The Gritti Palace

Hemingway called the Gritti "the best hotel in a city of great hotels" and wrote parts of Across the River and Into the Trees from his favourite corner table in the dining room. The building was originally the 1475 residence of Doge Andrea Gritti, and its position on the Grand Canal — directly opposite the church of Santa Maria della Salute — is one of the most famous views in European hospitality. The hotel closed for a painstaking 15-month restoration in 2011 and reopened with themed suites honouring Hemingway, Peggy Guggenheim, and John Ruskin. 82 rooms, the Club del Doge restaurant, and a terrace where the Grand Canal traffic passes close enough to touch. A Luxury Collection Hotel.