Last Updated on February 14, 2023 by Eve Dawes
Everything you need to know before booking the Gritti Palace & your luxury Venice hotel
The Gritti Palace in the heart of Venice is at the top of pretty much every luxury Venice hotel guide and undeniably one of the top hotels in Venice Italy. We chose the Gritti Palace a Luxury Collection hotel Venice for all of the reasons I’m sharing in this Gritti Palace review from the attentive service to the luxurious rooms. Plus my Sister recommended it as it’s where they normally stay. Venice is one of the most romantic cities we’ve been too but it can be overwhelming to know where to stay, eat and what to do. If you’re looking for a luxury holiday in Venice and a hotel that’s the epitome of luxury, here’s my unsponsored Gritti Palace review and why we chose The Gritti Palace to stay.
This Gritti Palace a Luxury Collection hotel Venice post contains affiliate links.
How to Arrive at The Gritti Palace in Style: Book a Vaporetto
The best way to arrive at the Gritti Palace is by private vaporetto. My sister highly recommended arrivin at the hotel by private vaporetto for the experience. So we followed her advice and we’re so glad we did. The view is breathtaking as you turn into the Grand Canal.
It’s super easy to find the Ferrovia vaporetto stop at the train station, as it’s is right in front (slightly to the left when you exit and go down the steps). You don’t need to make reservations except for your return journey which The Gritti hotel can do for you.
Where to Stay in Venice: Luxury Hotels Venice
There are so many top hotels to stay at in Venice Italy that we did so much research before narrowing it down to these 2. You really can’t go wrong with either one but this is why we chose the Gritti Palace.
The Gritti Palace A Luxury Collection Hotel Venice Italy
It was a tough choice between Gritti Palace and Hotel Daniele. We read so many luxury Venice hotel guides and reviews and were going back and forward choosing between The Gritti Palace a Luxury Collection Hotel Venice (book Gritti Palace) or Hotel Daniele. They’re both the 2 top hotels in Venice Italy but we eventually decided upon The Gritti Palace which was totally worth the splurge.
The Gritti Palace Review and helpful tips
Gritti Palace Location
What makes The Gritti Palace one of the top hotels in Venice Italy is its prime location on the Grand Canal which means stunning views for all of your meals and cocktails. It’s a really central location, with a Vaporetto water bus stop right outside the front entrance.
It’s just a quick 5 minute walk to the all of the luxury stores for your tax-free shopping and Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square). As well as a short walk to La Fenice Opera House. We honestly found it to be the perfect place for being able to explore the city by foot.
Privacy and romance
It’s also known as one of the most romantic hotels in Venice. It’s quiet and very private. There were celebrities staying while we were there and everyone left them alone. Famous guests and movie stars who’ve stayed here include everyone from Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton to Brad Pitt.
Most of my travel guide/blog posts are more on the luxury travel and hotel side as my husband and I work hard to play hard. We don’t have children and we really enjoy traveling and romantic escapes together. It’s all about creating memories for us.
Luxury hotels Venice | Drinks with a view Riva Lounge, Venice. Soak in best views Grand Canal. Riva Lounge, The Gritti Palace.
Gritti Palace dining & drinks on the Grand Canal
No Gritti Palace review would be complete without reviewing the food. After all Italy is famed for their food. Don’t skip breakfast at the Gritti Palace! Normally breakfast for me back home is while working at my computer. So it was so great to get onto Italian speed and have a leisurely champagne Breakfast on the outdoor terrace which has the best views and plentiful, fresh food.
As you’d expect from any of the top luxury hotels in Venice, the Gritti Palace breakfast is exceptional. Order the Eggs Benedict and select one of the decadent pastries from the elegant breakfast buffet. Their chocolate croissants are buttery heaven. I promise you’ll thank me for this tip, even if your waist line doesn’t.
We did quite a lot of drinking on this trip including pre dinner drinks and night caps at the glamorous The Riva Lounge and Club del Doge which is are the perfect spots to start or end your night. This thoroughly Venetian establishment also serves lunch and dinner.
Gritti Palace Rooms
There are 82 guest rooms at the Gritti Palace and all of them are special and have the familiar feel of a private residence, albeit a palace one. Like most European cities the rooms at the Gritti Palace are small, besides some of the more lavish suites but beautifully appointed. Not all of them have a Grand Canal view so be sure to take note when making your reservation.
JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.All of the rooms have air conditioning and all of the amenities you’d expect from a luxury 5-star hotel. Think luxe linens, marble bathrooms, ornate furnishings and Acqua di Parma bath amenities. We found the rooms to be quiet and it has AC which a lot of older European buildings don’t.
Marriott Bonvoy Luxury Collection Hotels
What a lot of Gritti Palace reviews miss is the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program perks. For my Marriot Bonvoy reward members, the Gritti Palace is part of Marriotts luxury collection. This intimate, elegant, opulent and historic building was built in 1525 and converted to a hotel in the 19th century.
If you like modern hotels, the Gritti Palace isn’t the place for you. If you like luxury hotels steeped in history that focus on service and quality, the Gritti Palace Venice is it.
9 things to know about The Gritti Palace Venice
These 9 things to know will help you to make the most of your stay:
- Gritti Spa: When you book a luxury hotel in Venice, like anywhere, you expect the most luxurious facilities. The Gritti Palace Sisley Paris Spa is known for its treatments that blend the healing powers of the Mediterranean with anti-aging and anti-stress properties. Perfect after a long day on your feet.
