Locanda Cipriani Inn

In November 1948, Ernest Hemingway rented a room at Locanda Cipriani and stayed a month, splitting his days between duck hunting on the lagoon and finishing his novel Across the River and Into the Trees. The inn traces back to 1936, when Giuseppe Cipriani Sr., who also founded Harry's Bar in Venice, bought a small wine shop on the island of Torcello and later restored it into a locanda after the war. It's stayed in the same family since, drawing guests including Queen Elizabeth and Paul Newman. The property now holds four suite types: the Torcello Suite, with a private terrace and Juliet balcony overlooking the canal and gardens; the Canal Suite and Deluxe Room, both facing the water; and the Garden Suite, overlooking the flower garden. Rooms keep exposed beams and Murano glass lamps by Venier throughout. The restaurant serves both indoors and out, with a menu of Cipriani family dishes and Venetian lagoon specialties. Weddings take place in the gardens, set against the island's bell tower and the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta. The same quiet that pulled Hemingway away from Venice's noise is still the appeal of staying here.