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What to expect at The Gritti Palace and The St. Regis Venice
Head of Brand Caterina checks into two of the city’s most storied hotels
I am Italian, and yet I’d never been to Venice. When people heard this, they reacted as though I had confessed to something almost criminal. Now, having finally made the journey and stayed in two of the city's finest hotels, I understand why. It’s genuinely impossible to be prepared for it, regardless of how many photographs you have seen or how many times you have heard it described. Here’s what to expect at the two hotels that made my first visit impossible to forget.
The Gritti Palace
There is a quote attributed to W. Somerset Maugham, a devoted regular here: at The Gritti, you are not a guest, but a friend. After my stay, I would take that even further. I arrived as a guest and left feeling like I was saying goodbye to family.
Positioned directly on the Grand Canal with an uninterrupted view of Santa Maria della Salute, The Gritti feels less like a hotel than a Venetian palazzo that happens to be exceptionally well run. Painted ceilings, antique mirrors, Acqua di Parma toiletries, Frette linens: the details are everywhere, and the overall effect is one of deep, considered elegance. Marco and Luca at the front desk gave recommendations with the ease of people who really love the neighbourhood. Francesca seemed to notice everything. She sent me home with a box of Italian biscuits I had mentioned in passing were a childhood favourite, which I thought was a truly thoughtful gesture. It is the sort of small thing that stays with you.
One evening at the bar, I got chatting to a man I eventually realised was a well-known Hollywood actor. He was staying at the hotel while location scouting for a new television series and said the atmosphere was a large part of the draw. It is easy to see why. The Gritti attracts people who want to actually be somewhere. The spa, the Technogym fitness room and the Epicurean School, where we spent a morning with Chef Franco at the Rialto Market before cooking lunch in the hotel's country-style kitchen, are all worth making time for.
When you book through Little Emperors you can expect daily breakfast for two, a hotel credit to spend as you see fit, priority upgrade at check-in and early check-in and late check-out where available.
The St. Regis Venice
The St. Regis Venice has a noticeably different feel. Spread across four interconnected palazzi with a private garden at its centre, it is contemporary and art-forward in a way that feels considered rather than try-hard. The energy is younger, the design is sharper and the Arts Bar, ranked the second-best hotel bar in Italy in 2025, is a genuine local favourite, which always tells you something useful about a hotel.
The rooms are generously sized, and those facing the Grand Canal, many with Juliette balconies, are worth requesting. The Santa Maria Suite has a large private terrace, from which you can watch the Festa del Redentore fireworks without having to navigate the crowds below, which alone would make it worthwhile. Food is served on Ginori 1735 plates, toiletries are Acqua di Parma and the in-room details, including face scrub, toner and toothbrushes, show a hotel that has thought carefully about what guests actually need.
The afternoon arranged at Antonia Sautter's atelier was a highlight. Sautter is the creative force behind Il Ballo del Doge, one of Venice's most celebrated masquerade balls, and her studio houses over 1,200 extraordinary pieces. A private fitting and photoshoot followed, which was theatrical, immersive and the kind of thing you simply cannot organise on your own.
Book through Little Emperors and you will have daily breakfast for two, a hotel credit, priority upgrade at check-in and early check-in and late check-out where available. Given how much there is to do and see from this address, the extra time either end of your stay is worth its weight in gold.
Read our insider review of Rome's La Minerva hotel and Orient Express train journey.
Some snapshots from my trip
