The Cipriani, Venice, Italy

An Oasis of Refinement

The Cipriani Hotel in Venice, with its canal-side gardens

Staying at the Cipriani is like stepping onto clouds of soft cotton, where every detail unfolds with effortless grace. From the moment you arrive, the hotel orchestrates your experience with the finesse of a maestro, as if an invisible baton guides every service, every gesture, every moment. Nothing is hurried, nothing is overdone — everything simply works, perfectly.

An atmosphere of soft elegance at the Cipriani Hotel

The Cipriani has long been a haven for those who appreciate the art of living beautifully. For decades, it has welcomed Hollywood luminaries during the Venice Film Festival, their glamorous footsteps echoing through its corridors alongside leading figures from the worlds of art, fashion, and culture. Yet the hotel never feels ostentatious; its elegance is quiet, intimate, and imbued with a sense of timeless style.

St Mark’s Square, with all its enchantment, lies only five minutes from Hotel Cipriani, served by the hotel’s private shuttle boat.

Perched on Giudecca Island, the Cipriani feels inseparable from Venice itself. The gentle sway of gondolas, the glint of light on the canals, the delicate scent of lagoon air — all seem to belong to the hotel as much as to the city. Whether sipping a Negroni on the terrace at sunset or strolling through its gardens lined with fragrant blooms, one feels both part of Venice’s grandeur and removed from its bustle.

A leisurely breakfast on the Cipriani’s canal-side verandah. Photograph by Barbara Athanassiadis

Every stay at the Cipriani is a lesson in subtle luxury, a celebration of refinement and imagination. It is a place where history, glamour, and artistry converge, and where every visitor — whether drawn by cinema, culture, or the sheer poetry of Venice — becomes part of its quietly magical story.

My memorable sojourn in Venice is recounted in the book: My Venice