Best known as the home of "Carnevale" and St. Mark's Square, Venice reached the height of its popularity during the Renaissance. During this time, Venetian artists like Jacopo and Giovanni Bellini churned out some of Italy's finest masterpieces, while architects laid their mark on this truly remarkable "City of Bridges." While water taxis and gondolas are the city's main mode of transport, guests with cars often park in nearby Tronchetto, which is a stone's thrown from Venice's most popular attractions, eateries and hotels.
Accessible only by a private marble bridge, this secluded two-star hotel is less than a mile and a half from Tronchetto. Guest rooms at the Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo are furnished in an 18th-century fashion and may include four-poster beds, authentic Murano glass chandeliers, original exposed beams and Venetian flooring; some also have balconies overlooking the canals. Breakfast is available daily and is served outside in the courtyard among flowers and ancient statues or indoors in the intimate lounge area. The Venice Museum of Natural History, built as a palace in the early 13th century, is about 1,000 feet from the hotel, as is the Mocenigo Palace, home of the Museum and Center for the History of Fabric and Costume.
Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo
Santa Croce 2063
30135 Venice, Italy
011-39-041-5244797
alpontemocenigo.com
The Hotel Antiche Figure is housed in a fully renovated 15th-century building overlooking the Grand Canal just four minutes from Tronchetto. This three-star hotel offers two room types--deluxe and superior--all of which include marble bathrooms and satellite TV service. A breakfast buffet of pastries and fresh fruit is laid out daily in the breakfast room, while traditional Venetian cocktails and snacks are available from the Garden Cafeteria, which leads out to a terrace on the canal. Guests of the Hotel Antiche Figure are within 10 minutes of the Rialto Bridge, Venice Casino and the Ca' Pesaro Museum of Modern Art.
Hotel Antiche Figure
Santa Croce 687
30135 Venice, Italy
011-39-041-2759486
hotelantichefigure.it
Nestled inland about a mile from Tronchetto is the four-star Hotel Proncipe. This accommodation offers 139 ornately decorated rooms in one of five categories including classic, which provide an LCD TV and Internet access, and deluxe canal-view, which are furnished with French-style upholstery, Murano glass chandeliers and mirrors and a terrace overlooking the Grand Canal. The on-site restaurant serves a selection of seasonal Italian dishes using fresh fish and produce, while espresso, cocktails and light snacks are available from the hotel bar and may be enjoyed on the open terrace. Less than 15 minutes from the Hotel Principe are both the Chiesa di San Rocco, or Church of St. Roch, and the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, which was built in 1631 in thanksgiving of the Virgin Mary for protecting the remaining Venetians from the Black Death.
Hotel Principe
Lista di Spagna
Cannaregio 146
30121 Venice, Italy
011-39-041-2204000
hotelprincipevenice.it
