Splurge Hotels · Venice
Venice’s grand hotels are on the water, not by the cruise check-in. Two hold Michelin’s top three Keys, Aman Venice and the Cipriani, which is closed until June 2027, and every one of the eight starts sail morning with a boat or a long walk. Each card says what the hotel adds and what it leaves you to arrange.
Eight places made this list. One, Hilton Molino Stucky, also makes our twenty; the other seven get pages of their own. Pick the kind of night below and the matching hotel lights up.
For ratings we print Michelin Keys, from Michelin’s own listings, and Forbes Travel Guide ratings, from Forbes’s own Venice list — nothing else. “None found” means unrated on the lists we read, not lesser.
The only splurge here that also makes our twenty: the big Hilton on Giudecca, with a seasonal rooftop pool and the Skyline Rooftop Bar, a boat ride from the ship. No. 17 in our twenty.
Michelin's top rating, three Keys, on a 24-room palazzo with a garden on the Grand Canal. Staff meet you and bring you in by canal — the price of that isn't printed.
Three Keys, Forbes Five-Star, an outdoor pool and Oro's Michelin star on Giudecca, about 2.4 km from Marittima as the crow flies. Belmond says it's closed until June 1, 2027.
The rare grand hotel that prints its prices: a €380 (about US$425) Marco Polo transfer and €5.00 (about US$6) a night tourist tax, with two Michelin Keys and a Forbes Four-Star, on the Grand Canal.
A Forbes Four-Star with 124 rooms and 39 suites on the Grand Canal, and Marriott printing a €380 Marco Polo transfer — but no on-site parking.
Reopened July 30, 2026 as Danieli, Venezia, A Four Seasons Hotel, with a rooftop restaurant and 120 rooms including 52 suites. The spa isn't open until late 2026.
One Michelin Key, 53 rooms and LPV's terrace over the lagoon, a few doors from the Danieli. Pet friendly, per Michelin.
Three pools, a spa and eight food-and-drink names on Marriott's list, a cooking school among them, on the Isola delle Rose, with a complimentary boat from St. Mark's until 11:30 pm. Boat only — and Marriott labels breakfast "Free".
Tap a pin for the hotel’s card, then open the review. The numbers follow the list above.
Point at a hotel’s name and its column lights up — green means it’s there, gold that it costs extra or comes with a catch, grey that nobody says.
| Feature | Molino Stucky | Aman Venice | Hotel Cipriani | Gritti Palace | St. Regis Venice | Danieli | Londra Palace | JW Marriott Venice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelin Keys | — | 3 Keys (Michelin) | 3 Keys (Michelin) | 2 Keys (Michelin) | — | — | 1 Key (Michelin) | — |
| Forbes stars | — | Four-Star (Forbes) | Five-Star (Forbes) | Four-Star (Forbes) | Four-Star (Forbes) | — | Recommended (Forbes) | Recommended (Forbes) |
| Restaurant | Aromi; Bacaromi; Rialto Bar & Restaurant | Arva | Oro (Michelin-starred); Cip’s Club | Club del Doge; The Gritti Terrace (Apr–Oct) | Gio's; Ginori Terrace | Terrazza Danieli (rooftop) | LPV Ristorante & Bistrot | Sagra Rooftop; Cucina; Dopolavoro Venezia |
| Bar or drinks | Skyline Rooftop Bar | Bar; wine cellar | — | Bar Longhi; Riva Lounge | Arts Bar; The St. Regis Bar | Bar Dandolo | — | Rose Bar Lounge |
| Spa or pool | eforea Spa; seasonal rooftop pool | Spa; gym | Outdoor pool; spa | The Gritti SPA – Sisley Paris | Valmont Spa | Spa due late 2026 | Treatments on request | Three pools; JW Venice Spa |
| Breakfast | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | "Free" on Marriott’s page; rate-dependent |
| Room price printed | Not printed | Not printed | Not printed | Not printed | Not printed | Not printed | Not printed | Not printed |
| Airport or boat transfer | — | Met by Aman staff, by canal; price not stated | Private launch; cruise transfer not stated | Airport: €380 one way from VCE | Airport: €380 one way from VCE | — | — | Airport: €300 (about US$335) one way from VCE |
| Parking | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Valet to Garage San Marco, €75 (about US$85) a day | No on-site parking | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Distance to Marittima | ~1.0 km to Marittima as the crow flies; boat only | ~1.4 mi on foot to Marittima, our routing | ~2.4 km to Marittima as the crow flies; boat only | ~1.5 mi on foot to Marittima, our routing | ~1.6 mi on foot to Marittima, our routing | ~2.0 mi on foot to Marittima, our routing | ~2.0 mi on foot to Marittima, our routing | ~3.2 km to Marittima as the crow flies; boat only |
None of the eight prints a ride to the ship. On foot, our routing puts the Marittima check-in about 1.4 miles from Aman Venice and about 2.0 from Londra Palace — bridges and all, so with bags it’s a water taxi. The Cipriani, Hilton Molino Stucky and the JW are on islands with no bridge.
