Hotel Flora

Hotel Flora is a family-run hotel tucked down a lane in the San Marco sestiere, a few minutes' walk from St Mark's Square. It has welcomed guests since 1965 and has been run by the Romanelli family for three generations, which gives it a personal, old-fashioned style of hospitality that has kept guests returning for decades.

The hotel has forty rooms, each furnished with period pieces, damask fabrics and Murano glass chandeliers. Rooms vary in size and layout, as is typical of historic Venetian buildings, so it is worth asking about the options when you book if space is important. The decoration is traditional rather than fashionable, and that suits the building.

The hotel's best-known feature is its garden, an inner courtyard full of plants that the family has tended for decades and calls the secret garden. In a city with so little green space, it is a welcome place to sit with a book or a drink after a day of sightseeing. Breakfast, a classic Italian spread served at the hotel bar each morning, is included in the room rates.

The Flora suits couples, older travellers and anyone who values a quiet, central base with character over modern design. Its location is excellent: St Mark's Square is about five minutes' walk, the boutiques of Calle Larga XXII Marzo are close by, and Teatro La Fenice and the Gritti Palace are just around the corner. Despite being so central, the hotel's position at the end of a side street keeps it relatively peaceful.

The nearest vaporetto stops are San Marco Vallaresso and Santa Maria del Giglio on Line 1, each a few minutes' walk away, and both have connections to the station and Piazzale Roma. As in most of central Venice, there are bridges to cross on the way, so travel light if you can or ask the hotel about porter services. Book early for spring, autumn, Carnival and the Biennale season, when central hotels fill quickly.

Rooms facing the garden are usually the quietest, so ask for one if you are a light sleeper. The family's long experience also means staff are a good source of advice on restaurants, concerts and the best times to visit the busiest sights nearby.

If you are arriving by water taxi, ask the hotel in advance for the nearest landing point.