Hotel Danieli

Defying the tides of the Adriatic Sea, the Venice lagoon sparkles and ripples as boats both large and small vie to cut a wake in this storied body of water. This is what you view each morning over a steaming macchiatto from your room at Hotel Danieli. No wonder great artists enjoyed this place.

Hotel Danieli, Venice, is comprised of three palaces, the oldest owing its foundations to the 1400s. The site of regal meetings, scandalous love affairs, and the death of far too many a bottle of prized wine. Pop. There goes another one.

From Superior Singles to the Royal Suite, each of the 225 rooms is decked out in a modern/gothic style, thanks to an overwhelming respect for heritage during a 2008 makeover. Depending on your tastes, choose either of the three palaces to suite how classic, or contemporary, you'd like to go.

Between boat trips and poking through markets, make sure and take in at least one meal at all three Danieli eateries - each a treat in their own right.