Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry's Bar and inventor of the Bellini, opened Hotel Cipriani in 1958 on the island of Giudecca, across the lagoon from St Mark's Square, which the hotel's launch reaches in five minutes. Guests from Yves Saint Laurent to Sophia Loren soon followed, and while other Venetian hotels look out to the lagoon, the Cipriani looks back at the city. Palazzo Vendramin, a 15th-century aristocratic house, is part of the hotel, its 16 rooms and suites looked after by private butlers. Rooms are dressed in Murano glass, antique mirrors and fabrics by Fortuny and Rubelli, many with views of St Mark's. A mix-up between feet and metres gave the hotel the largest pool in Venice, filled with saltwater and heated in spring and autumn, and the gardens, linked in legend to Casanova, surround a tennis court, the Casanova Wellness Centre and a children's club with its own pool. Chef Vania Ghedini holds a Michelin star at Oro Restaurant, a round dining room facing the lagoon, while Cip's Club serves Venetian classics on a terrace opposite the Doge's Palace. The hotel is now closed and reopens on June 1, 2027.
The hotel is closed until June 1, 2027.
- Nearest airport
- Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), 5 Miles / 9 Kilometres
- Rooms
- 79 rooms and suites
- Taken whole
- The whole hotel, 79 rooms and suites
Insider tip The concierge can arrange a sunset gondola at very short notice, and arriving on the hotel's launch is part of the pleasure.
Why I choose it The one Venice hotel that looks back at St Mark's, with the city's largest pool and a garden to come home to.
