Il Palazzo Experimental, Italy

Twenty-eight comfortable rooms and three suites are bathed in natural light with views of the Canal della Giudecca from the Palazzo’s front, or a secret garden in the back.

Dorothée Meilichzon’s design was inspired by signatures of the city like terrazzo floors and dramatic marble accents. Bathrooms, stocked with a curated selection of toiletries, are equally stylish, with black marble trims and hand-glazed tiles. As with all Experimental Group hotels, minibars are stocked with local specialties.

The Palazzo’s Dorsoduro neighborhood is slightly off of Venice’s main tourist path, yet hosts Galleria dell’Accademia and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, making it the perfect place to let yourself amble in its charming streets.

Venice was considered the first international center of finance. The cosmopolitan city-state used its wealth to fund the flourishing Renaissance, resulting in painting, sculpture, and architecture that changed the world. In the centuries hence, with its unsurpassable beauty and richness, Venice has remained a magnet for art and culture, a spectacular destination that should be experienced by everyone at least once.