Near the northern end of the Grand Canal in Venice is a boutique hotel located within a former monastery that dates back over 500 years. Hotel Santa Chiara, opened in 1950, includes a contemporary annex to the original structure. The result is a uniquely elegant conflation of modernity and authenticity in the charming Santa Croce district, removed from the crowds that clog the other end of the majestic canal, where one can still find the serene in “La Serenissima.”
Within the four-star hotel’s crushed orange facade with aqua shutters is a lobby of marble and wood and light with refined details and Venetian art. Breakfast is served in a spacious room adjacent to a sophisticated lounge. There is a covered terrace in front and also one in back on the banks of the canal. Upstairs from the ground floor are 52 well-appointed rooms and suites, most with views of the canal, some with balconies, and one with a private terrace. The top floor has a rooftop terrace accessible to all guests.
Outside the hotel is the wonder of the waterway, bustling with gondolas, water taxis, delivery vessels, vaporettos, and private boats. Hotel Santa Chiara makes its private boat, a classic wooden Motorscafi that seats up to 8, and captain available for personalized tours or rapid navigation of the floating city. There’s much to do on solid ground with authentic restaurants, markets, museums and churches. That said, St. Mark’s Square and all of Venice’s other famed destinations are an easy, picturesque walk diagonally across the island and over Ponte di Rialto.
The hallmark of any luxury hotel is hospitality. Three generations of the Dazzo family has owned and operated Hotel Santa Chiara since it’s inception. They are also the proprietors of two other luxury, waterfront hotels in Venice: Palazzo Stern, a 15th century palace on the Grand Canal and Locanda Vivaldi in the historic center overlooking St. Mark’s Basin and steps from St. Mark’s Square. Clearly, they understand that making guests feel like family is the essence of being successful hoteliers.
Hotel Santa Chiara is the type of accommodation that makes the experience staying there feel as special as the destination itself. It will inspire you to return to Venice even before you depart. And when departing or arriving, there is the additional bonus that Hotel Santa Chiara is the only hotel in the historic center accessible by car (with parking) or taxi; if traveling by train, Venezia Santa Lucia station is a five-minute walk.
