City Hotel
Hong Kong, China
9.5
Rosewood Hong Kong
A vertical estate on the Kowloon waterfront whose art-filled interiors, harbour-view rooms and formidable dining set Hong Kong's current standard.
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City Hotel · £££££
The Gritti Palace
Venice, Italy — Europe
9.3Editorial score
Editorial research. Profiled through in-depth editorial research; Browntravels has not yet stayed at this property. How we review
A 15th-century doge's palace on the Grand Canal whose terrace, antiques and Santa Maria della Salute views embody Venetian grandeur.
The Gritti has been receiving guests since the 16th century turned a doge's residence into a palace of hospitality, and its position remains among the most privileged in Venice: directly on the Grand Canal, gazing across the water at the domes of Santa Maria della Salute. Watching the gondola and vaporetto traffic from the terrace with a spritz in hand is the city's definitive aperitivo.
A meticulous restoration preserved what makes the house singular—Rubelli fabrics, Murano chandeliers, antique mirrors and portraits of doges—while quietly modernising everything guests touch. Rooms feel like chapters of Venetian history; canal-view suites, some named for the writers and royals who favoured them, are among Europe's most atmospheric. Staff tenure is long, and the house style is warm rather than starchy.
The canal-side restaurant serves polished Venetian classics, and the intimate bar remains a rendezvous for the city's cultured crowd. A small spa hides upstairs, and the hotel's launch delivers guests across to the Lido in season. Steps from St Mark's Square yet insulated by its own calm, the Gritti is Venice at its most romantic and assured.
Why stay here
- Front-row Grand Canal terrace facing Santa Maria della Salute
- Museum-quality Venetian interiors and antiques
- Suites steeped in literary and artistic history
- Five minutes on foot from St Mark's Square
Things to consider
- Canal-view categories command steep premiums
- No pool, and Venice's crowds surge outside in high season
Rooms & Suites
82 rooms and suites dressed in Rubelli silks, Murano glass and antiques; Grand Canal suites deliver the full Venetian fantasy.
Dining
A canal-side restaurant for refined Venetian classics, the storied Bar Longhi, and the terrace's unrivalled aperitivo hour on the water.
Spa & Wellness
An intimate upper-floor spa with treatments for two and a small fitness room; the city itself provides the walking.
The Browntravels Verdict
The Grand Canal's greatest stage—choose the Gritti when Venice deserves to be experienced from a palace, not just visited.
Last updated 28 July 2026
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