Aman Venice Review: Luxury, Celebrity Stays, and Pricing on the Grand Canal

Deep inside a 16th‑century palazzo on the Grand Canal, a 24‑room hotel operates as both a private home and a magnet for the global elite. Aman Venice occupies Palazzo Papadopoli, where Venetian aristocrats still live on the upper floors. This review unpacks who owns the property, which celebrities have stayed, what a night costs, and how it compares to other luxury Venice hotels — using official sources, independent reviews, and aggregate price data.

Last checked: 2026-06-14

location: Grand Canal, Venice (Palazzo Papadopoli) · notable guests: Kylie Jenner, George Clooney, Jeff Bezos · owner: Vladislav Doronin · proximity: 2-minute walk to vaporetto stop and Piazza San Marco

Who owns Aman Venice?

The answer depends on whether you mean the building or the hotel. The palazzo itself is privately owned by Count Giberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga and his wife Bianca, who continue to live on the top floor. Aman operates the hotel under a long‑term lease or management agreement, a structure that allows the family to remain in residence while the brand runs the hospitality side (Yatzer). The Aman Group itself is chaired by Russian billionaire Vladislav Doronin, who bought the brand in 2014 from its founder Adrian Zecha. The group was founded in 1987, opened its first resort Amanpuri in 1988, and now manages about 30 properties worldwide.

What this means: Aman Venice blends aristocratic continuity with corporate luxury. The live‑in owners give the hotel an authenticity that most branded properties cannot replicate, while Doronin’s global group provides the service standard.

Vladislav Doronin biography

Doronin, a Russian businessman and real estate developer, took control of Aman Resorts in 2014. Under his leadership, the brand expanded into cities and doubled its portfolio. He is frequently cited in travel media as the driving force behind Aman’s move into historic European palaces, including the Venice property. Forbes Travel Guide notes that the palazzo’s interiors — frescoed ceilings, Murano chandeliers, Rubelli silk walls — reflect Aman’s signature blend of heritage and minimalism.

Current ownership structure

The palazzo remains in the hands of the Arrivabene family, while Aman Resorts (owned by Doronin) holds the hotel lease. This dual ownership means the building is not a fully commercial hotel; it is still a lived‑in home. Forbes Travel Guide emphasizes that this arrangement is part of the hotel’s allure — guests share a building with Venetian nobility.

The bottom line: ownership is split between an aristocratic family and a corporate luxury group, a rare structure that underpins the property’s prestige.

How much is Aman Venice?

Aman Venice is widely regarded as the most expensive hotel in Venice. The World’s 50 Best Hotels Discovery lists a starting rate of approximately US$1,500 per night, with high season running from February to August. However, independent reviewers report that entry‑level rooms commonly sit above US$1,000, with Grand Canal‑view rooms roughly doubling that. An Annees de Pèlerinage review states that the smallest rooms cost about US$1,000–1,600 per night depending on season, and the Tiepolo Suite (with frescoes by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo) exceeds US$5,000 per night in high season.

Aggregated data from Kayak shows booked nightly rates ranging from US$2,900 to US$5,600, with average weeknight prices around US$4,169 and average weekend prices around US$3,640. These figures confirm that Aman Venice sits at the very top of Venice’s price spectrum.

The trade‑off: the cost is extreme, but the product includes a historic palazzo, private garden, a high staff‑to‑guest ratio, and a level of seclusion that most canal‑side hotels cannot match.

Wedding cost

Precise wedding packages are not published on the official site, but the hotel has hosted two of the most expensive‑seeming weddings in recent memory: the Clooneys’ reception in 2014 and Bezos & Sánchez’s wedding stay in 2025. Idealista describes the property as the “chosen romantic hideaway” for Bezos and Sánchez. Industry observers estimate that a buyout of the entire hotel for a wedding would run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, though no official figure is available.

Seasonal variations

The World’s 50 Best Hotels notes that high season runs February–August. The lowest rates likely occur in late autumn and winter, excluding Carnevale and holidays. Kayak data indicates that weeknight rates average slightly higher than weekends, suggesting that business and wedding guests drive mid‑week occupancy.

What hotel is Kylie Jenner staying at in Venice?

Multiple sources identify Aman Venice as the hotel chosen by Kylie Jenner during a 2023 trip to Venice. The hotel’s social media posts and several celebrity‑news outlets reported her stay. Forbes Travel Guide and Idealista both discuss the hotel’s celebrity clientele. Jenner joins a long list of high‑profile guests that includes George Clooney, Amal Clooney, Jeff Bezos, and Lauren Sánchez.

The implication: Aman Venice’s reputation as a celebrity hideaway is not accidental — its small size, private water entrance, and garden create the discretion that famous guests demand.

George Clooney’s stay

The Clooneys chose Aman Venice for their wedding reception in June 2013. The event was widely covered and is often cited by Forbes Travel Guide as a defining moment for the property’s global visibility. The couple reportedly rented the entire hotel for the weekend.

Jeff Bezos’s stay

Idealista reported in June 2025 that Bezos and Lauren Sánchez used Aman Venice as their romantic base after their Venice wedding. The article calls the hotel “the five‑star hotel on the Grand Canal that hosted Jeff Bezos”. This reinforces the pattern of billionaires choosing the palazzo for life‑milestone events.

Why this matters: the hotel has become a status symbol for celebrities seeking a Venetian wedding or honeymoon venue, a reputation that drives demand far beyond the ordinary luxury traveller.

Where to avoid staying in Venice?

While Aman Venice itself is not a hotel to avoid, Venice has areas that are less suited to the visitor looking for quiet luxury. Local travel guides advise against staying directly around the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square if you prioritise peace, as these areas are crowded during the day and can be noisy at night. Hotels in the Canareggio district near the train station are often recommended for budget travellers but lack the romance of the Grand Canal. For those considering Aman Venice’s ultra‑luxury price bracket, the main trade‑off is cost versus intimacy; larger luxury hotels like Hotel Danieli or the Gritti Palace offer more rooms and a grand lobby but cannot replicate the private palazzo experience with resident nobles.

The catch: the very seclusion that makes Aman Venice desirable also means it is not located in the heart of the tourist bustle — but for its target guests, that is a feature, not a bug.

Hotel alternatives to skip

Within the same price band, properties like the Gritti Palace (Marriott Luxury Collection) and Hotel Danieli (Marriott) are historic but more commercial. They lack the water‑facing garden and the live‑in owner dynamic. Travelers seeking the ultimate Venetian palazzo stay should book Aman Venice; those wanting a more active hotel with large common areas may prefer the Gritti Palace, but the experience is fundamentally different.

The bottom line: avoid hotels in the St. Mark’s area if you value quiet, and avoid any Grand Canal hotel that lacks a private garden — Aman Venice is unique in that regard.