The legendary travel brand’s latest Italian jewel has just opened its doors in Venice’s Cannaregio. Orient Express Venezia debuted on March 30, 2026, bringing new life to a building that has stood at the meeting of two Venetian canals for nearly 600 years.
The Palazzo Donà Giovannelli is a 15th-century aristocratic residence in Cannaregio, a largely residential district away from the main tourist crowds. Its pink-and-white stone facade has been restored to reveal the neo-Gothic lancet windows designed by 15th-century architect Filippo Calendario, who also worked on the Doge’s Palace. The Piano Nobile — the floor where aristocrats traditionally received their most illustrious guests — contains the baroque Vittoria ballroom, created in 1548 for the wedding of Princess Vittoria Farnese, the Library of Cultures with its gilded woods, and a Music Room.
In the 18th century the palazzo was renovated by Giovanni Battista Meduna, who also worked on the city’s iconic Ca’ d’Oro palazzo on the Grand Canal and the Teatro La Fenice opera house. The building was subsequently home to the Duke of Urbino and the noble Donà and Giovannelli families, and for a period served as an art gallery before falling into private hands. Its walls absorbed centuries of Venetian history — political salons, aristocratic alliances, cultural gatherings — before falling silent.
Eight Years in the Making
Aline Asmar d’Amman, the Paris-based architect and interior designer, worked on the restoration for eight years. In carrying out the conversion she worked in close collaboration with Italy’s heritage conservation authority, preserving mosaics, frescoes and sculptures throughout. Their work also required stabilising the palazzo’s underwater foundations, involving the construction of a dam to drain sections of the structure.
Original frescoes, carved detailing and patinated walls have been restored, while contemporary materials — moiré silks, embossed leathers and natural stone — introduce a refined, layered aesthetic. Arrival sets the tone: guests enter via a Gothic water gate, stepping directly from the canal into what was once an internal courtyard, now reimagined as a richly dressed lounge complete with velvet seating and Murano glass chandeliers.
The Palazzo’s secret garden, long concealed behind centuries-old walls, has been transformed into an almost otherworldly space where nature, architecture and the sound of silence meet, complete with a luxuriant fountain, antique gates and delicate Venetian lanterns.
Sumptuous accommodation
Across the 47 rooms, suites and residences, watered silks cover the walls capturing the canals’ reflections while sumptuous velvets converse with vibrant marbles. In the six Signature Suites — Orient Express, Colori Persi, Del Conte, Teatro, Cherubini and La Minerva — 19th-century frescoes dedicated to the goddess Minerva, gilded salons animated by dancing cherubs and monumental marble fireplaces with sculptural shells are flanked by tall windows opening onto canal views. The grandest suites extend to 145 square metres.
Heinz Beck at the stove
The culinary programme represents a major draw in its own right. Born in Germany in 1963, Heinz Beck has led La Pergola in Rome since 1994 — a three-Michelin-star restaurant widely considered one of the reference points of Italian fine dining. At Orient Express Venezia, his programme comprises three distinct spaces: Heinz Beck Venezia, an intimate fine-dining concept housed in the palace’s historic orangerie; La Casati, an all-day restaurant inspired by the avant-garde spirit of Italian aristocrat Marchesa Luisa Casati, with garden seating and a menu rooted in Venetian culinary traditions; and the Wagon Bar, an Art Deco-inspired space that pays homage to the legendary lounge cars of the original Orient Express trains.
The fine-dining restaurant’s philosophy is built on technical precision, balance and lightness, with dishes anchored in local and Mediterranean produce interpreted through contemporary techniques and careful attention to nutritional integrity. Day-to-day kitchen operations are led by resident chef Pasquale Rivetti, a longstanding collaborator of Beck’s.
Orient Express is steaming forward
Orient Express Venezia is the brand’s second hotel, following Orient Express La Minerva in Rome. The brand — an Accor and LVMH partnership — has also announced the Orient Express Corinthian sailing yacht, due to set sail in May 2026, and a return of the legendary Orient Express train to the rails.
The opening is part of a broader wave of luxury hotel arrivals reshaping Venice in 2026, with Airelles Palladio Venezia due to open in April and the historic Hotel Danieli set to reopen under the Four Seasons brand mid-year following a major renovation.
Orient Express Venezia sits at 2292 Strada Nova, Cannaregio, Venice. It is part of the Accor Live Limitless loyalty programme.
