Orient Express Venezia: A New Chapter in Venetian Grandeur

Venice doesn’t just inspire admiration – it evokes reverence. This is a city that has always understood elegance, spectacle, and legacy. In 2026, one of the most anticipated hotel openings in the world will arrive in this storied city: Orient Express Venezia. A historic 15th-century palazzo reborn as a refined hospitality landmark, Orient Express Venezia is not simply a place to stay. It is a place to dwell, to reflect, and to engage with the rich cultural layers of Venice itself.

Set within Palazzo Donà Giovannelli – a former noble residence tucked into the poetic Cannaregio district – the hotel will welcome a new generation of discerning travelers to experience a city that rewards intimacy and curiosity. This is more than just a hotel; it is a renaissance of timeless craftsmanship, storytelling, and slow luxury, delivered by a brand with a long and legendary connection to European travel.

Where History Meets a New Beginning

Palazzo Donà Giovannelli has stood for over 500 years, bearing witness to the evolving tides of Venetian nobility, art, and culture. Originally commissioned in the 1400s and renovated through successive centuries, the building once belonged to the Donà and Giovannelli families – powerful figures in Venetian society. In its most recent incarnation, it served as a Pinacoteca, housing a private collection of rare works. Now, it is being meticulously transformed into a hospitality jewel – one that retains every ounce of its original soul.

The architectural heritage of the palazzo has been treated not as a backdrop, but as the central narrative. Grand staircases, gothic windows, original frescoes, and quiet courtyards remain. In preserving the building’s historic fabric, Orient Express Venezia becomes more than a luxury hotel: it becomes a living piece of Venice’s past.

Design by Aline Asmar d’Amman: A Living Work of Art

Leading the design of Orient Express Venezia is renowned architect Aline Asmar d’Amman, whose approach to heritage properties is anything but superficial. With a sensitivity honed by years of reimagining palaces, embassies, and cultural monuments, she brings an editorial sensibility to each space.

Her vision for the hotel is one of harmony and narrative – celebrating the building’s existing textures while layering them with subtle modernity. Rooms will feature patinated surfaces, sculptural furniture, hand-applied finishes, and dramatic plays of light and shadow. No two spaces are identical; each room, hallway, and salon is treated as a distinct moment of theater.

The result is a hotel that doesn’t simply evoke Venice’s grandeur – it lets you live within it. Guests become part of an unfolding scene, where every surface tells a story and every detail is intentional.

A Sanctuary in Cannaregio

In a city dominated by postcard-perfect views of St. Mark’s Square and the Grand Canal, Orient Express Venezia quietly claims a different kind of stage. Its home in Cannaregio offers a quieter, more poetic experience of Venice – one where local artisans, hidden churches, and authentic osterie reveal themselves without pretense.

This northern district of Venice, once the city’s Jewish quarter and later a cradle of artistic life, retains a certain purity. Here, Venice moves at its own pace. Mornings begin with fog lifting off side canals, and afternoons drift into aperitivo hours filled with conversation and the scent of fresh seafood. The hotel’s exact location provides ease of access to the city’s main sites while offering respite from the tourist tide.

Guests can arrive by private water taxi, disembarking directly onto the hotel’s canal entrance – a fitting introduction to what awaits within.

Accommodations: 47 Private Worlds

Orient Express Venezia will offer 47 rooms and suites, each designed as an individual composition of light, texture, and silence. These are not conventional hotel rooms. They are residences of character, depth, and quiet confidence.

Room Categories Include:

Superior Rooms: Thoughtfully proportioned with high ceilings and garden or courtyard views. Ideal for solo travelers or couples who appreciate historic intimacy.
Deluxe Rooms: More expansive layouts with natural light pouring in through tall windows. Expect elegant color palettes, plush bedding, and luxurious bathrooms with bespoke Venetian details.
Junior Suites: Perfect for guests who want a little more room to unwind, these feature separate sitting areas and layered design elements.
Signature Suites: Individually decorated with antique furnishings, original artworks, and views over the garden or canal. These suites are ideal for guests who value privacy and distinctive beauty.

All rooms will include modern comforts discreetly integrated – high-speed connectivity, handcrafted minibars, Italian linens, and marble-clad baths. Some suites will include access to semi-private salons, ideal for families or those booking multiple rooms as part of a celebration.

Dining: Culinary Venice Reimagined

Dining at Orient Express Venezia will reflect both place and philosophy. Though final menus and chef announcements are forthcoming, the hotel is expected to host a trio of elegant culinary spaces:

Fine Dining Restaurant: A refined, canal-side restaurant offering reinterpreted Venetian classics alongside global influences. This will be a space for celebratory dinners, wine pairings, and sunset meals with floating views.
All-Day Lounge: Located within one of the palazzo’s inner salons or gardens, this space will serve breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea in a relaxed yet refined setting.
The Wagon Bar: An homage to the golden age of rail travel, this intimate cocktail bar channels the atmosphere of a vintage Orient Express carriage with updated sophistication. Expect vintage spirits, artisan cocktails, and timeless elegance.

As with all great hotels, food and beverage will be both a delight and a discovery – inviting guests to taste the seasons and stories of Venice through every course.

The Garden: A Rare Venetian Luxury

Perhaps the hotel’s most unique feature is its large private garden – a rarity in Venice. This green space, hidden behind the palazzo’s walls, offers a breath of nature amidst the city’s stone and water. Guests can enjoy breakfast beneath flowering trees, attend curated garden events, or simply relax with a book and a spritz in the quiet shade.

The garden will also host seasonal gatherings, private dinners, and cultural programming such as chamber concerts or art lectures, giving it a sense of civic as well as personal life.

Wellness, Intimacy, and Restoration

While Venice offers boundless visual and cultural inspiration, Orient Express Venezia understands that travel is also about rest, recovery, and rhythm. The hotel’s intimate spa and wellness spaces will provide exactly that.

Guests will find personalized treatments drawn from local ingredients and traditions. Treatments may include sea salt scrubs, herbal compress therapies, and massages that draw on both Eastern and Mediterranean techniques. Spaces will be serene and sensory-driven, with natural materials, ambient lighting, and curated scent profiles to promote calm.

A small gym and movement studio will offer yoga sessions and functional training, allowing guests to maintain wellness routines while in residence.

Culture and Discovery Curated In-House

What sets Orient Express Venezia apart from many luxury hotels is not just its design, but its perspective. Guests will be offered access to cultural experiences that are deeply Venetian and often inaccessible to the average visitor.

The concierge team will curate:

Private Art Tours through lesser-known palazzi, ateliers, and artisan studios.
Gondola Serenades with local musicians and storytellers.
Cuisine Workshops with Venetian chefs and food historians.
Seasonal Events such as Carnival masquerade dinners, Biennale previews, or intimate music recitals in the garden.

Each guest’s experience is treated not as a package, but as a narrative — shaped according to their curiosities.

A Return to the Art of Travel

Orient Express Venezia does more than offer a place to rest. It returns travel to its essence: discovery, beauty, elegance, and connection. It is a continuation of the Orient Express story — one that has always celebrated the journey as much as the destination.

For clients who value immersion, heritage, and refinement, this will not be just a hotel opening. It will be a landmark moment in Venice’s cultural life.

And when the doors open, those lucky enough to enter will find themselves not just in a palazzo, but in a living poem — written in stone, light, and water.

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