Hilton Molino Stucky Venice

Hilton Molino Stucky Venice has the best backstory on this list. The red-brick Stucky flour mill was built in 1895 and was once the largest industrial building on Giudecca island, before it was abandoned and then reworked into a Hilton with 379 rooms and the highest rooftop bar in Venice. The lobby still keeps the old brick shell and the original iron columns, and that gives it a sense of Venetian industrial history you won't find anywhere else in the city. The review score sits at 8.2/10.

Rooms and decor

The rooms have all been redone — clean, modern furniture, and noticeably more space than central-Venice hotels at a similar price, because Giudecca isn't squeezed the way the old town is. Many rooms look over the Giudecca Canal and across to the San Marco skyline on the far side, which is a genuinely good view. Most reviews single out clean rooms, comfortable beds and a full set of fittings — solid value for a Hilton at this level.

Food and amenities

The Skyline Rooftop Bar is worth a trip even if you aren't staying — a full 360-degree view over Venice, the lagoon and the surrounding islands, and a sunset spot that locals themselves rank near the top of the city. Plenty of reviewers say it beats Terrazza Danieli because it sits higher and gives you the whole 360. The Il Molino breakfast buffet earns the most praise on the property: freshly baked pastries, a waffle and pancake station, fresh fruit and a wide range of hot dishes. Add the outdoor pool and the spa and the place feels more like a resort than a city hotel.

Location and getting there

Giudecca sits across the Giudecca Canal from Zattere. The hotel runs a free shuttle boat to San Marco that takes about 10 minutes, and vaporetto lines 2 and 4 stop right out front, so getting around the city is straightforward enough. If you want to wander late or come back after midnight, plan on a vaporetto or a water taxi — the hotel boat stops earlier.

Things to know before booking

The Giudecca location is the main trade-off: it is not central, so evening wandering means relying on the Hilton boat, and that boat finishes late at night. At 379 rooms the experience is less personal than a smaller boutique would be. And because the hotel boat has stopped by midnight, a late night out means working out the vaporetto or a water taxi back across the canal.

Our take

Molino Stucky suits families, groups of friends and travelers who want the full set of amenities — pool, rooftop bar, big breakfast buffet — at a reasonable 4-star price. If you can live with the Giudecca location and you like the idea of staying inside a striking old mill, it is very good value, with rates starting around $230 a night.