Rooms

Each of the rooms has soft lighting and its own distinctive design; a mixture of multi-ethnic furniture circa 1900. Our room had a low Thai platform bed, a printed wall-hanging and a dark wood wardrobe. Walls are rag-rolled or silk-hung, cotton drapes and curtains have been made up by a local factory to the Romanelli family’s own designs, and floors are original Venetian marble with carpets collected from adventures in Morocco, Pakistan and Senegal. Some rooms have romantic four-poster beds, while others can be made up as twins; all doubles have 2 individual down duvets, saving any bedding-tugging battles.

Ensuites come in the form of compact shower bathrooms where you get Philippe Starck-designed fittings, big-headed showers, hairdryers and divine Ortiga toiletries. There’s also air conditioning and temperature control (unusual for Venetian hotels and very welcome in high summer), as well as the option of soothing piped music from a selection that includes jazz, Arabian, classical and opera.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

You can request breakfast in bed, but it’s fun to choose from the big buffet laid out downstairs and then take your loot out into the sunny courtyard garden. The buffet includes: freshly squeezed orange juice, muesli, cornflakes, hard-boiled eggs, fruit salad and yoghurts, toast, Nutella and jams, croissants, Parma ham, and a wide selection of fresh fruits and cheeses.

The hotel also provides a delightful, complimentary afternoon tea of cakes and hot drinks in the ground-floor breakfast area, and there's an honesty bar for night caps.

For lunch and dinner you'll need to head out. Campo Santo Stefano is moments from the hotel and is home to a vast array of restaurants to choose from. 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 - both are close by. It can be difficult to judge the quality of Venetian restaurants, so if you want to try something new we’d recommend seeking advice from whoever is on reception. We were directed to a fantastic and inconspicuous little place near the Accademia (and the team were also happy to book a table on our behalf).

Features include:

• Afternoon tea
• Bar
• Breakfast
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service

Activities

• Visit some of the hundreds of churches, galleries and museums showcasing baroque Venetian architecture, art and history. Check out the world-famous Palazzo Ducale, the Gothic seat of Venetian power, and the extraordinary little church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, ‘a jewel box of ancient marbles’
  
• Catch a boat to Murano Island to explore the glass factory - you get it for free when booking through i-escape
  
• Wonder at all the masterpieces gathered under one roof in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Dorsoduro and the marvels of San Marco's Basilica and square
  
• Take a public waterbus ride down the Grand Canal - a great introduction to this floating, shimmering city - or take a lazy gondola ride through the labyrinth of canals (seeming disinterested can bring the quoted price crashing down)
  
• Book tickets for one of the many evening concerts or operas on offer. The Teatro La Fenice is close by, and there are regular Vivaldi recitals at the Chiesa di San Vidal (mostly bookable on the day)
  
• Take a waterbus to the nearby islands of San Michele (a huge cemetery park), Burano (fishing, lace-making and gaily coloured houses) and Torcello (7th- to 13th-century architecture, Byzantine mosaics and a tiny resident population of some 80 people)
  
• Explore the labyrinth of narrow alleys and little hump-backed bridges. Dead ends aren’t marked and street names often don’t seem to match those on the map, but getting lost is all part of the fun

Activities on site or nearby include:

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

Kids

As a family-run hotel Novecento happily welcomes children, though they’d ask that you let them know in advance so they can choose and set up the right room for you. All ages have stayed here; cots and babysitting services are available and there are board games on offer. Staff can also recommend family-friendly restaurants and activities.

Family friendly accommodation:

All rooms have space for a baby cot, and rooms 3 and 5 have space for an extra bed, too

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 30 minutes
• Hospital: 30 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Novecento Boutique Hotel is bang in the heart of Venice, 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.

From the Airport
Visitors arriving in Marco Polo Airport can take 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’ Maria del Giglio stop. Once on dry land, it's a 3-minute walk to the B&B. Alternatively, a private water taxi directly to the jetty at the end of Novecento’s street (Calle del Dose) is a fun and comfortable way to arrive in the city.

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.