Art Hotels

Twelve rooms. That is the whole hotel, set inside a sixteenth-century palazzo in Dorsoduro, a few steps from the church of Santa Maria della Salute.

The Venetian past is turned up here, not toned down. Murano glass chandeliers hang over dark wood, damask and flocked walls. Several rooms follow a single theme each, so no two feel the same.

In good weather, breakfast moves up to a terrace on the roof. Outside, Dorsoduro is the city's gallery quarter. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Punta della Dogana are a short walk away, and the Grand Canal is closer still.

Glass and greenery come first. Plants climb the edges of the building in Porta Volta, a rebuilt district between Corso Como and the Monumental Cemetery.

Strictly, VIU is a design hotel rather than an art hotel. What deserves attention is the finish of the building, its materials and light, more than any collection on the walls. It earns its place for that reason.

Most guests end up on the roof. An outdoor pool and a bar sit up there, open to the skyline. Below, just over 120 rooms run from compact doubles to suites, and the shops around Garibaldi are within walking distance.