The best hotels for Venice Biennale

Venice’s sprawling, variegated art Biennale shows another side of the lagoon city – an ultra-contemporary side, placing what many think of as a place stuck in distant history at the heart of the international art world’s here and now. From May to November 2017, art lovers savour this Venetian fest in extraordinary venues all over town which are open only for the Biennale. We’ve selected central hotels which are a stroll or a short and simple vaporetto hop from the main venues at the Arsenale and Giardini.

Luxury

Where to stay

Tucked away behind the Salute in the pleasantly quiet, gallery-filled Dorsoduro sestiere, Ca Maria Adele has its own water entrance. The hotel takes Venetian style to gothic extreme in five statement concept rooms. An additional five deluxe rooms and two top-floor suites are equally plush, and the air of warm, welcoming urbanity in this very grown-up hotel by the church of the Salute extends into Palazzetto 113 next door. The hotel is located on line 1 – from Salute, it's only three stops to Arsenale and four to Giardini.

• The best characterful Venice hotels

Declared a National Monument, this 15th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal is a walking museum: interiors are embellished with magnificent frescoes by Venetian painters including Giambattista Tiepolo and Niccolò Bambini, while the elegant rooms are furnished with priceless antiques and works of art. At the moment it's also home to modern art – Lorenzo Quinn's hands sculpture, part of the 2017 Venice Biennale, reach out of the Grand Canal to touch the walls of the hotel. The nearest vaporetto stop is Ca' D'Oro – it's 12 stops on line 1 to the Arsenale; 13 to the Giardini.

• The most romantic hotels in Venice

Facing off across the Grand Canal from the Gritti Palace – and with a canal entrance to pull up at in your water taxi – the Centurion is in the artsy Dorsoduro sestiere: right in the centro storico, in the shadow of the Salute basilica, but across the canal from the the thickest tourist crowds. Pick up a vaporetto at Salute (line 1), and it's just three stops to the Arsenale and four to Giardini. It's also close to the Guggenheim, Accademia and Punta della Dogana galleries, so perfect for art lovers all-round.

Mid-range

Where to stay

Residenza De L'Osmarin is located a five-minute walk to the Arsenale and 10 minutes to Giardini. East of St Mark’s Square, it is also close to Venice’s main thoroughfares but set just far enough off them to feel secluded and quiet. This three-room b&b wins guests’ hearts with its simple elegant décor, wonderfully welcoming and well-informed hosts, and its great location. A wood-beamed top-floor suite has its own private roof terrace, from where the view across the city is quite wonderful. The second-floor Flower Room also has its own little courtyard-facing terrace.

• The best budget hotels in Venice

Minimalist and stylish, the Charming House DD724 and its DD694 annexe round the corner have nine rooms and suites. The feel is urbane but friendly; the position in tranquil, artsy Dorsoduro is handy for some great art galleries and a wide choice of restaurants. When it opened it was a contemporary-minimalist design trailblazer in hotel scene swamped with twiddly Murano glass and busy brocade. In order to get to the Arsenale (five stops away) or Giardini (six stops), take line 1 from the Accademia stop.

• The best Venice hotels with canal views

Back-to-back with the Accademia gallery and just a few steps from the vaporetto stop of the same name (five stops to the Arsenale and six to Giardini on line 1), Ca’ Pisani is on the main drag of the pretty Dorsoduro district – lively during the day but pleasantly calm in the evenings. A decade ago, Venice’s hotels were all dusty chandeliers and faded brocade. Ca’ Pisani broke the mold, with its sharp art deco design, including some fantastic original pieces and striking soft furnishings. It has more competition in the Venetian high-concept boutique field these days, but continues to set the bar high.

Budget

Where to stay

Located on line 1, Novecento Boutique is just four stops to Arsenale and five to Giardini. It’s just a stone’s throw away from the busy San Marco-Accademia thoroughfare at Santa Maria del Giglio, but step inside and you’ll feel a world away from all that. Décor is influenced by Mariano Fortuny, the eclectic Spanish designer who made Venice his home in the late 19th century, but far from aping the standard Venetian Fortuny model, his north African and middle Eastern touches have most inspired here. Staff are always ready with excellent advice, and will happily book the kind of in-the-know restaurants that tourists rarely find.

• The best boutique hotels in Venice

Immersed in the heart of ‘real’ Venice, this is a lively, residential part of the city that many visitors miss. It's about half way between San Marco and the Arsenale (five minutes by foot), while Giardini is 10 minutes away. There is absolutely nothing hotel-y about this B&B which is truly three lovely rooms in what you will come to regard as your Venetian home. The experience begins at breakfast when the owners will sit with you in the kitchen and discuss not only things to do and places to eat, but Venice’s history, its current situation and what the future may hold for it.

• The best luxury hotels in Venice

The view across the water from the Generator to St Mark’s is quite splendid, and the Giudecca is a lovely island with a life of its own, situated just a 10-minute hop from the centre. If hostel to you means threadbare and minimal, this hip, design hostel will come as a pleasant surprise – though you’ll pay above usual hostel prices in all but the quietest periods. The ground-floor bar is a hive of social activity. Accommodation options range from dorm beds to en-suite doubles. Travel two stops from Zitelle (line two) to San Zaccharia, where you can change onto line 1 and travel one stop to the Arsenale and two to the Giardini. Located on line 2, just two stops to San Zaccaria, then change to line 1.

All prices cited are starting rates for double rooms, based on two people sharing, in low season. These prices are subject to change in high season and during popular holidays and events.