IN A 15TH-CENTURY PALAZZO on the Grand Canal, the Gritti Palace hotel whisks us into an extraordinary world of silver-leafed ceilings and Venetian-stucco walls, Cremo Tirreno marble and bleached-and-lacquered herringbone floors, and exquisite Murano lamps with Fortuny-fabric shades . . .

There are suites such as the amazing pink Pisani suite, with its perfectly ornate foliate mouldings that form cartouches painted in contrasting colours inset with art and gilded decorative objects . . .

The fully redesigned premier suites, along the top floor, feature one of the city’s only waterfront rooftop terraces, with a view out to the Giudecca. All ten suites are named after Venetian locales and traditions or famous Gritti guests. Three are devoted to writers, including the Hemingway Suite, which had existed previously.

Above, a sun-dappled rooftop terrace with a breathtaking view of the beautiful Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute.

[images: Photography by Björn Wallander for Architectural Digest // all other images, Vogue Living Australia via Sukio]