Bloom & Settimo Cielo

San Marco, Venice, Italy
Book from GBP Book from £100 per night

Bloom & Settimo Cielo

San Marco, Venice, Italy

Gorgeously opulent B&Bs in the heart of the city, blending Venetian tradition with modern design

Gorgeously opulent B&Bs in the heart of the city, blending Venetian tradition with modern design

Bloom and Settimo Cielo are 2 charming B&Bs, located in the San Marco district of Venice, and within strolling distance of all the major Venetian sites. They are beautifully designed, with every room styled differently, from rich reds and purple brocades to more calming beiges and creams.

The two businesses share a restored Venetian house: the upper floors are Bloom's, the lower floors Settimo Cielo's; both parts offer exactly the same service and style of accommodation. The whole house is owned by business partners Alessandra Vazzoler and Paolo Battistetti who decided to renovate and refurbish the building, tastefully merging old with new. While there's no in-house restaurant, there are lovely communal areas where you eat breakfast, and, best of all, a delightful roof terrace with spectacular views across the rooftops of Venice. Inside on the top floor there is also a cosy lounge, whose fridge stores complimentary bottles of Prosecco - a perfect accompaniment to the sunset views.

Highs

  • The lovely roof terrace with complimentary Prosecco. It's lit at night, with panoramic views - a rare thing in Venice
  • The beautifully styled rooms: original beamed ceilings and wooden floors blend with velvet sofas, flocked wallpaper and gilded mirrors
  • The quiet - you're centrally located, but you'd never know it
  • Just 5 minutes' walk from the Grand Canal and the Accademia museum, 10 minutes from the Rialto and 10 minutes from St Mark’s Square
  • You have your own key to the building and there's no formal reception, so it feels very private - great for those on a romantic jaunt

Lows

  • No on-site reception (check-in is at their sister hotel around the corner) so you can feel a little unlooked after, although it's easy to contact someone if needs be
  • No in-room info; if you want restaurant recommendations, you need to ask
  • Pricey, but this is central Venice
  • No lift, so if you are staying in Bloom you have 3 or 4 flights of stairs to climb. Rooms in Settimo Cielo are lower down
  • On our most recent visit we thought the rooms were starting to show a few signs of wear and tear

Best time to go

Spring and autumn are the best times to visit Venice. Carnival in February is obviously popular, although prices generally tend to creep up then, but winter (Oct-Jan) is appealingly quiet with a really magical atmosphere, enhanced by the light reflected from the lagoon. A word of warning though: it can be really cold in the winter months, with icy winds blowing off the sea, so come prepared. Venice is best avoided in the peak summer months when droves of tourists choke up the main alleyways and the intense heat can be very tiring.

Our top tips

Try to time your visit with Venice Biennale (every 2 years) – the city flings open the doors of some of its most beautiful buildings to host artists. Much of it is free and it's an amazing insight into some of the most architecturally magnificent buildings in the city (which usually remain closed to visitors at other times). An absolute treat.

Great for...

City Style
Romantic
  • Boutique B&B
  • 6 rooms
  • Breakfast only (walk to restaurants)
  • Welcome but not ideal
  • Open all year
  • Pool
  • Spa Treatments
  • Beach Nearby
  • Pet Friendly
  • Disabled Access
  • Car not necessary
  • Parking
  • Restaurants Nearby
  • WiFi
  • Air Conditioning
  • Guest Lounge
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • Gym
Room:

Rooms

Each room is gorgeously lavish, with dramatically different colour schemes. Our favourite was done out in creams and whites (perfect for a honeymoon), but others feature stunning jewel-bright colours, from purples to deep pinks. They're not huge but all are rich and traditional in style, with heavy curtains and thick brocaded fabrics plus antique furniture, flocked wallpapers and gilded mirrors complementing the old architecture of beamed ceilings, brick walls and wooden floors. Although some are rather more contemporary and lighter in colour, the feel is of sheer opulence throughout. Some in Settimo Cielo have full-length French windows, and all come with contemporary bathrooms, some with baths, some with large walk-in showers.

There are 3 kinds of room - Double Charme, Double Superior and Triple Superior. Double Superiors are larger than Charmes and have a kingsize bed rather than queensize, but the Double Charmes have bathtubs while Superiors have showers. The Triple Superiors are the largest rooms and come with 3 beds, either 3 singles or 1 kingsize plus 1 single, so perfect for small families.

