The Gritti Palace, A Luxury Collection Hotel
venice, italy · ★★★★★
The Verdict
Worth it for your honeymoon?
The Gritti Palace is the grande dame of the Grand Canal — a 15th-century palazzo built for Doge Andrea Gritti in 1475, converted to a hotel in 1895, and restored at extraordinary expense in 2013 in a process that involved cataloguing and conserving 700 individual antique pieces and reproducing the original 18th-century Rubelli silks for every curtain in the property. Eighty-two rooms across five floors face directly onto the Grand Canal at the Santa Maria del Giglio bend, looking across to Santa Maria della Salute — the single most painted view in European history (Canaletto, Turner, Sargent, Monet). The Gritti Terrace, an open-air dining terrace on a wooden platform built directly out over the Grand Canal water, has been the most coveted dinner reservation in Venice for ninety years; the Gritti Bar inside (entered through the original 15th-century courtyard) is the hotel bar at which Hemingway, Greta Garbo, and the Aga Khan all kept seats. The restaurant, Club del Doge, holds no Michelin star but the cooking is excellent and the Gritti Terrace lunch (linguine alle vongole, a glass of Vermentino, the Salute church across the water) is one of the great Venice experiences. The interiors are intentionally maximalist — Murano chandeliers in every room, gilded mirrors, frescoed ceilings, hand-painted Venetian commodes — the opposite of the Aman’s restrained palette. The honeymoon move is one of the Grand Canal Suites with terrace (Doge Suite or Pisani Suite) or, for the absolute pinnacle, the Hemingway Presidential Suite. The defining moment: dinner on the Gritti Terrace in late September, the sunset light hitting the Salute church across the canal, gondolas crossing in front of you between courses, candles on the table. Caveats: the Gritti is unapologetically formal — dress code at dinner, no pool, no spa beyond treatments; some of the canal-side rooms on the lower floors have noise from passing boats from 7am; and the maximalist Venetian decor is not to every taste — the Aman is the choice for restraint. But for honeymooners who want the most quintessentially Venetian palace hotel experience available, the Gritti is the canonical choice.
- ✓Prioritise spa & wellness
- ✓Are willing to invest in once-in-a-lifetime
- →Need a strictly adults-only resort
- →Have a budget under $1,000/night
- →Want a direct beachfront
- →Prefer boutique & intimate properties
Score Breakdown
88/100
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At a Glance
Room Recommendation
Which room to book
A Grand Canal Junior Suite with private terrace on the Grand Canal — ideally on the third or fourth floor for both view and quiet — is the honeymoon sweet spot. For the ultimate, the Doge Suite or Hemingway Presidential Suite. Avoid the courtyard-facing Heritage rooms — lovely interiors but no canal view, and the canal is the entire point.
No Surprises
True cost breakdown — 7 nights for two
Based on mid-range rooms, premium-economy flights from Europe, full dining and signature experiences. Adjust for your actual travel profile.
| Item | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Room (7 nights avg $4,950/nt) | $34,650 |
| Flights (2 pax, economy/premium) | $1,800 |
| Airport transfers / seaplane | $200 |
| Dining & drinks (beyond room) | $51,975 |
| Excursions & experiences | $700 |
| Spa / signature treatments | $300 |
| Tips & service (8%) | $6,930 |
| Total estimated | $96,555 |
Day by Day
Your 7-night honeymoon itinerary
Grand Canal arrival
Private water taxi from VCE direct to the Gritti water-gate (25 min). Welcome champagne in your suite, then aperitivo at the Gritti Bar. Dinner on the Gritti Terrace facing Santa Maria della Salute.
San Marco morning, Dorsoduro afternoon
Walk 8 minutes to San Marco. Private morning Basilica and Doge’s Palace. Lunch at Quadri. Afternoon Peggy Guggenheim Collection (3 minutes’ walk from the hotel).
Gondola at dawn
7am private gondola from the Gritti water-gate. Late breakfast on the terrace. Cicchetti crawl in Cannaregio in the evening with the concierge’s guide.
Lagoon day
Private bragozzo to Torcello and Burano. Lunch at Locanda Cipriani. Return for the Sansovino Salon afternoon ritual (Bellini and pastries on the canal). Club del Doge dinner.
Murano and contemporary art
Berengo Studio glass demonstration. Lunch at Venissa (1 Michelin star) on Mazzorbo. Afternoon at Punta della Dogana. Dinner on the Gritti Terrace.
Slow Venice day
Long breakfast on the terrace. Walk Dorsoduro and the Accademia. Lunch at Vini da Gigio in Cannaregio. Final dinner at Osteria alle Testiere.
Slow departure
Final breakfast on the terrace. Private water taxi from the water-gate back to Marco Polo.
Honest Assessment
What to know before you book
No swimming pool and no spa beyond treatments — use Cipriani day-pass if needed.
Lower-floor canal-side rooms have boat noise from 7am — request third or fourth floor.
Maximalist Venetian decor (gilded, chandeliered, frescoed) is bold — the Aman is the calmer choice.
Pre-Arrival
Email to send the hotel
Subject: Honeymoon inquiry — The Gritti Palace Dear Gritti Palace reservations, We would like to book 5 to 7 nights for our honeymoon [DATES] in a Grand Canal Junior Suite with terrace if available, or the Doge Suite. Questions: 1. Honeymoon turndown (champagne, flowers)? 2. Confirmed dinner reservations on the Gritti Terrace each evening? 3. Private water taxi from Marco Polo to the water-gate? 4. Private gondola at dawn from the water-gate? 5. Couples spa treatments in the Sisley Spa? Thank you, [Your names]
Send 2 weeks before arrival. Fill in names, dates, and preferences. Hotels respond to personalised requests.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Good for honeymooners?
The most quintessentially Venetian palace hotel — the Gritti Terrace alone is among the most romantic dining rooms in Europe.
Best time to visit?
May, June, September and October. Avoid July–August. The hotel stays open year-round including Carnevale.
Book in advance?
Hemingway and Doge Suites 9–12 months for May–September. Grand Canal Junior Suites 6 months. Gritti Terrace dinner reservation built into the room booking.
Adults-only?
No, though the rate and museum-like interiors mean families are rare. The atmosphere is intensely adult and formal.
Best room type?
Grand Canal Junior Suite with terrace (third or fourth floor). Doge or Hemingway Suite for the pinnacle.
How to get there?
Marco Polo (VCE). Private water taxi 25 min direct to the Gritti water-gate — the only correct arrival.
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