The Orient Express Venezia hotel: 47 rooms and suites in a 1436 palazzo by Aline Asmar d’Amman

Opened on 30 March 2026 in the Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, a 1436 Gothic palazzo in the Cannaregio district, the Orient Express Venezia hotel features 47 rooms, suites, and residences. Interior architect Aline Asmar d’Amman led its restoration, and three-star Michelin chef Heinz Beck will open a 20-cover restaurant in the former orangery in 2027.

A 1436 Gothic palazzo in Cannaregio

Palazzo Donà Giovannelli has stood since 1436 at the confluence of two canals on the Rio di Noale, a stone’s throw from Strada Nova, Cannaregio’s main shopping street. Guests enter through the count’s former courtyard, the Corte del Conte, now transformed into the lobby: carved woodwork and bespoke Murano glass chandeliers. The restoration was entrusted to Aline Asmar d’Amman, founder of the Culture in Architecture agency, who preserved historic salons such as the Sala della Cultura and the reception room, Salone Vittoria.

47 rooms and six signature suites

Rooms range from 30 sq m to 148 sq m: an average of 32 sq m for a Superior, 40 sq m for a Deluxe, 46 sq m for a Junior Suite, and 58 sq m for a Suite. Six signature suites bear specific names: Orient Express, Colori Persi, Del Conte, Teatro, Cherubini, and La Minerva. Colori Persi and Teatro open beneath ceilings painted in 1860, Cherubini owes its name to the cherubs gracing its walls, Del Conte was Count Giovannelli’s private residence, and La Minerva overlooks two canals. The hotel does not publish its rates publicly: they are available via its booking engine.

Heinz Beck in the kitchen, his table in 2027

Heinz Beck, three-star Michelin chef of La Pergola in Rome, oversees the culinary offerings across the hotel, with Pasquale Rivetti as chef-in-residence. La Casati, paying homage to Marchesa Luisa Casati, serves lunch and dinner: 34 covers inside and 70 in a 300 sq m secret garden during warmer months. The 20-seat Wagon Bar captures the Art Deco spirit of train carriage bars, offering cocktails and cicchetti from morning until late at night. The fine dining restaurant Heinz Beck Venezia, featuring 20 covers in the former orangery, is slated to open in 2027, serving dinner only with tasting menus: amberjack with ash buttermilk or red prawn with lagoon algae.

A spa featuring Roman and Ottoman rituals

The hotel’s website highlights a spa offering Roman thermal, Venetian maritime, and Ottoman rituals, including a rhassoul, alongside treatments by Furtuna Skin. However, the hotel’s homepage still lists it as “opening soon”: it is advisable to confirm availability before booking specifically for the spa. In Venice, compare with the Dior Spa at Hotel Cipriani, The Gritti Palace, or Palazzo Giovanelli Gran Canal, and discover our selection of the best hotels in Venice. On the railway front, the brand is also launching La Dolce Vita Orient Express train.