Aman Venice

Character and identity

Set inside the 16th-century Palazzo Papadopoli on the Grand Canal, this 24-room property pairs Aman's restrained design language with the original frescoes, Murano chandeliers and silk-lined walls of one of Venice's eight palazzi monumentali. The Arrivabene family still lives on the top floor, lending the place a private-house atmosphere reinforced by in-room check-in and a discreet land entrance behind an iron gate. Restaurant Arva cooks resolutely Italian dishes (Fassona beef carpaccio, rabbit cappelletti, fish stew from the Rialto market), and the mezzanine spa works from three beamed treatment rooms. A 2,800 square foot canal-side garden hosts meals from April to October.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The defining proposition is sleeping inside a genuinely intact Venetian palazzo with Aman's service layered on top, an experience that justifies the eye-watering rates only if you book into one of the signature suites. Splurge on the Alcova Tiepolo or Sansovino, target shoulder season for garden dining, and reserve the ballroom window table at Arva well ahead.