Venice’s vast and eclectic hotel scene ranges from ornate palace conversions like the Gritti Palace to modern haunts like the Venice Venice Hotel, and everything in between, but the city’s newest address—or lack thereof—is entirely different. On a recent foggy morning (Venetians call it caìgo), I walked to Marina Sant’Elena to board Aqva, Venice’s first floating hotel. Owners Marta de Megni and Bruno Lapolla greeted me with espresso as the houseboat prepared to depart. Just as we finished, the sun burst through, signaling the perfect moment to set off.
The Verona-native couple dreamed up the concept after years of exploring Venice’s lagoon aboard de Megni’s father’s old Dutch boat. “It was our way of breathing in Venice away from the crowds and finding privacy in its most hidden corners,” de Megni says. “One day, squeezed onto a packed water bus, we realized there must be another way, a more intimate, more personal way to experience this extraordinary place,” she adds. And when they saw this houseboat, they instantly fell in love with it.
The three-bedroom floating Aqva hotel features floor-to-ceiling windows for optimal lagoon views.
Courtesy of Aqva
Aqva operates from three moorings: Sant’Elena (in the residential Castello sestiere, home to the Venezia FC football club’s stadium), Marina Fiorita in Cavallino (in the northern lagoon, facing the islands of Burano and Torcello) and Marina San Giorgio (off the tiny island of San Giorgio Maggiore, directly facing Piazza San Marco and home to a striking 16th-century Benedictine church).
The three-bedroom boat accommodates up to six overnight guests who wake up already in navigation, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls offering lagoon views and direct island access without water-taxi transfers.
There are no other guests, no lobby, no shared spaces with strangers. “Guests can pass the whole day onboard and see no one else,” de Megni tells me as we drift closer to Piazza San Marco, which is the opposite of most people’s elbow-to-elbow experience in this area (especially during summer).
The three king-size bedrooms have neutral-hued, breezy linens and floor-to-ceiling glass walls that frame the lagoon views and passing sites, while the living area (with an oversize modern couch) centers around a dining table made from antique wood. Rooms are on the smaller size, like a city-size hotel room, but well thought out, and the glass windows provide sweeping Venice views.
“The rising sun in the morning and the reflection of the stars at night come into harmony with the internal environment, creating a unique connection with nature,” says de Megni.
The only caveat is that there’s one shared bathroom, but it’s spacious with a big shower. With large windows throughout the boat, guests can close the curtains for privacy.
Dining with a view: Guests can help themselves to a locally sourced breakfast in the kitchen aboard.
Courtesy of Aqva
“I have a special love for the northern lagoon,” says de Megni. “Bringing guests to the Venier Glass Factory, accessible directly by Aqva, is a moment I always cherish. And I love when they return onboard to find our private chef ready with a lunch or an aperitivo, served along the route toward Burano.”
The experience extends to partnerships with local food producers. Breakfast, included in the stay, awaits in the kitchen at your leisure—perhaps in your Venetian velvet Friulane slippers (the best are from Quoràmi) and pjs. Breakfast comes from Pasticceria Pinel in Jesolo (an Adriatic coastal town north-east of Venice), an artisanal bakery working with natural sourdough and organic flours. They also source products from Azienda Agricola Biodinamica San Michele, a biodynamic farm in Jesolo, dating back to the 1980s, known for its traditional process of making yogurt and cheese.
Aqva also works with Da Guido in Jesolo for lagoon cuisine, private chef Alessandro Ferrotti for aperitifs and cooking classes, and the esteemed Venissa (a combination winery, restaurant, and boutique hotel) for estate visits, where guests can arrive by Aqva for private visits and tastings either at the on-site Osteria Contemporanea, the more informal dining spot, or the Michelin-starred Ristorante Venissa, where chefs Chiara Pavan and Francesco Brutto present environmentally conscious cuisine. The Alajmo Group (behind Venice’s famous Ristorante Quadri and Gran Caffè Quadri, which is celebrating 250 years this year) is also a popular partner, but guests can request help in booking any restaurant they choose during their Aqva stay.
Thanks to a fully equipped kitchen with Smeg appliances and an espresso machine, guests can also shop the Venice markets and cook meals on the boat—or arrange for groceries to be stocked in advance. But if you want a full-on holiday, private chef service awaits.
During my time aboard, I enjoyed wine and snacks under the afternoon sun on the upper deck as we passed Piazza San Marco from a distance. I even spotted Mimmo, the solo dolphin that’s become a lagoon fixture. While I love Venice on foot, seeing it from this tranquil perspective, without having to schlep through crowds or over countless bridges, usually with bags in tow, was a treat.
Guests can relax in the dining room as they take in the passing views.
Courtesy of Aqva
“Aqva offers something no hotel, however exclusive, can truly guarantee: complete privacy,” de Megni explains. “Guests can admire St. Mark’s from their own bedroom and reach most of Venice’s islands without multiple water-taxi transfers, all in the comfort of their ‘house.’”
The winter months bring particular appeal. “Winter reveals Venice’s most enchanting soul,” says de Megni. “I particularly enjoy being, many times, the only boat truly operating during the winter months. To glide through the lagoon while wrapped in warmth, looking out through Aqva’s glass walls . . . that privilege is hard to describe.”
Aqva is available for overnight stays and events. The breakdown of a stay starts at €800 per room (approximately US$930, based on current conversion rates) for one night, breakfast included, with check-in at 10 a.m. and checkout at noon. Note that you can book in the lower season (winter months) as one room and have the boat to yourself; in the higher season, like in August, the price goes up to €1,200 (US$1,400) per room for one night. Navigation requires a dedicated skipper (an additional €500 per day for two people, or US$580) and fuel costs approximately €100 per two hours (or an extra US$116 per hour, based on current conversation rates). The boat accommodates up to 6 overnight guests or 15 people for daytime events. If you choose not to add the navigation for an excursion around the lagoon and islands, the boat will remain docked.
