Orient Express Palazzo Dona Giovannelli

Orient Express's New Hotel in Venice Is Now Taking Bookings - AFAR

"A storied train brand is returning to Venice with a luxury hotel accepting reservations for stays beginning April 1, 2026; it is the relaunched Orient Express brand’s second hotel in Italy following an April 2025 Rome opening. Housed in a 15th-century palazzo in the quieter Cannaregio district near the Jewish Ghetto and landmarks such as Ca’ d’Oro and the house of Tintoretto, the building—possibly attributed to Filippo Calendario—passed through owners including Francesco Maria I della Rovere, Giovanni Battista Donà, and the Giovannelli family. An ambitious eight-year renovation led by Aline Asmar d’Amman (known for work on the Hotel de Crillon) has transformed the private palazzo into a 47-room hotel that blends contemporary design with original architectural details: Gothic windows, a peaceful garden courtyard, and an octagonal staircase added in the 19th century by Giovanni Battista Meduna (the architect behind Ca’ d’Oro and La Fenice). The Piano Nobile houses the baroque Vittoria ballroom (created in 1548 for the wedding of Princess Vittoria Farnese), the gilded-wood Library of Cultures, and a Music Room. Accommodations include standard rooms, suites ranging from 322 to 1,593 square feet, and two apartments in an adjacent building. Dining and amenities are slated to include a fine-dining restaurant with private boat access, a casual all-day dining outlet overlooking the courtyard, and a Wagon Bar evoking the golden age of train travel; the property aims to rank among Venice’s most luxurious hotels, with rates from $1,553." - Laura Itzkowitz