REVIEW: St Regis hotel Venice by Marriott – a stunning points redemption

I was very luck to be invited to lunch in Venice at the famous Gritti Palace which is also part of Marriott. Having looked at that hotel and the St Regis Venice nearby, I decided to use my points for the St Regis hotel Venice. With hotel prices still sky high, it’s a great time to get some serious value out of hotel points, and this sometimes includes buying them. I decided to splurge on an amazing hotel on a brief visit to Venice since I was only staying one night. I honestly think it was well worth it. 

If you have Platinum status, I’d recommend St Regis over Ritz Carlton since you get more benefits at St Regis including free breakfast for you and a companion.

Booking and prices

I was the first book, and when I looked a few months before, the prices were around €900 a night. I paid 97,000 points for my room. My friend booked later, and by then, cash prices were 0ver €1100 a night. She bought most of the points for around £600, so made a significant saving. 

If you wanted to pay cash, I’d suggest booking through our partners GTC as you get the following extra benefits:

• Hotel credit value at $100 USD
• Complimentary or continental breakfast daily, for 2
• Early check-in/late check-out, based on availability
• Priority complimentary room upgrade, based on availability

You can check points and cash prices on the official website here.

Location

The location really couldn’t be much better, with it being only 5 minute’s walk to St Mark’s Square and also 5 minutes the other way for the Vaporetto stop. It’s very hidden away, so hidden that we kept struggling to find it. The good news is that it keeps it tranquil as you don’t get many visitors from outside the hotel. The hotel is situated down an alleyway right on the Grand Canal opposite the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. The views from the terrace are so stunning you may not want actually to head out into Venice with the masses! It is housed in the former Grand Hotel Britannia and reopened as the St Regis in 2019.

The hotel has a private jetty, so you can get a water taxi straight from the airport. It doesn’t need to be that expensive as you get a shared one from Viator from around £30 per person. If you want a private one, you could book in advance online as it saves 5% when you book a return. The average cost is around £100 each way for a private boat. Either way, I think it is well worth it at least one way, as it is such a magical way to arrive. We went past St. Marks Square and down the Grand Canal, as well as some of the smaller canals on the way. 

Check-in at St Regis hotel Venice

As far as I am aware, the hotel had no idea who I was. However, I received one of the warmest welcomes I’ve ever had from the lovely receptionist. You sit down at a desk which is very civilised, and can enjoy a cold welcome drink and chilled scented towel while you complete the formalities.

I had the hotel layout explained to me as it is a slightly confusing layout being made from three separate buildings. I was in the building where reception and the restaurant/bar were. 

Despite it being a points stay, I was given an upgrade to a suite, which I was not expecting on a point stay. I am a Platinum Bonvoy member. My friend, who is Gold, did not get a suite, but her room was equally lovely. I was shown to my room by my personal butler and was told that I could have two pieces of pressing done free, which was very welcome.

St. Regis Butlers will also offer to arrange coffee or tea service in your room on arrival. If you want, a St. Regis Butler will arrive after your morning wake-up call to draw your curtains, and deliver your coffee or tea as well as the day’s newspaper and weather forecast. I did not use this service. They can also help with unpacking, which was offered to me. I also received a lovely welcome gift of a bottle of bellini, chocolates and a cake.

St Regis hotel Venice Room

The rooms are not the largest, but then in an old building in Venice, I would not expect that. They also have a more modern decor than many of the other swanky hotels in Venice that retain an opulent Venetian style. However, I am not a fan of dark wood etc., so I had actually chosen the hotel for its muted colour palette and modern design. Despite the fact that the furniture was not old, it did not look out of place in the building. 

The living room was simple with a sofa and chairs plus a dining table, perfect if you wanted room service. 

There was a beautiful cabinet which contained the coffee maker as well as the mini bar complete with ready-made cocktails. I loved the Venetian glass tumblers. 

The rooms were beautifully quiet and perfectly air-conditioned, with one of the most comfortable beds we have ever experienced. The sheets were such beautiful quality and so soft; neither of us wanted to ever get out of bed! There was no balcony but you could open the French doors to enjoy the view and let the fresh air in (you wouldn’t want to do that for long when we were there as it was stifling hot and humid). 

The bathroom had a dual shower which was huge. It was beautifully done with two shades of soft grey marble and lovely ornate lights in the mirror. 

The twin sinks had plenty of room to lay out your toiletries and a good selection of amenities.

I loved their own toiletries, which were the aqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Arancia di Capri, which smell like oranges and lemons. They come in the perfect size for a few night’s stay or to take home with you to finish.

St Regis hotel Venice Food and drink

The hotel has a small restaurant and bar with an expansive terrace.

We only ate breakfast there, but we did enjoy a few drinks sitting on the terrace, just taking in the view.

The service was friendly, although at times, it could be very slow for this category of hotel. Sometimes, it was excellent, though. However, things were done properly as you’d expect with a lovely selection of nibbles with your drinks which were regularly replenished. It is the sort of place you could spend hours just drinking in the view with your cocktails. Prices as you would expect, were not cheap. 

St Regis hotel Venice Breakfast

You could take breakfast inside or outside, with the majority of it being a buffet. There was also a good selection of a la carte dishes included, although the ones we ordered were very small. The buffet was pretty extensive with some amazing quality bread, pastries, fruit and cheese/charceuterie etc.

Here is the avocado with poached egg – small but absolute perfection:

St Regis hotel Venice Facilities

Being very small, the hotel does not have many facilities apart from the usual things like a concierge and a gym.

Conclusion

We both fell in love with this beautiful, stylish hotel. It was well worth the points to experience a true 5-star experience with the butler and such stunning views. The staff were all very friendly and helpful but also very polished, which you would expect at this level. 

Like our review of St Regis Hotel Venice? You can read more hotel reviews here.