We stayed in a Double Superior and were grateful for the extra space. It had views of the opposite church and was pleasingly quiet (considering it's above the main thoroughfare). Sunshine beamed through the window in the morning. The bathroom was modern with a huge walk-in shower, chrome fittings and subtle tiling. The only thing we missed was tea/coffee-making facilities.

Features include:

  • Hairdryer
  • Minibar
  • Safe box
  • WiFi

Eating

A continental, buffet-style breakfast is included in the rate. This consists of fresh fruit, delicious pastries and breads, plus hams, cheeses, eggs, interesting jams (fig, blueberry) and cereals. Gluten-free and non-dairy options are available. Tea and coffee is also served, along with just-squeezed orange juice. In a country where breakfasts are often too packaged, we were appreciative of all the fresh produce.

For lunch and dinner, you're located on the edge of a large but quiet square, Campo Santo Stefano, home to numerous restaurants, ranging from top-price fish restaurants to bargain pizza eateries and gelaterias for delicious Italian ice creams. Further afield, there are plenty of fabulous eateries. Head to the market area near the Rialto, where there are several excellent restaurants lining a square that sits right on the Grand Canal. 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.

Ask for dining advice when you check-in, as there's no in-room info and it can be difficult to judge the quality of Venetian restaurants on their looks alone. We were pointed in the direction of Osteria Ai Promessi Sposi. It’s a beautiful 10-minute amble from the hotel and serves good local grub.

Features include:

  • Breakfast
  • Restaurants nearby
Eating:
Activity:

Activities

  • Stroll 5 minutes to the Grand Canal and cross the bridge to the giant Accademia museum, home to endless, breath-taking art treasures
  • Catch an impromptu recital by acclaimed violin troop Interpreti Veneziani. Evening performances are regularly held in the Chiesa di San Vidal (mere moments from the hotel), where Renaissance masterpieces adorn the church’s walls, mostly bookable on the day
  • Take a 10-minute walk to the most famous square in Venice. The Piazza San Marco is the centre of the action with the glittering Basilica di San Marco, the historic Palazzo Ducale, and the Museo Corror lining its tourist filled centre
  • The Teatro La Fenice is one of the most famous (and beautiful) theatres in Italy. It's worth booking tickets to the opera ahead of your trip, but daytime self-guided audio tours are available
  • Catch a boat out to Murano and Burano, the outlying islands in the lagoon famous, respectively, for glass-making and brightly painted houses and lace. They are worth it for the boat ride alone
  • Sip Prosecco and watch the sun set over the Venetian rooftops from the hotel’s private roof terrace

Activities on site or nearby include:

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

Kids

Bloom & Settimo Cielo is more of a couple’s boutique retreat, but children are allowed. 0-3 year olds can be accommodated in a baby cot provided by the hotel at no extra cost (on request). There are no rollaway beds, but there are 2 triple rooms, which would suit families. On the terrace, there is a sitting area for little children, and the library on the top floor includes books for them.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

Cots Available

Kid Friendly:

Location

Bloom & Settimo Cielo share a townhouse on the edge of Campo Santo Stefano, in the central San Marco district. It's just 5 minutes from the Accademia, and 10 minutes from St Mark's Square.

By Air
Venice's Marco Polo (10km) airport is the closest, though Treviso (30km) is convenient, too. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving these airports.

From the Airport
Visitors arriving in Marco Polo Airport can either take a private water taxi or the Alilaguna shared taxi-boat straight from the airport. It's also possible to take a bus/taxi to Piazzale Roma and walk or take a vaporetto (waterbus). 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 Sant’ Angelo stop. Once on dry land, it's a 3-minute walk to the B&B.

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. Once in Venice, follow the vaporetto advice listed above.

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

More on getting to Venice and getting around

Airports:

  • Venice Marco Polo 10.0 km VCE
  • Venice Marco Polo 30.0 km TSF

Other:

  • Beach 3.5 km
  • Shops 0.2 km
  • Restaurant 0.2 km

Our guests' ratings...

Based on 3 independent reviews from i-escape guests

9/10
Room
8/10
Food
9/10
Service
9/10
Value
9/10
Overall

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Rates for Bloom & Settimo Cielo

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