- Fitness Center: Complimentary 24 hours a day for guests only. With cardio equipment and free weights. I’m embarrassed to say we didn’t set foot in as we got all of our exercise from walking exploring the city.
- You can take a private water taxi directly to the Gritti Palace hotel’s jetty. Giglio vaporetto (water bus) stop is also next to the hotel.
- The Gritti Palace hotel concierge offers curated luxury Venice experiences, such as cocktail tasting or cooking classes.
- I felt like a queen sleeping in our room and luxuriating in the marble bathrooms and heavy robes. Tip: The best light for makeup is in your rooms entry hall full length mirror while sipping on vino of course!
- Which room at the Gritti Palace has the best view? Their 9 Landmark Grand Canal rooms with a bird’s-eye view to iconic sights like Santa Maria della Salute Basilica, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and various historic palazzos. If you really want to go all out, book the 990 sq foot Hemingway Suite. This suite also has stand-up balconies overlooking the Grand Canal, four-poster beds, and a grand chandelier in the living room. No, we didn’t stay in this room!
- European rooms are much smaller than in the US so don’t expect thousands of square feet in your suite, it’s not Vegas!
- There is a full-service business center.
- For the ultimate tour book one of their Riva Yacht Experiences. Where you get to explore the Venice Lagoon onboard their private Aquariva speedboat “Il Doge”.
More Luxury Hotels Venice
If you’re looking for a luxury Venice vacation, either the Gritti Palace, Hotel Danieli, or Palazzo Bauer are the 3 best luxury hotels in Venice. You can’t go wrong with any of these top hotels in Venice Italy.
Hotel Danieli, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice 5* is another Marriott Bonvoy luxury Venetian style hotel on the Grand Canal, close to Saint Marks Square.
Palazzo Bauer | Hotel Bauer 5* Hotel, Venice is situated in between The Gritti Palace and Hotel Danieli and has the most fantastic Roof Top Bar with sweeping views over the city. Get there early to get a seat!
Things to do close to the Gritti Palace
There are lots of things to do in Venice but here are a few of my favorites for the uniqueness and for an authentic Venice experience.
A night at the Opera at Musica Palazzo. If you’ve never been to an opera, this is a great introduction to it and walking distance from the Gritti Palace. We’d booked to see La Traviatta at Musica Palazzo at 8:30pm.
Visit St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace Tour then take a gondola ride down the Venice canals. It’s such a great walking city to explore by foot, take in the sights, shop, eat, drink and visit the neighboring islands.
Take a foodie tour. It’s a great way to try traditional food and drink in the places that the locals eat. We booked ours on Viator.
Restaurants close to The Gritti Palace Venice Italy
These are some of the top rated restaurants close to the Gritti Palace. The distance in minutes is how long it takes to walk from The Gritti Palace, unless you stop to shop or drink.
Tip: Looks for places where the menus is only in Italian for a more authentic meal; the more languages it’s in, the more geared towards tourists it is.
Club Doge– if you’re looking for romantic fine dining in Venice on the Grand Canal this is where to go. We didn’t eat dinner here as we were staying at the hotel, having breakfast and drinks here, so we wanted to try other places as well.
What I can say from having breakfast here is that the views, ambience, and service are hard to beat. The feel is very historical, comfortable luxury, rather than modern chic.
- Antico Forno – Ruga Rialto 973, 30135 venice. +39 041 520 4110 Quick pizza. 16 min N/NW from hotel Gritti Palace.
- Moro Frari -Sestiere San Polo , 2604, 30125 Venezia +39 041 524 5310 (21 min, close to above).
- Antica Birraria La Corte -campo San Polo 2168,30125 +39 041 275 0570 (21 min hotel, close to above).
- Trattoria Antiche Carampane -Sestiere San Polo, 1911, 30125 + 39 041 524 01 (19 min walk).
- Harry’s Dolci Cipriani for a Bellini or 2 without the hordes as Harry’s is always packed (on Giudecca). We actually walked out of the original Harry’s as it felt like a cheap diner and was actually empty when we went late at night with no atmosphere.
- Ostaria Antico Dolo, San Polo– we stopped at this quaint, historic restaurant for lunch and you’ll probably wonder why I have this place listed, question my judgement and think “why am I here” but it’s small, authentic, the foods good & it has an old world charm. There are lots of locals and it’s off of the touristy river front in this neighborhood.
- Trattoria alla Madonna – famous old trattoria (15 min).
- Ristorante da Raffaele – we found this one on a small canal right by Gritti Palace. We ate here the night we went to the opera at Musica Palazzo as it was conveniently close. It’s also close if you’re going to Harry’s or staying at Hotel Bauer. We loved the summer Black truffle pasta & sea bass. The bass is served with its head on as that’s how they tend to serve it in Italy but you can ask for it to be served minus the head and tail/ to be fileted for you.
- Trattoria Da Giorgio – I’m so glad we we stumbled across this on our first night and were drawn in by the views and the menu. It’s very reasonably priced, romantic, and off of the main touristy paths. It’s not completely authentic as they have the menu in more than 1 language but the food tasted authentic.
You can find lots of authentic places in this area to eat, many of which serve Cicchetti which you have to try! More about that below.
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If you’ve been to the Gritti Palace, Hotel Bauer or Hotel Daniele let me know on Instagram what you thought and why you chose that over the other 2. I might even share some quotes in this luxury Venice hotel guide and Gritti Palace review.
