Thanks to its secluded location at the tip of the island of Giudecca, the Belmond Hotel Cipriani has long offered a refuge from the teeming crowds of the Piazza San Marco and the Riva degli Schiavoni. Until now, the Cipriani has had few, if any, competitors. Its only potential rival was the San Clemente Palace, located on a 17-acre private island, farther out into the Venetian Lagoon, 15 minutes by speedboat from San Marco. I stayed there a few years ago, and overall, I came away unimpressed. Set next to the 12th-century Church of San Clemente, the main building had originally housed a community of monks. Back then, the corridors were spartan and echoing, and the gardens were not especially well-maintained. However, it was possible to see what the place could become, given sufficient investment. I was therefore very interested to learn in late 2015 that the hotel had been acquired by the Kempinski hotel group (headquartered in Geneva).
On my recent trip, I decided to give the place a second chance. The transformation is astonishing. Nowadays at the reinvented San Clemente Palace Kempinski, the gardens are immaculate, the public areas are sumptuous and the 190 exceptionally spacious accommodations come with high ceilings, fabric-covered walls, stylish contemporary furnishings, Murano chandeliers and lavish marble baths. Aside from a magnificent 65-foot pool, the property offers tennis courts, three holes of pitch-and-putt golf, an impressive spa and a kids’ club. (If you are traveling with young children, this is undoubtedly the best place in Venice to stay). Three restaurants include Acquerello, which has a huge and glamorous terrace beneath the church façade. I sat outside in the sunshine to enjoy the exceptional Sunday lunchtime buffet. The food was delicious, the service was polished and the view of Venice in the distance was sublime. The Cipriani now officially has a rival.
Spacious accommodations; lovely pool; excellent restaurants; professional service; tranquil atmosphere.
With 190 accommodations, this is quite a big hotel, at which conferences are not unknown.
This is an ideal place for a family or multigenerational vacation.
View San Clemente Palace Kempinski Listing
While in Venice, I also took the opportunity to stay at Ca’ Sagredo Hotel, housed within a Grand Canal palazzo, which has been a particular favorite of Hideaway Report readers in recent years. Lately, I had received one or two slightly uncomplimentary reports about less than helpful service and unsatisfactory standards of maintenance. After a two-night stay, however, I have no reservations about continuing to recommend the property. True, it is not as slick as hotels like the Cipriani or The Gritti Palace — service at dinner was interminably slow — but I found the staff well-meaning and the rates much more reasonable. And the interior of the palazzo, with its extraordinary frescoes by artists including Tiepolo, is as spectacular as ever.
Astonishingly grand and atmospheric public areas; pretty bar and canal-side terrace.
Service in the restaurant and at reception can be slow and a little haphazard.
Its location next to the Ca’ d’Oro vaporetto stop is convenient, but being 15 minutes from the Piazza San Marco, the area is quieter and less afflicted with hordes of cruise ship passengers.
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