Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel

Opened in 1958 at the tip of Giudecca, the Cipriani solves Venice's central problem for luxury travellers: space. Where the palazzo hotels on the Grand Canal are squeezed onto narrow plots, this one has three acres of gardens, an Olympic-size saltwater pool, a vineyard and an orchard, with the lagoon on three sides.

Getting there is part of it - a private launch runs continuously across to St Mark's Square, a crossing of a few minutes that also means the hotel is entirely free of passing crowds. Rooms and suites look over the lagoon or the gardens, and the separate Palazzo Vendramin and Palazzetto annexes offer larger, quieter accommodation.

The dining includes a Michelin-starred restaurant and a poolside option, and the cooking school here has a long reputation. Venice's high season now runs most of the year, but the Cipriani still keeps a seasonal calendar and closes over winter.