Palazzo dell’albero d’Oro

Hotel Description

Oh man, stepping into the Palazzo dell’albero d’Oro for the first time – it’s like wandering into one of those hidden Venetian gems that only pops up if you’ve ditched the tourist maps and just followed the scent of fresh espresso down the narrow calles of San Polo. I remember arriving via vaporetto at the San Silvestro stop, lugging my bag over that little bridge on Rio San Polo, and there it was at 2033 San Polo, tucked away but not too far from the bustle of the Rialto Market. Honestly, the facade hits you with this elegant, understated vibe – think weathered stone and these subtle golden accents that nod to the “albero d’oro” name, like a golden tree motif etched into the doorframe. It’s not flashy; it’s more like the palazzo’s been standing there for centuries, whispering stories from the old Republic days. Check-in was a breeze, even though I showed up right after a summer rainstorm – the staff, these warm locals who switch effortlessly between Italian and English, sorted me out with a map of back-alley shortcuts to avoid the crowds swarming Campo San Polo in high season (you know, that square where everyone grabs cicchetti at sunset). No elevator, mind you – it’s an old building, so if you’ve got heavy luggage, well, pack light or brace for those creaky wooden stairs that add to the charm, I suppose.

What really sets this place apart, though – and I’ve stayed in a few spots around Venice – is how it nails that authentic, lived-in feel without skimping on the comforts. My room overlooked a quiet courtyard, with these massive windows letting in the soft morning light that bounces off the canal water nearby; you can hear the faint lap of waves and church bells from Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari just a short stroll away. The bed was ridiculously comfy, all crisp linens and pillows that actually support your neck after a day of dodging gondolas, and the bathroom had this mosaic tile work that felt straight out of a Renaissance painting – though, fair warning, the water pressure’s a bit finicky in peak hours, like when everyone’s rushing for breakfast. Speaking of which, their morning spread is no joke: fresh cornetti, local cheeses, and coffee strong enough to power you through a vaporetto ride to Murano. It’s not overly fancy, but it’s thoughtful – they even have gluten-free options without making a big fuss. Noise-wise, San Polo quiets down nicely after dark, especially off-season in fall when the fog rolls in and muffles everything; no blaring tour groups at 2 a.m., which is a godsend compared to staying right on the Grand Canal. Oh, and if you’re into practical stuff, there’s no parking (duh, it’s Venice), but they hook you up with tips on the closest water taxi stands.

Look, if you’re debating where to crash in Venice, this 4-star spot with its near-perfect 9.6 rating isn’t just hype – it’s the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve unlocked a secret side of the city. Sure, it’s not the cheapest (rooms can nudge up in July when the festivals hit), and you might wish for a mini-fridge on hotter days, but honestly, the way it blends old-world texture – those exposed beam ceilings that smell faintly of aged wood – with modern perks like speedy Wi-Fi makes it worth every euro. I’ve recommended it to friends who hate cookie-cutter hotels, and they always come back raving about wandering out to grab squid ink pasta at a tiny osteria nearby, then retreating here like it’s your own palazzo. You know what? If Venice is on your list, skip the overpriced chains and give this a shot – it’ll stick with you long after the pigeons in Piazza San Marco have forgotten your face.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $256. Suite with 2 single beds for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $346. Superior Apartment with 1 extra-large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $359. Executive Suite with 1 extra-large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $423. Apartment with Terrace with 1 extra-large double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $3,210. Four-Bedroom Apartment with 4 × 1 extra-large double bed and 2 × 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 8

Reviews

• Stunning Apartment in fantastic location, terrace looking over the grand canal. – Lyndsey from United Kingdom – 24 June 2025 (10/10)

  Stunning property in a fantastic location in San Polo. The host made the trip seamless. They organised a private water taxi to & from the airport too. Incredible.
  The apartment was more than 5 stars. It had everything, and the roof top terrace was our favourite part. Fabulous holiday. Would highly recommend.
  
  What could be improved: Nothing

• Fabulous – Gilbert from United States – 19 May 2025 (10/10)

  What could be improved: There wasn't anything not to like.

• Incredible stay in a beautiful and luxurious place that made our anniversary trip so much more special than staying in a – Lily from United Kingdom – 3 May 2025 (10/10)

  The Palazzo was absolutely beautiful. It was tucked away enough from the main streets to be an escape from touristy Venice, whilst close enough to Rialto and Dorsoduro to make visiting everything we wanted to super easy. The apartment we stayed in (Grimani) was beautifully decorated, spacious, clean, well-equipped, and one of the best holiday apartments we’ve ever stayed in, if not the best.
  
