In Rome, a 17th-century palazzo where Stendhal once stayed, just steps from the Pantheon. In Venice, a Gothic palazzo on a Cannaregio canal, whose grand salon was built in 1548 for a princely wedding. Orient Express has opened its first two hotels in Italy, and each could host a chapter of your wedding. Here is how to envision them.
In brief
- In Rome: Orient Express La Minerva, opening in Spring 2025, Piazza della Minerva, behind the Pantheon. 93 rooms, including 36 suites, a 360-degree rooftop, five reception salons.
- In Venice: Orient Express Venezia, at Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, opening in spring 2026 in Cannaregio. 47 rooms and suites, a baroque salon dating from 1548, an inner garden, cuisine by Heinz Beck.
- For a wedding: both hotels can be privatized for a wedding or a private event. They also host a welcome dinner, a reception, guest accommodation, or the final party, to complement the La Dolce Vita train or the Corinthian sailing yacht.
- Recommended timeframe: twelve to eighteen months.
When the legend becomes an address
For over a century, Orient Express was a train. Today, it is also a hospitality house, born of the alliance between Accor and LVMH, opening hotels where the legend has always made a stop. Italy was chosen as the starting point: Rome in 2025, Venice in 2026. Two cities, two palaces, and the same vision of travel. For an Italian wedding, these two addresses change the game. They offer what few hotels manage to combine: a historic venue, the atmosphere of a private home, a world-renowned signature, and a direct link to the train and sailing yacht of the same house.
Orient Express La Minerva, in Rome
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A Grand Tour palace. On the small Minerva square, just behind the Pantheon, a 17th-century aristocratic palace became a hotel in the 19th century, under the name Grand Hôtel de la Minerve. Travelers on the Grand Tour stayed here, writers and aristocrats chief among them. Stendhal stayed here: a suite bears his name, complete with its original frescoes.
Hugo Toro’s vision. After four years of work, architect and artist Hugo Toro has restored the palace. Almost everything is bespoke, and almost everything is made in Italy: woodwork, fabrics, lighting, bedside tables shaped like travel trunks. At the heart of the lobby, beneath a glass canopy, an 1854 marble statue of Minerva, a work by Rinaldo Rinaldi, a pupil of Canova, watches over the bar.
The rooftop. At the top, the restaurant Gigi Rigolatto offers a 360-degree view over the Eternal City: the dome of the Pantheon, the Vittoriano, the dome of St. Peter's. It is one of Rome's finest vantage points for a sunset cocktail.
The salons. The hotel features five reception spaces:
- the Sala Olimpo, spanning approximately 165 square meters, adorned with eleven marble sculptures by Rinaldo Rinaldi;
- La Galleria, approximately 75 square meters, on the ground floor, beneath a ceiling reminiscent of the dome of the Pantheon;
- the Sala Rinaldi, approximately 54 square meters, inspired by the historic carriages of the Orient Express;
- The more intimate Sala Alfieri and Sala Bernini, for a family dinner or a signing.
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For a wedding. The hotel can be exclusively privatized for your wedding. La Minerva lends itself to an intimate Roman wedding, a welcome dinner prior to the departure of the La Dolce Vita train from Ostiense station, or a final celebration upon return. Its 93 rooms and 36 suites welcome guests to the heart of the historic center, a ten-minute walk from Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain.
Orient Express Venezia, in Venice
A Gothic palazzo on a canal. In Cannaregio, one of Venice's most authentic districts, Palazzo Donà Giovannelli has stood on the Rio di Noale since the 15th century. Its Gothic windows are attributed to Filippo Calendario, the architect associated with the Doge's Palace. It was once the residence of the Donà and Giovannelli families, great patrons of the arts. It took eight years of restoration, led by architect Aline Asmar d'Amman alongside the Italian heritage authorities, to restore its splendor.
A salon born for a wedding. It is the detail that inspires dreams: the grand salon on the piano nobile, the Salone Vittoria, was built for the wedding of Princess Vittoria Farnese in 1548. Its Baroque gilding has witnessed nearly five centuries pass. Today, it welcomes up to 120 guests. Celebrating your wedding in a salon created for a princely wedding: few places in the world offer such history.
The palace in detail. An octagonal staircase attributed to Giovanni Battista Meduna, frescoes by Francesco Hayez, an inner garden—a rarity in Venice—and a secret garden. One arrives by water, aboard a private boat, as Venetian tradition intended.
Heinz Beck’s table. The three-starred chef of La Pergola in Rome oversees the hotel’s gastronomy: a fine-dining restaurant seating around thirty guests, L'Orangerie, with its own pontoon, and a more relaxed restaurant opening onto the courtyard. At the Art Deco-inspired Wagon Bar, one finds the atmosphere of the Orient Express lounge cars.
