We review Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, Italy, a 5-star hotel located on the charming island of Giudecca

There’s no shortage of beautiful Venice hotels, but Hilton Molino Stucky Venice has something extra: a sense of drama. Set on the quieter Giudecca Island and housed inside a vast former flour mill, it is the kind of hotel that draws your eye before you have even stepped inside, with its neo-Gothic façade, towering profile and unmistakable red-brick silhouette. We recently checked into the hotel to experience it for ourselves.

While this stay was hosted, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Hilton Molino Stucky Venice review

Hotel snapshot: Hilton Molino Stucky Venice

Hotel: Hilton Molino Stucky Venice
Location: Giudecca Island, Venice, Italy (accessible by hotel shuttle boat to St Mark’s Square)
Address: Giudecca, 810, 30133 Venezia, Italy
Rooms: 379 rooms and suites 
Brand: Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Year opened: 2007 
Style: Conversion of a 19th-century flour mill with contemporary Venetian interiors
Family amenities: Family rooms available, babysitting/childcare services, cribs on request, spacious suites suitable for families
Wellness: eforea Spa with sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi and treatment rooms, rooftop swimming pool (seasonal), fitness centre/gym
Price range: Typically from €200-350 per night, depending on season and room type

The history

Venice is a city built on stories, and Hilton Molino Stucky is one of its most compelling. The building began life in the 1880s as an industrial flour mill commissioned by Giovanni Stucky, later expanded with a tower and neo-Gothic façade in 1895, and at its height employed around 1,500 workers. It was once among Europe’s largest mills, producing flour, bread and pasta before closing in the 1950s.

Since its opening in 2007, Hilton Molino Stucky has found its home in the remarkable building, offering guests the chance to live within one of the city’s most iconic buildings. Thanks to its incredible size, it remains the largest hotel and conference centre in Venice.

The entry experience

We arrived at Marco Polo Airport at around 10 pm on a Wednesday, and the hotel had arranged a private water taxi for us, which made the journey both smooth and atmospheric. The transfer took us around 40 minutes, and even at night, the city felt cinematic, with church domes, palazzi and wooden walkways glowing softly in the dark.

A private transfer is certainly the easiest way to arrive, though the property is reachable by public transport, too. As we approached Giudecca, the hotel looked every bit the grand Venetian landmark, lit up like a perfectly proportioned gingerbread house.
Check-in was swift and friendly, and we were soon heading to room 602 in the Arsenale section of the hotel.

The rooms and suites

We were staying in a King Molino Executive Room on the sixth floor of the hotel. The part we loved most about the room was the gorgeous view. By day and by night, our window framed a vista over the Giudecca Canal, making it the perfect spot to enjoy a coffee of a morning. Beyond the canal, we could see over to Venice proper, with Dorsoduro in the foreground and the mighty snow-capped Dolomites behind.

The room itself was restrained and contemporary, with subtle decorative touches that referenced the hotel’s history. One particularly charming detail was an illustrated version of the building hidden inside the wardrobe, a small but memorable nod to the place. There was also a proper table and chair setup for working and plenty of charging points. The bed was on the firm side, and the blackout curtains meant that we slept extremely well.

The bathroom followed Hilton’s familiar polished style, with Crabtree toiletries, an excellent rainfall shower and a separate standard shower. The oversized robes and bath sheets felt especially generous, and the inclusion of a bidet was a thoughtful finishing touch.

A kettle, tea and coffee, a minibar fridge and a comfortable bed rounded out a room that felt practical as well as comfortable.

Dining and drinks

The hotel is home to Venice’s highest drinking establishment, Skyline Rooftop Bar. This is the place to come for sunset, where you get amazing views over the city as a range of colours move across the sky. During our stay, the bar staff had used these colours as inspiration for its menu, creating an interactive quiz for you to discover your perfect cocktail match. We loved sitting up here and watching the sun go down as we enjoyed our drinks alongside our cichetti.

Breakfast is served at Il Molino and is a complete extravaganza, with a buffet selection that features a candy table, Venetian traditional dishes such as suckling pig, and most everything else you could wish for. I appreciated the fact that you can order eggs a la minute along with a barista-style coffee each morning.

One evening, we decided to make a reservation at Bacaromi, the hotel’s Venetian restaurant inspired by a traditional Bacaro (a Venetian tavern), and we were so glad that we did. Our server, Riccardo, was an absolute delight, helping us to create a sharing dinner that gave us a sampling of local dishes. Of course, we had to start with a selection of made-to-order cicchetti, which were fresh and delicious, before moving on to a very rustic dish of cuttlefish and white polenta, which we both loved. Next up, a serving of anchovy and onion pasta had us obsessed from the first bite before a perfectly-cooked seabream with vegetables rounded out the offering.

Things to do

Venice offers more than enough to fill a week, but the concierge team at Hilton Molino Stucky made it easy to focus on the experiences that mattered most to us. They arranged a private visit to a Murano glass factory, where we arrived by boat and spent several hours learning how the glass is made, watching craftspeople at work and exploring a museum of finished pieces. It was a fascinating reminder of the city’s enduring artisanal traditions and a welcome contrast to the bustle of central Venice.

If you’re looking to slow the pace, the eforea Spa is another strong reason to stay. The spa includes treatment rooms, a sauna, a steam room and a menu of massages and facials, along with a signature Molino Flour and Honey Peel that cleverly nods to the building’s past. During warmer months, the rooftop pool becomes one of the hotel’s best assets, pairing open-air relaxation with sweeping city views. A 24/7 fitness centre is also available for anyone wanting to keep up a routine while travelling.

Getting around

The hotel’s shuttle boat makes it easy to move between Giudecca and San Marco throughout the day, and it is one of the simplest ways to dip in and out of the main sights without losing the calmer atmosphere of the island. The service costs 15 per person per stay, while the vaporetto stop is just a short walk away. That combination of easy access and relative peace is part of what makes this location so appealing.

Frequently asked questions: Hilton Molino Stucky Venice

Final thoughts

Hilton Molino Stucky Venice is special because it offers more than just a comfortable base in the city. It gives you a sense of Venice’s industrial past, a dramatic waterside setting and some of the best views in town, all wrapped in a property that feels both grand and welcoming. For travellers who want heritage, convenience and a little theatricality in equal measure, it is a compelling choice.

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