North of Venice, on the city’s lagoon, lies a group of islands, collectively known as Murano. It’s best known for producing mouthblown glass and attracts ferry loads of half-day visitors from Venice, who come to see the Museo del Vetro (Museum of Glass) and learn about the ancient craft. Murano is also home to the Church of Santa Maria and San Donato, whose bright mosaic floor is said to hold the bones of a slain dragon. While most travellers coming to this part of Italy choose to stay in the central parts of Venice, Murano provides an excellent alternative for those wishing to be a little further away from the main tourist throng.
NH Collection Venezia Murano Villa
A short Vaporetto ride from the mainland (this hotel has its own private 4-berth pier on the lagoon), NH Collection Venezia Murano Villa provides super views from both of its terraces. Here you can enjoy a glass of wine or a full gourmet meal. But you can also dine indoors, in the modern urban style restaurant with its live cooking station. The hotel has a 24-hour gym, small spa and 104 airy modern bedrooms, all with Sleep Better Mattresses and coffee machines. NH Collection Venezia Murano Villa welcomes families (including your cats and dogs).
Hyatt Centric Murano Venice
In a central location with a water taxi stop right outside and a complimentary airport shuttle, this Hyatt hotel is a modern urban-style retreat. It has 119 bedrooms across eight categories, meeting rooms, a fitness centre and a bijou spa incorporating mood showers, a steam room and a sauna. Centric’s restaurant, Osteriva, is a unique highlight; here breakfast and dinner are served in a bioclimatic greenhouse. Or guests can dine overlooking Murano’s Canal Grande, in the Rivalonga Bar + Lounge — the latter takes the form of a peaceful, contemporary garden with frequent live music.