Londra Palace Venezia

It’s hard to beat this location; one entire side of the Hotel Londra Palace opens onto a stunning view of the lagoon and the island of San Giorgio, a view which, as the hotel is quick to point out, kept Tchaikovsky inspired during the creation of his Fourth Symphony.

A small hotel, comprising just 53 rooms and suites, the Londra Palace is distinctive and stylish: the downstairs is crisp and contemporary, the lobby and salons sporting the sort of restrained elegance that is becoming the modern international style, in this case designed by the architect responsible for Versace’s retail spaces. Upstairs the guest rooms are decorated in the Biedermeier style, full of 19th century antiques and furnishings, a style that looks quite at home in this most classic of cities.

Superior rooms look out over the courtyard or the city, while Deluxes have the more desirable lagoon view, and the suites, in addition to the luxury of space, are blessed with terraces high above the lagoon, offering a jaw-dropping spectacle.

It’s a beautiful hotel, with a few practical advantages over many other Venetian lodgings—the spaces are generous, for example, the pink marble bathrooms unexpectedly spacious, and the service is second to none. But its greatest strength and its calling card is the picturesque beauty of its location, perhaps best enjoyed from the LPV Ristorante & Bistrot, whose outdoor terrace is one of Venice’s most extraordinary dining venues.