If I could choose one hotel to call my home away from home, it would be the Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Venice. Arriving there recently after a long flight from New York, my partner and I were greeted as if we were family members. Awaiting us in our suite was a chilled bottle of Proscecco and a personal note from the managing director welcoming us to Venice. Stepping out onto our private terrace overlooking the hotel’s spectacular saltwater pool, we toasted each other and the beauty that was all around us. The Cipriani is truly an oasis of luxury and relaxed sophistication. Days can be spent sunbathing and swimming, or you can take the hotel’s private launch across the Grand Canal into Venice for an afternoon of shopping. Back at the hotel, enjoy a massage and facial at the Casanova Wellness Centre, or cocktails in the Gabbiano Bar (order the “Buona Notte” that they created for George Clooney). Dine in the elegant Oro Restaurant, or outside at the casual Cip’s Club with the Piazza San Marco providing the perfect backdrop for a romantic evening. Rates from € 753 for a double room to € 8,780 for the two-bedroom Palladio Suite with private terrace and heated pool. Belmond Hotel Cipriani Giudecca 10, Venice, Italy. Tel: 001-39-041-520-7744. www.hotelcipriani.com