"This picturesque hotel, with its creeper-covered façade, period furniture and hibiscus-filled garden, is a rare good-value gem in this pricey city. The family-run Flora is housed in a 17th-century palazzo and is particularly good for families, with pushchairs and kids’ menus available, but its romantic setting will also appeal to loved-up couples. The pretty garden is a delightful setting for breakfast before setting out for a day’s sightseeing. The Flora is minutes away from some of the city’s most compelling monuments such as the Scala del Bovolo, a magnificent spiral staircase, and St. Mark’s Square itself. It also lies just off Via XXII Marzo, the city’s glitziest shopping thoroughfare, folded within the tiny alleys that weave a labyrinth out of Venice’s throbbing San Marco heartland. " - Nicky Swallow