Giudecca

Hilton Molino Stucky Venice

★★★★★

The Molino Stucky is impossible to miss: a towering red-brick neo-Gothic flour mill with turrets and a clock tower, built at the end of the nineteenth century by the industrialist Giovanni Stucky at the western end of the Giudecca, and visible from the Zattere, the cruise terminal and every boat entering the city from the west. After the mill closed it stood derelict for decades, and its conversion into a Hilton gave Venice something it otherwise lacks: a large, modern resort-style hotel, with spacious rooms and suites, a spa and a pool, just across the water from the historic centre. The rooftop is the star. In summer, a rooftop swimming pool looks across the Giudecca Canal to Dorsoduro and the domes of the city, and the Skyline Rooftop Bar, which the hotel describes as the highest rooftop bar in Venice, is one of the great places for a sunset drink, open to non-guests as well. Below, the eforea spa and a gym make it a place to recover after long days on foot. Dining runs from Aromi, the main restaurant, to Bacaromi, a more casual spot in the spirit of a Venetian bacaro, and the Rialto Bar and Restaurant, with breakfast served in a large dining room. Rooms are generous by Venetian standards, many with views over the lagoon or the canal, and families are well served, with roomy categories, family dining options and touches for younger guests. The hotel runs its own shuttle boat to Piazza San Marco, a ride of about twenty minutes, and the public vaporetto stops on the Giudecca are close by.

Location logic: being on the Giudecca is both the strength and the trade-off. You wake to open water and wide views rather than narrow lanes, the island is quiet and residential in the evenings, and you are well placed for the Zattere, Dorsoduro and the Redentore church; but every trip into the centre means a boat, either the hotel shuttle or a vaporetto across the canal, so check the shuttle timetable, especially late at night. Arriving by water taxi from the airport or the station is the easiest option with luggage, and cruise passengers will find the terminal close.

Room and booking craft: the rooms with lagoon or canal views are worth the upgrade, and suites suit families who want separate sleeping space. The rooftop pool is seasonal, typically open in the warmer months only, so do not book in November expecting a swim. Reserve a table at the Skyline bar for sunset in high season. Check-in is in the mid-afternoon and check-out late morning; the city's per-night tourist tax is charged on top of the room rate.

Who it suits: families who want space, a pool and calm after the crowds; couples and groups who like big-hotel comforts, a spa and a rooftop bar; and travellers combining Venice with a cruise. It is less suited to those who want to step out of the door into medieval lanes. Compared with the grand hotels on the Grand Canal, like the Danieli and the Gritti, it offers more space and facilities for the money; compared with a small hotel in Dorsoduro, it trades atmosphere for comfort.