  Gonzalo, the concierge, was communicative, attentive, and super helpful, making our late check-in after a late flight, and was very accommodating on checkout when we needed to leave our luggage for a few hours.
  
  The apartment itself was excellent: the bed was so comfortable and we slept so soundly; the two bathrooms (always a great convenience to have one each!) were clean, quite luxurious, and well-equipped; the sitting room or lounge was gorgeous and spacious and allowed us space to unwind, and I was able to do a little work at the table overlooking the rooftops; and the kitchen was clean, modern, and again well-equipped.
  
  We booked our accommodation for our anniversary trip to Venice quite late, and we were torn between a quite average-looking, though nice enough, hotel that we felt would be better located, and this apartment, and we couldn’t have been happier with our decision to stay at the Palazzo—the two options were the same price and to have as much space as we did, in a beautiful and historic building, staying in such a gorgeously-decorated and luxurious feeling apartment really made our anniversary that much more special. I cannot stress enough what excellent value for money this stay felt.
  
  To summarise: it was an excellent stay in a beautiful place that didn’t break the bank, with a great concierge and we had a wonderful time. If we return to Venice, we wouldn’t even consider staying anywhere else and we’ll be recommending the Palazzo to everyone we know visiting this beautiful city.
  
  Thank you Gonzalo and the whole Palazzo team!

• Superb – Nicolas from Saudi Arabia – 2 January 2025 (9/10)

  Host was great, welcoming and accommodating.
  
  What could be improved: Absence of heater in the bathroom

• Utterly fabulous 1000/10 – Anna from United Kingdom – 1 November 2024 (10/10)

  Absolutely the best place to stay in Venice. The views were the best you can see, the beds are comfortable, the acclimation is the best I have stayed in and the concierge was just amazing.

• Absolutely beautiful. The view from the terrace was amazing. – Rachel from United Kingdom – 15 October 2024 (10/10)

  The concierge came to rescue me because I couldn’t find the property, they were bery kind.
  
  What could be improved: A corkscrew and a sharp knife would have been useful.

• I’ll be back! – Regina from United States – 15 September 2024 (10/10)

  What’s not to love. I loved everything! I could live here if they let me. Spotlessly clean. The right amount of design and decor. Modern but not cold. Up to date and functional with a great location. History history history.

• Very nice rooms for a comfortable stay – Aaron from Belgium – 20 August 2024 (10/10)

  Very nice rooms, finished with luxurious materials and techniques.
  Airconditioning worked very good.
  Excellent noise isolation.
  Good central location.
  The rooms are 'unstaffed' communication went via whatsapp and was smooth.
  Explanation how to enter/where the keys/codes ect would be was very clear and well documented via whatsapp.
  
  What could be improved: Only thing we would do totally different was the transfer which we thought was extremely expensive.
  
  The only way of transport they offerted us was a €120 taxiride and €90 boat ride to the hotel (single way) so to get to the hotel and then back to the airport 3 days later, they charged us €420 for… We thought because of this high price it would be very difficult to access Venice as it was our first time visiting but it turned out to be just a 30 minute taxi and then a 6 minute!!! boat ride. So €210 for a 36 minute transfer, this was totally silly. A normal taxi/bolt/uber would have taken us to the entrypoint of Venice for €40 and then it would just have been a 20 minute walk instead of a 6 minute boat ride.
  
  So I'd say save your money on that, we felt a little bit scammed losing €420 like that :-/.
  
  
  Also, since the hotel is 'unstaffed' there is no cleaning service. So in our 4 day stay, the rooms don't get cleaned every day like in other hotels, they only get cleaned after you leave.

• 5 star service in a 5 star vacation rental – Alexander from Mexico – 9 August 2024 (10/10)

  A peaceful oasis in a very busy town, great location, amazing and very helpful concierge service – they helped us organizing a fantastic private dinner on the premise

• This is the place to stay, away from the crowds, but close enough to walk – Allen from United States – 3 August 2024 (10/10)

  Gorgeous, beautiful rooms. The restaurant right outside was really good. The hosts were very helpful and friendly.
  
  What could be improved: We'd like to have been in one room but there's 6 of us 🙂

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities