Violino d'Oro Venezia

Violino d'Oro Venezia may be the best hotel on this list measured by how happy real guests are. A 9.5/10 on Booking.com tells you most of it. It sits in an 18th-century building on the San Moise Canal, just 150 metres from Piazza San Marco. What makes it stand apart from every other hotel here is that everything in the place, from the curtains and bed linen to the plates and glasses, is made by craftspeople in Venice or Tuscany, with nothing off a factory shelf.

Rooms and decor

The rooms blend traditional Venetian style with modern comfort, and they pull it off. The curtains, the linen and the chair cushions all come from local artisans, and the feeling is less hotel and more the home of a wealthy 18th-century Venetian: warm, full of detail, and nothing like a chain. Reviewers call the rooms very clean and the beds comfortable, and they point to small touches that make you feel looked after, like fresh flowers, local books and a handwritten welcome note from the team, the sort of thing a property with hundreds of rooms simply cannot do.

Food and amenities

Breakfast is artisan-style and comes up often in reviews: fresh-baked bread from a local bakery, fresh fruit, pastries chosen from a traditional pasticceria, and espresso done right. One guest put it as every breakfast feels like a celebration of Venetian flavour rather than a hotel buffet. Service from general manager Anabella and her team is the other thing reviewers keep naming as the real difference, with several saying Anabella makes the stay feel special and warm. Note there is no gym, pool or spa here.

Location and getting there

On the San Moise Canal, a 2-minute walk from Piazza San Marco, this is one of the best locations in Venice for the money. Harry's Bar, the home of the original Bellini, and La Fenice opera house are both about 3 minutes away, and the streets around are full of restaurants and bacaro wine bars. You can reach every major landmark in Venice on foot without taking a vaporetto, which gives you about as much freedom to wander as any hotel in this price range.

Things to know before booking

This is a small property, so rooms sell out fast, especially around Carnival and in peak summer, so book well ahead. There is no gym, pool or spa, which makes it a poor fit if you want a lot of facilities. And the personal touches that make this place, the handwritten note and the fresh flowers, are a function of its small scale, so do not expect the round-the-clock services of a big hotel.

Our take

Violino d'Oro is close to perfect for couples who want an authentic Venice feel at a manageable price. Rates from about $114 a night, 2 minutes from San Marco, are hard to beat, and the 9.5 score shows it clears almost every guest's expectations. Book ahead, because the rooms go quickly.