For a wedding. The hotel can be privatized for your wedding. Le Venezia lends itself to a reception in the Salone Vittoria, an intimate dinner in the Orangerie, a cocktail reception in the garden, or a welcome dinner for a grand journey setting off from Venice. Its 47 rooms and suites make it a confidential address, ideal for the couple's closest circle.
Rome or Venice?
- For a grand celebration beneath the sky: Rome and its rooftop, with the entire city as its backdrop.
- For a historic reception: Venice and the Salone Vittoria, a wedding salon since 1548.
- For a deeply intimate wedding: Venice, its 47 rooms and its garden.
- To welcome additional guests: Rome, its 93 rooms and five salons.
- For a journey: both, connected by the La Dolce Vita train.
Three ways to envision your wedding
- The Venetian wedding. Guest arrival by private boat, cocktails in the inner garden, reception in the Salone Vittoria, dinner signed by Heinz Beck, then a gondola ride through the canals of Cannaregio at nightfall.
- The Roman Wedding. A symbolic ceremony in a rare venue in the city, a sunset cocktail on the rooftop facing the Pantheon, dinner in the Sala Olimpo amidst marble statues, and a night in the Stendhal Suite.
- The grand Italian journey. Welcome dinner at the Venezia, departure aboard the La Dolce Vita train to Tuscany for the ceremony amidst the vineyards, arrival in Rome for the final celebration on the rooftop of La Minerva. A three- or four-day wedding, from one legendary city to another, entirely under the sign of Orient Express.
Our Role
Hotels provide the setting, the table, and hospitality. We compose everything else, working alongside their teams.
- Creative direction: floral scenography, lighting, stationery, a cohesive thread between the venues.
- The ceremony: the choice of venue, the officiant, the music, authorisations in Rome or Venice.
- The guests: flights, boat transfers in Venice, private cars in Rome, a personal welcome for each.
- The journey: coordination between the hotels, the La Dolce Vita train, and, should you wish, the Corinthian sailing yacht.
- Confidentiality: non-disclosure agreements, photography guidelines, absolute discretion.
What you need to know before embarking
- Exclusive Hire: both hotels can be privatised, in whole or in part, for a wedding or private event. Spaces and conditions are defined with each hotel, depending on the dates. We explore them from our very first exchange.
- Civil marriage: getting civilly married in Italy is possible for foreign couples, through specific administrative procedures. Many couples choose to marry civilly at home, then celebrate a symbolic ceremony in Italy.
- Venice: the city dictates its own logistics. Everything travels by water, from the guests to the flowers. It must be planned well in advance.
- Rome: the historic center is largely pedestrianized or subject to restricted traffic. Transfers are planned with precision.
- The season: spring and early autumn offer the most beautiful light, and towns that are gentler than in the height of summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can a wedding be organized at Orient Express La Minerva in Rome? Yes. The hotel can be privatized for a wedding or private event, featuring its five reception salons and its rooftop facing the Pantheon.
- Can an Orient Express hotel be fully privatized for a wedding? Yes. Both La Minerva in Rome and le Venezia in Venice can be privatized for a wedding, a celebration, or a private event, depending on the dates.
- Can the Salone Vittoria at Orient Express Venezia host a wedding reception? Yes. This baroque salon, built in 1548 for the wedding of Princess Vittoria Farnese, welcomes up to 120 guests, and the hotel can be privatized for a wedding.
- How many rooms do the two hotels have? 93 rooms, including 36 suites, at La Minerva in Rome, and 47 rooms and suites at the Venezia in Venice.
- Who crafts the cuisine at the Venezia? Chef Heinz Beck, awarded three Michelin stars for La Pergola in Rome. He also crafts the cuisine aboard La Dolce Vita train.
- Can hotels be combined with the La Dolce Vita train? Yes. Orient Express offers journeys that combine its hotels, train, and sailing yacht, from Venice to Rome and all the way to the Côte d'Azur.
- Where are the hotels located? La Minerva is situated on Piazza della Minerva, behind the Pantheon. Le Venezia is in Cannaregio, on Strada Nova, with an entrance on the canal.
- How far in advance should you plan a wedding in Rome or Venice? Allow twelve to eighteen months, and longer still for a multi-day wedding.
Two palaces, one story
Rome and Venice have welcomed Grand Tour travelers for centuries. Orient Express hotels revive this tradition: guests arrive as they once did, to experience something truly unique. For a wedding, it is the most exquisite starting point, or the most beautiful arrival. With all my elegance, Sandrine Arnould — Founder, Luxury Events Agency