blowing), Burano (fishing, lace-making and gaily-colored houses) or Torcello (7th- to 13th-century architecture, Byzantine mosaics and a population of some 80 people)
  
  
• Or just explore the labyrinth of narrow alleys and little hump-backed bridges - getting lost is all part of the fun here and it's very easy to do!

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Private guided tours
• Shopping / markets

Kids

This is a tranquil and romantic hotel for couples, and under 16s cannot be accommodated. Twin beds are available in some Deluxe and Concept Rooms, but these need to be requested when booking and have limited availability. An additional sofa bed is available in one Suite and one Deluxe Room, so ask when booking if you require one.

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The hotel is has a privileged location, on Dorsoduro, opposite the church of Santa Maria della Salute. There's a vaporetta stop (Alta) within sight of the hotel and a water door for private taxis.

By Air
Fly into Venice Marco Polo (13km) or nearby Treviso Airport (35km), both have regular flights and offer easy access to central Venice.

From the Airport
Visitors arriving in Marco Polo Airport can either take the Alilaguna shared taxi-boat straight from the airport to the Salute jetty, or a private water taxi to the hotel's canalside door. It's also possible to take a bus/taxi to Piazzale Roma and walk or take a vaporetto from there. There are regular bus services from Treviso Airport (approx 40-minute drive). From here, catch a vaporetto (waterbus) down the Grand Canal (towards San Marco) and get off at the Salute stop. The hotel is in sight of the stop, so there's no risk of getting lost.

By Train
If you'd prefer to travel overland from the UK, you can reach Venice quite easily with the Eurostar from London, changing in Paris. See the excellent Seat 61 for details.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com

More on getting to Venice and getting around