What it is

A circa 1272 lagoon-front hideaway reborn as an ultra chic hotel, with 66 head-turning guest rooms, magnolia-stocked courtyards, and a locavore restaurant and bar.

What it isn't

Lacking a spa. This one is just as eye-popping as the rest of the hotel, designed by Patricia Urquiola and fitted with a gleaming hammam.

What we think

When much-ballyhooed designer Patricia Urquiola took over the design of Ca’ Di Dio, she instilled it with both Venetian grace and omnipresent artfulness. That’s true in the lobby, where sofas snake under a drippy chandelier, but it’s just as true in the guest rooms. Even the starting room category here could appear in Architectural Digest. Deluxe Rooms have exposed blonde wood beams, leather strap headboards with push-button reading lamps, floating Murano glass pendant lamps over each side table, and gleaming wood walls. It’s worth splurging on the Junior Suite Laguna View for a larger sitting area and panorama over Venice’s famously turquoise canals.

You're here because

The hotel lacks nothing. Everything you could ask for is available for guests here, from currency exchange to an on-call doctor.

The Moment

With your toes in the lush carpet of grass under the dappled light of the mimosa trees and parasols at Essentia Restaurant, you feel like pinching yourself. This is exactly the Venice you’d been dreaming about…and it’s real.

Restaurants & Bars

VERO Restaurant - Traditional Venetian cuisine overlooking the laguna

Essentia Restaurant - Courtyard dining offering traditional Venetian cuisine

Alchemia Bar - Offering classic cocktails

Location

Fronting the water a 13-minute walk from Piazza San Marco.