SINA Centurion Palace

When it comes to living modern life while surrounded by reminders of the past, nobody’s as comfortable as the Italians. Behind the charming late 19th-century façade of this former convent, which stands on the site of a medieval monastery, lies a different story altogether: a thoroughly modern luxury boutique hotel. Not that you’ll think for so much as a moment that you’re anywhere other than Venice. Set at the mouth of the Grand Canal, with the lagoon on one side and narrow alleyways on the other, the scene surrounding the Centurion Palace is about as typically Venetian as it could possibly be.

The interiors, though modern, aren’t exactly a clean break with local tradition. Each room is different, but elaborately patterned wallpaper or upholstery abounds, often in royal red. The gold-colored walls and floors of the bathrooms are meant to suggest a candy wrapper, and the twisting, root-like stems of many of the lamps seem inspired by works in the Guggenheim next door. The suites, many of them with private balconies, have the best views, especially the ones overlooking the Grand Canal.

The immediate neighborhood is home to the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, St. Mark’s Square and the Punta della Dogana contemporary art museum, in addition to the aforementioned Guggenheim. That collection of neighbors must make the Centurion Palace feel right at home — iconic sights butting up against forward-thinking newcomers, proof that contemporary Venice is much more than a sinking monument to its past.