.jpg)
Repolished palazzi
While area is at a premium in Venice, and strict planning guidelines restrict the actually “new” accommodations that may open right here, glitzy names in hospitality are astutely taking up historic buildings in much less acquainted neighborhoods, drawing vacationers away from the traditional stomping grounds. Near the Arsenale, the Hotel Gabrielli reopened in August 2025 after an in depth renovation by Starhotels Collezione. In April the ribbons shall be lower on each the Orient Express Venezia, a Fifteenth-century palazzo in Cannaregio, and Airelles Venezia, put in in three heritage buildings with sprawling gardens on the island of Giudecca. Refreshed with lagoon-toned rooms prepared for A-listers, the Moorish-style Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort, the hub of the Venice Film Festival on the beachy island, makes its comeback in May. Near the Grand Canal, legendary Venetian addresses will quickly be run by world manufacturers making their debuts there: In the summer season Four Seasons will formally declare the Hotel Danieli, a waterfront grande dame beside the Doge’s Palace; on the horizon is Rosewood’s takeover of the Hotel Bauer (at the moment closed for renovation), cantilevered over the Grand Canal since 1880.
The Biennale, briefly
To be held from May 9 to November 22, the 61st version of the biannual artwork pageant was envisioned by the late artwork curator Koyo Kouoh. She died in May 2025, simply days earlier than the theme, In Minor Keys, was introduced; a crew has carried out her meticulous plans. With displays at the Arsenale shipyards and main nation pavilions in the Giardini parkland, the Biennale provides a tour of Venice and the world artwork world.
Annika Huett
The insider’s take
On prime of main boat journeys and bird-watching excursions, fourth-generation fisherman Andrea Rossi delivers his each day catch to the metropolis’s prime kitchens, which name him every time of us like Clooney and Cruise come to dinner. Here are his picks for the place to eat, store, and discover peace in Venice.
Trattoria al Gatto Nero: “My absolute favorite traditional dish is risotto di gò. It’s made with freshly caught goby fish, Parmesan, and butter. Try it at this old-school trattoria on Burano, run by the Bovo family since 1965. All the Buranelli go there for special occasions.”
La Bottega Dell’Arte: “I’m from four generations of fishermen and lace makers, and we have lots of these little artisan shops on Burano. One that’s really dear to me is this place, my wife’s. She makes lace and designs things like tablecloths and centerpieces in classic and modern styles.”
Convento di San Francesco del Deserto: “This is on an island near Burano, and Franciscan friars still live there. It’s fascinated me since I was young. I used to fish for clams nearby. It’s a peaceful, spiritual place. The atmosphere must be as it was two or three centuries ago.”
This article appeared in the March 2026 problem of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the journal here.