Airport transfers are where the prices show up — the boat to the ship, not so much. Marriott prints €380 one way from Marco Polo for the Gritti and the St. Regis and €300 for the JW; the alternative is the airport’s €40 (about US$45) taxi to Piazzale Roma and a water taxi on.
No hotel here has parking you can drive to. The Gritti’s valet runs your car to Garage San Marco for €75 a day, per Marriott; the city garage at Piazzale Roma is €35 (about US$40) per 24 hours, per AVM, so a week there costs €245 (about US$275) before the boat. The Gritti also prints the tourist tax at €5.00 a person a night.
Which port your line uses comes first, not the room — our Venice cruise guide has the roster, and a Ravenna or Trieste sailing changes everything here.
Booking.com lists airport taxis you can book ahead. Check the pickup point, the price and the cancellation terms before you book.
Booking.com links are affiliate links: Seabound Journeys may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change what we recommend. Affiliate disclosure.
| Hotel | Why it isn’t in the eight |
|---|---|
| Airelles Palladio, Venezia | Three Michelin Keys on Michelin's Venice list, but missing from its October 2025 Italy list, and Michelin says it isn't taking bookings through its platforms. We couldn't confirm it's open for your dates, so it isn't one of the eight. |
| Orient Express Venezia | A 47-room 5-star in a Strada Nova palazzo with Heinz Beck's restaurant, and one Michelin Key on Michelin's Venice list — but not on its Italy list, so we didn't build it a page. Accor puts Santa Lucia station 1 km away. |
| Nolinski Venezia and Hotel Metropole | Michelin lists both — Nolinski with two Keys, the Metropole with one — but we didn't read their own pages, so we can't tell you what they offer on sail morning. |
Hotel Cipriani tops both lists we print, with three Michelin Keys and Forbes Five-Star, but Belmond says it's closed until June 1, 2027. Of the ones open now, Aman Venice has three Keys and a Forbes Four-Star, and the Gritti Palace two Keys and a Forbes Four-Star. Michelin's lists conflict on Airelles Palladio, and we couldn't confirm it's open, so it isn't here.
No. Belmond says the hotel is closed and reopens on June 1, 2027. Michelin still describes an April-to-September season; go by Belmond's date.
None of the eight prints one. The Gritti and the St. Regis price airport transfers at €380 one way and the JW at €300; the Aman's staff bring you in by canal. Ask the concierge to book a boat to Marittima.
It reopened on July 30, 2026 as Danieli, Venezia, A Four Seasons Hotel, with 120 rooms including 52 suites. Its spa is due in late 2026.
Not at the door — there are no roads in the old city or on the islands. The Gritti's valet takes the car to Garage San Marco for €75 a day, per Marriott, and the St. Regis has no on-site parking. The city garage at Piazzale Roma is €35 per 24 hours, per AVM.
Tell us the palazzo you have in mind and your sail date. We'll price the night and line up the water taxi to Marittima. No obligation.
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