Sina Centurion Palace

Writer Truman Capote once quipped that “Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go.” And if you’re sated with the Gothic and Renaissance palaces and churches, Sina Centurion Palace will give you a taste of something different. This imposing neo-Gothic palace on the Grand Canal only looks old — it was built in 1892 for the Genovese family, but eventually was left empty until 2009, when Florentine architect Luigi Ciompi redesigned it as a hotel with a clean, contemporary touch that blends simplicity with luxury. Colors, shapes and materials play together in a way that perfectly echoes its chic Dorsoduro neighbors on the so-called “Museum Mile,” which stretches from the Punta della Dogana and Peggy Guggenheim museums to the Accademia Gallery. Some Venetian hotels overload the décor with every motif, but the Centurion has stripped them down to their essentials and makes the simple seem sumptuous.