Orient Express Opens Hotel at Venice’s Palazzo Donà Giovannelli

Orient Express has opened a new hotel in Venice, located in the restored Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in the Cannaregio district. Orient Express Venezia, the property is the brand’s second hotel in Italy after the opening of Orient Express La Minerva in Rome.

Built in 1436 at the intersection of two canals in northern Venice, the palazzo is attributed to Filippo Calendario, architect of the Doge’s Palace. Its façade features a motif similar to the Palazzo Ducale and includes seven Gothic windows overlooking the Rio de Noale. The building has passed through several owners, including the Donà and Giovannelli families, and previously served as a picture gallery before its conversion into a hotel.

The property includes an octagonal staircase added in the 19th century by Giovanni Battista Meduna, who also renovated Venice’s Ca’ d’Oro and La Fenice theatre. The Cannaregio area is home to Venice’s Jewish Ghetto and several cultural sites, including the Ca’ d’Oro museum and the house of Renaissance painter Tintoretto.

The eight-year restoration was led by architect and interior designer Aline Asmar d’Amman. The project preserved original frescoes by Italian artists, mosaic floors, and the building’s Neo-Gothic and Baroque architectural elements.

The hotel offers 47 rooms and suites, including six signature suites on the piano nobile and first floor, as well as apartments in an adjacent building with canal views. Room sizes range from 30-square-meter Classic Rooms to 148-square-meter Apartments. Interior features include Venetian sliding doors, hand-painted scenes, Art Deco fixtures, Murano glass accents, vaulted ceilings, and original frescoes.

Guests arrive by private boat, entering through a 15th-century Gothic portal on the canal or through a doorway into the Santa Fosca garden. The building retains original passageways and ballrooms. Facilities include a fine dining restaurant, an all-day dining space overlooking the courtyard and garden, a Wagon Bar inspired by rail travel, and a lobby bar.

The opening of Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli is part of a broader strategy to expand the Orient Express brand across hotels, trains, and sailing yachts. The brand previously opened Orient Express La Minerva in Rome and the La Dolce Vita Orient Express luxury train. A Guerlain Spa aboard Orient Express sailing yachts is scheduled to launch in June 2026.