A 10-minute boat ride from the crowds of Venice’s Piazza San Marco, Isola di San Clemente became a sanctuary for sophisticated travelers when its historic buildings were recast as a private-island hotel in 2009. Fresh from a multimillion-dollar makeover courtesy of ts new owners, the property looks set to be even more impressive when it reopens in April as the St. Regis Venice San Clemente Palace. Occupying a former 17th-century monastery, the hotel comprises 191 rooms and suites done up in silk brocades, Murano-glass light fittings, and terrazzo floors, many with views of the lagoon. The cypress-studded grounds also feature a pool terrace, a tennis court, and the 900-year-old San Clemente Church—an impossibly romantic spot for weddings or vow renewals (39-041/475-0111; doubles from US$590).
For more information, visit The St. Regis San Clemente Palace.
This article originally appeared in the April/May print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Venetian Revamp”)