Aman Canal Grande hotel - Venice, Italy

It’s not every day Venice welcomes a new hotel, and this month’s opening of a new Aman Resort overlooking the Grand Canal is particularly noteworthy. Located in one of the city’s oldest quarters, San Polo, the Canal Grande is the luxury group’s fifth and probably most sumptuous Mediterranean property. Most of the 24 suites in the stately 16th-century palazzo look out over either a private garden or the Grand Canal. The meticulous restoration took a modest 18 months – the interior design by longtime Aman collaborator Denniston and the structural engineering and architecture by Venice-based Claudio Rebeschini and the Dottor group. There is plenty to admire about the results, not least the dramatic sweeping staircase connecting the reception level and the Asian-Italian restaurant, the original frescoes and a spectacular ceiling painted by Tiepolo in one of the suites.