Hotel Cipriani

Venice - Italy

ABOVE: The Hotel Cnpriani occupies the tip of Giudecca, an island directly across from St. Mark's Square.

Of Venice's most celebrated hotels--the Cipriani, the Danieli, and the Gritti Palace--only the Hotel Cipriani has a garden setting, a swimming pool, and a tennis court. The Cipriani's walled compound sits in splendid isolation on the very tip of Giudecca, where it overlooks the island church of San Giorgio Maggiore and the Venetian Lagoon.

There's only one way to reach the Cipriani from the historic heart of Venice: by boat. Although the Piazza San Marco is just a three-minute trip across the water, the flocks of daytripping tourists and fluttering pigeons could easily be in another universe when you're lazing in the Cipriani's pool, dining in the Terrace Restaurant, or strolling in the private gardens and vineyard (see photo).

If you can afford five-star tariffs and have time for a leisurely resort experience within rowing distance of St. Mark's Square, the Cipriani deserves to be on your short list of luxury hotels in Venice.

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Photo: Hotel Cipriani.