Villa Gasparini

Villa Gasparini is a small boutique hotel set in an 18th-century Venetian villa on the Brenta Canal in Dolo, a family home that owners Michela and Riccardo have turned into a welcoming place to stay. Halfway between Venice and Padua, it is a quiet base for exploring the art cities and the Palladian villas of the Riviera del Brenta away from the crowds: a bus stop right next to the hotel reaches Piazzale Roma in Venice or central Padua in about thirty minutes, and boats from the nearby Fusina terminal sail to St Mark's.

The fully renovated building has 15 rooms decorated around six themes, from classic Venetian with gilded headboards to pop, ethno-chic, dragonflies, flowers and angels. Categories range from Economy to Junior Suite, several rooms have a jacuzzi tub with chromotherapy, and all come with air conditioning, satellite TV, minibar, safe and free Wi-Fi.

Breakfast, with sweet and savoury options, is served at the table and, from May to September, in the garden too; it can also be brought to the room. Guests can book massages, aperitifs and tastings, romantic packages, bike rental and cycling routes along the river. Small and medium-sized dogs are welcome.