The guestrooms are all nicely furnished and equipped with private bathrooms, telephones, mini-bars, mini-safes, televisions, and radios.

The hotel restaurant, La Caravella, offers an extensive wine list and a variety of local and International dishes. Featuring a terra-cotta-colored facade with green shutters and balconies, the hotel offers 89 guestrooms in three connected 14th-18th-century buildings of 4-5 stories. Individually decorated rooms vary from classical Venetian style to Art Deco, but all rooms include small desks, safes, minibars, and dial-up Internet access. Most bathrooms contain shower/tub combinations, but two have stall showers without tubs. Terry-cloth bathrobes furnish lounging comfort. What to expect: Family-owned and operated for four generations, the hotel features an intimate ambience recalling its beginning in 1908 as a pensione (guesthouse). Original decorations include those from the hotel's center, a palazzo built for Vettor Pisani (1324-1380), who commanded the Venetian Republic's navy during conflicts with Genoa over control of Mediterranean merchant trading. Amenity highlights: In summer, a fifth-floor terrace furnished with lounge chairs, showers, and flowers offers sunbathing with views of Venice rooftops and several churches. The hotel's independently operated, candlelit restaurant, La Caravella, has attracted Venetians and visitors since 1963 with a ship's-dining-room decor, flower-filled courtyard in summer, and Venetian menu. The restaurant includes a marble-floored bar with leather seating. Insider tip: Guests emerging from the hotel's entrance face Bruno Magli and Bulgari shops directly across the street, one of the widest in Venice's historical center. Two computers on the second floor provide complimentary high-speed Internet connections. Complimentary passes are provided to a fitness center 400 meters (437 yards) from the hotel. A room off the lobby features scarlet plush-fabric seating and a wood-burning fireplace. The hotel staff speaks fluent English. A complimentary buffet breakfast is provided each morning in a room with an elaborately molded ceiling.

La Caravella - Established in 1963. Wood-paneled interior recreating Renaissance-era Venetian ship's dining room, including massive safe from ship named La Caravella. Candles, fresh flowers. Lunch/dinner menu includes traditional Venetian fare, with emphasis on