San Clemente Palace Kempinski Venice

ABOVE: Façade of the Clemente Palace Hotel. INSET: Path from the boat landing and main entrance.

An island hotel in the Venetian Lagoon

By Durant Imboden

The San Clemente Palace Kempinski Venice is one of the city's most unusual hotels. The five-star luxury property occupies the site of the former Camaldolesi Monastery on the 17-acre island of San Clemente in the Venetian Lagoon.

The hotel, which opened in 2003 and went into hibernation in 2012, is open again--most recently, under the management of the international Kempinski hotel group.

The San Clemente Palace welcomes individual guests, groups, and conferences. It's especially appealing in the summer months, when the tranquil island offers a respite from the heat and crowds of Venice's historic center.

Next page: The island of San Clemente

About the author:

Durant Imboden has written about Venice, Italy since 1996. He covered Venice and European travel at About.com for 4-1/2 years before launching Europe for Visitors (including Venice for Visitors) with Cheryl Imboden in 2001.

PC Magazine has called this "the premier visitors' site for Venice, Italy." Over the years, it has helped more than 30 million travelers. For more information, see About our site, our Europe for Visitors press clippings, and our reader testimonials.

Most hotel photos copyright © San Clemente Palace.