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This is more of a luxury hotel post than a points hotel post, so if that doesn’t interest you, by all means skip it. However, what’s probably my single favorite boutique hotel group in the world is opening its first property outside of France, and I figure that’s worth covering.
In this post:
Basics of the new 45-key Airelles Venice
Airelles Venice (Venezia) is now accepting reservations for stays as of April 1, 2026, marking the newest property of the French luxury hotel group, and the first one outside of France.
The property will have 45 accommodations, and will be located on Venice’s Giudecca Island, just a five-minute boat ride from Piazza San Marco. The property is housed within the former Bauer Palladio complex, consisting of three restored buildings, a 16th century heritage church, and expansive gardens, with views of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace.
The property has been designed by Christophe Tollemer, the same architect and interior designer behind Airelles’ other properties, so you can expect there will be a mix of French elegance with Venetian artistry.
When it comes to amenities, Airelles Venice will feature three distinct dining experiences, two bars, a huge wellness center with a gym and garden, and three swimming pools. This property sounds over the top, especially in a city where space comes at such a premium. Three pools?! Wow…
The pictures of the rooms so far look exactly like what you’d expect from Airelles. They’re a blast from the past, and I imagine even on the day the hotel opens, they won’t feel “new,” in a good way.
This should be an incredible property, probably the best in Venice. However, admittedly I’m less excited about this property than I would be if it were somewhere else. Venice already has an endless number of amazing luxury properties. Best of all, many of them are even bookable with points, like Gritti Palace Venice and St. Regis Venice.
Airelles’ other properties are largely in places where there are no good points properties. I will say this, though — in terms of the “vibe” of Airelles, Venice seems like an excellent fit. I think you can tell based on the above pictures, where you can see how Airelles is restoring the property in a way that really brings out the best of it.
Airelles Venice room rates & how to book
With Airelles Venice now bookable, what are rates like? As you’d expect, there’s quite a bit of seasonal variation. As it currently stands, I see rates starting at €1,200 per night in the low season, and going as high as €2,500 per night in the high season. Fortunately Airelles’ website has a useful calendar function that at least makes it easy to compare rates.
All rates at Airelles Venice include breakfast, a complimentary minibar, luggage packing and unpacking services, laundry service (up to 10 items per day), non-alcoholic drinks by the pool, access to the Airelles Spa by Guerlain, roundtrip boat shuttle service between the hotel and St. Mark’s Square, access to the Airelles Kids Club, and more.
Airelles generally has rate parity between booking channels, so you’ll typically pay the same rate regardless of which source you book through. I’d recommend using a Virtuoso travel advisor, so that you can take advantage of extra benefits while not paying anything extra. Those benefits include things like a room upgrade subject to availability, a property credit, and more. Ford’s team is happy to help with Airelles requests, and can be reached at [email protected].
Why Airelles is such a great hotel group
There’s no denying that we’ve seen a huge increase in luxury hotel costs since the start of the pandemic, so it’s hard to assess value in travel nowadays. But I’d argue what’s so frustrating about luxury hotel rates is how many properties are charging a lot more while offering a lot less.
While Airelles properties are expensive, one thing is for sure — they invest massively in the guest experience, and while you might spend a lot, you’re going to have an amazing time.
My first stay with the brand was at Airelles Courchevel, which is my favorite ski resort in the world, and perhaps my favorite hotel in the world, period. It’s simply an incredible ski resort, with phenomenal restaurants, impeccable service, a Rolls Royce house car, and more.
Airelles La Bastide de Gordes is a special resort in Provence, and quite honestly, feels like it’s out of a fairytale.
I’ve also stayed at Airelles Saint-Tropez Chateau de la Messardiere. While we had some service issues there, this is a stunning, sprawling property, and I’d return in a heartbeat.
Most recently we stayed at Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle, which offers unrivaled access to the Palace of Versailles. This property is unlike any other I’ve stayed at, and it’s almost like a hybrid between a hotel stay and a history safari.
My point is simply to say that if you appreciate French hospitality, are willing to spend a lot, and also expect a lot, then Airelles is for you.
Bottom line
Airelles is opening its first hotel outside of France in April 2026, in the form of Airelles Venice. This looks like a beautiful property that will no doubt rank among the best in the city. I’m excited to see the Airelles brand growing, though I do kind of wish that expansion came in a market where there was less luxury competition, and therefore where the Airelles experience would stand out even more.
What do you make of the upcoming Airelles Venice?
Venice, Vienna, Rome, Berlin, Paris, etc, etc ….
All beautiful European Cities, which amongst many others, will be even nicer when all the tourists go home …. :-)
Kahn’s Kingdom (London) will never be beautiful again as long as the illegals infest the streets and the looney left dominate the political scene.
Yeah, screw your local economy! Wealthy visitors should stay away! /s
Come on now 1990 …. we all know that your “Wealthy visitors” are not the problem …. it’s the great unwashed proletariat who bring very little and leave so much devastation, yes?
Definitely see myself spending that money at a ski location where spending time at the hotel after a day in the slopes makes total sense? In Venice? No way. That’s a city I go to explore and stay out of a hotel. All I need is a nice clean bed and bathroom. Nothing more.
The only good thing about Venice is that it is a two hour drive to each of Lake Garda and the Dolomites.
At those rates (nearly €1,200-2000/night), might as well stay at Aman Venice (which is about the same for entry-level rooms, and is on FHR, so 'guaranteed 4PM late checkout.)
@ 1990 -- I'm sure the Airelles property will join FHR as well in the near future. Regarding "might as well" stay at Aman, personally I think Airelles is a higher quality hotel group than Aman, so all else being equal, I'd choose an Airelles over an Aman any day of the week. But hey, to each their own. :-)
Wow, Ben, that's BOLD. 'Better than Aman' for a hotel is wild to me.
I get it, maybe, on African safaris, by all means, gimme Singita, Angama, &Beyond, Wilderness, etc., but, like that's because Aman isn't really in that space (unless you count tigers in India.)
Ben has a lot to answer for now 1990 …. letting the Airelles, cat out of the bag, so to speak. It simply is not cricket don’t you know Ben.
Relief …. It loos like the proletariat have body-swerved this article as there is little response …. you might be off the hook Ben.