Where the Gritti is twinkling, the Danieli is moody. The Danieli's 233 rooms speak to customers with an appreciation for high, coved ceilings, trompe l'oeil marble panels, and walls painted blush pink. Americans are said to prefer the additions, which are linked to the main building by covered bridges, because the rooms are generally larger. And only the Danielino offers proper terraces. It's the thought of how fabulous the Danieli could be, but isn't quite, that produces a sigh.
Breakfast is a feeding frenzy, and the atrium lobby has the atmosphere of a train station.
With up to 445 people under its roof, this is one hotel that is not in control of its numbers. Still, there's hope. Four more in venice . . . Before this blissfully removed palazzo opened in 1998, travelers were out of luck if they wanted luxury accommodations away from the percolating atmosphere around Piazza San Marco. Home to the French embassy in the 18th century, the hotel also has a landmark garden.