Londra Palace

For the views you get on the lagoon and the prime position, the rooms here are a touch better value than their more exclusive cousins in the Danieli upstream. While the Danieli is all about history and tradition, the recently revamped Londra is cool and elegant and modern in tone downstairs, with a wonderful outside terrace to have breakfast on and watch the tourists go by. Upstairs the corridors are cool and cream in reticulated. Unfortunately the room designer has chickened out of being brave and decorated the rooms in predictable stripes, patterns, reds and golds – overdone, in fact, given the excellent example set in the public spaces.

However, some will feel at home in these comfortable surroundings, and the rooms are light and spacious and extremely 'well appointed', but lacking something in character. Cheap but acceptable local oils – at least they are real – adorn the walls. Bathrooms are refreshingly (for Venice) large and pampering, kitted out in pink marble. Best rooms with the largest windows some with balconies, are to be had on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Four junior suites on the top floor have terraces – worth paying the extra for on a fine day in low season.