Charming House DD.724

Venice is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, with seemingly a hotel on every corner—but few quite like DD.724, a stylish (and very small) guest house that’s about as far as you can get from the full-service grand palazzos. After all, to come to Venice is to be steeped in the history of an ancient and unique place, and some find that staying in a hotel stuffed with antiques and reproduction artworks cheapens the experience a bit.

The name comes, as is the current custom, from the hotel’s address, down a quiet alleyway in the Dorsoduro district, just steps from the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Academia Gallery. No sign marks the entrance (another good reason to name your hotel after its street address) but once inside there’s no doubt that this is the place—rather than the all-white art-gallery atmosphere of too many boutiques, the owners and architects have created a space that is richly livable, in warm muted colors and earth tans and browns.

Lighting is well-designed, key in transforming a small space into an hospitable one, and contemporary artworks and photographs line the walls. Rooms feature sleek modern amenities like LCD televisions and high-speed internet access, and though each of the seven rooms is built on a different plan, all are comfortable and crisply decorated. Breakfast is served in a library of art books, and in summer lunch is served on a raft on Giudecca Canal 5, a few minutes away. Room service is available, but no restaurant—diners will wish to explore the city a bit, but after dinner you can leave the Renaissance palaces to the tourists and retire to the Charming House.