Gorgeous Family Luxury Resort in Venice: San Clemente Palace Kempinski

Visiting Venice in August can be described in two words: hot and crowded. On a recent trip to Italy, knowing that the temperatures were going to be in the triple digits with high humidity, we opted to stay off of the main island and have a very different Venice experience at San Clemente Palace Kempinski. Traveling with kids when temperatures are extreme can be a bit of a challenge.  We initially had reservations to stay in the heart of Venice in a hotel without a pool.  We made a last minute change to a family friendly luxury resort in Venice and boy are we glad we did!  Here’s a peek inside what you can expect at the world class San Clemente Palace Kempinski Resort in Venice. Affiliate links are included in this post.

When you arrive at the Venice airport, I highly suggest a private water taxi.  You can make reservations ahead of time and have everything taken care of.  They will bring your family directly to the private dock at the San Clemente Palace Kempinski where you will be escorted to the main building for check in. 

San Clemente Palace Kempinski sits on it’s own six acre island in the heart of the Venice lagoon, about a 10 minute boat ride from St. Mark’s Square. It offers 3 restaurants, several bars with appetizers and drinks, a beautiful resort style pool, tennis courts, a three hole pitch and putt gold course, a kid’s club, complimentary boat service to and from the heart of Venice and beautiful lush grounds. The island, founded in 1131, boasts it’s own stunning chapel.

This gorgeous building is a 12th-century chapel built in the Romanesque style. San Clemente Church is a one-of-a-kind venue with an interesting history and a traditional, romantic appeal.  Perfect for weddings!

The hotel itself is housed in an old convent, beautifully restored to incorporate every amenity imaginable in a new, 5-star resort. A huge, grand staircase, wide hallways and 15 foot ceilings truly make the interior of the hotel feel like the palace that it is.  Rooms are spacious and have beautiful views no matter where in the hotel you are staying. 

The kids loved going for long walks exploring the building and the gorgeous island.

Huge hallways with tall ceilings make the building feel extra grand and luxurious.  It was so nice for our family to have plenty of room for the four of us.  Our two rooms were adjoining, with a single door off the main hallway leading to a foyer that had doors in it leading to our two separate rooms.  We were able to keep the main door locked and closed to the hallway while our two rooms remained open to each other, similar to a two bedroom apartment.  It was so convenient and family friendly.  

Spacious rooms are perfect for families and offer king size beds, large windows and a siting area. Original stone floors, made of material local to the area, lend a sense of history to the space.  The bathrooms are just as spacious and pretty.

The pool cabanas are a welcome spot to lounge and relax while the kids play in the pool.  Delicious pool side service is available at your cabana, or you can eat at the restaurant at a table right next to the pool where you can still see the kids if you want to eat while they play.  

The San Clemente Palace Kempinski complimentary 10 minute boat ride from the hotel drops you right at St. Mark’s Square and runs every 30 minutes until late in the evening.  Having access to a pool (a rarity in Venice) during the heat of the day, and then heading to the city in the evenings after cruise ship crowds have vacated, is a great way to relax and unwind while still enjoying all the excitement Venice has to offer.  It is definitely the way our family likes to travel.  When traveling with a family, make sure to check for family deals.  Hotels don’t always advertise them, but we were able to find a package where the second room was 50% off, and kids ate free throughout our stay.  Having the kids eat free at the resort allowed us to enjoy really nice family meals on the property while we swam and enjoyed the other amenities,  for roughly the same cost as if we had to pay to feed all four of us in the city.   The San Clemente Palace Kempinski is very family friendly and it never hurts to ask what they can do to help accommodate your family.

We truly enjoyed out stay at the beautiful San Clemente Palace Kempinski.

If you are planning a trip to Europe, you can read about other family vacation experiences in our Travel Gallery.  Here are some of our most popular posts:

Things to do in London: Visit Borough Market

Visiting Notting Hill

Afternoon Tea at the Orangery at Kensington Palace

Take a Spin on the London Eye

The Best Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg

Tips for Using Public Transportation in London

Primrose Hill: Home of Paddington Bear

What it’s like to rent a vacation flat in London

How to Stay Connected While Traveling in Europe

A Walking Tour of London

Stay in a Traditional Canal House in Amsterdam

Day Trips from Amsterdam: Visit Haarlem, Netherlands

Traveling by Train in Europe: What to Expect

Happy Travels!

Tammy