The boutique hotel in the heart of Venice everyone is talking about now

Where: Piazza San Marco, Venice

How much: From 900 euros per night with breakfast included

Good things sometimes take time. When Sara and Elena Mastrelli started looking for a property in Venice to add to their family's collection of boutique hotels, they didn't think it would take six years.

Finally, however, they found not one, not two but three buildings that had once housed three- and four-star hotels. They put together a team of local tradespeople to turn three into one, hired a bubbly general manager, Annabella Cariello, and earlier this year flung open the doors of Violino d'Oro.

You can't get much more central than this location, across the bridge from Campo San Moise and just a few minutes' walk from San Marco.

The hotel has its own dock, so if you are coming by water taxi you can pull up directly in front of it. And if hiring a gondola is on your to-do list, the gondola stop is right by the hotel.

The Mastrellis conceived Violino d'Oro as a celebration of Italian craftsmanship and sourced their interiors from many of Italy's most prestigious companies, from Rubelli fabrics to Fortuny chandeliers. The style is lush but pared-back, and the furniture is a harmonious blend of mid-century modern and beautiful antiques. Every item here has a backstory, from chandeliers hand-blown on the nearby island of Murano to the dark green terrazzo, laid by hand in the traditional manner by one of Venice's last practitioners of the art.

The three original buildings had 60 rooms between them. The Mastrellis reduced that number to 22, giving their guests plenty of space to stretch out in. Some rooms have canal views, others have outdoor terraces.

Mine has an oblique view across a charming hidden square. I love the high ceilings, the sharply contemporary reinterpretation of the four-poster bed and the sumptuous green marble bathroom with its sculpted glass sinks and my favourite Italian brand of toiletries, Ortigia, tucked inside a gorgeous artisan box.

The only time I appreciate that this used to be three separate buildings is when I'm weaving my way through the corridors to the hotel's tiny restaurant, which fronts onto the same sleepy square as my room. (I find the quickest route is to step out the front door and walk around to the back.)

I'm staying during the hotel's soft opening and the full meals aren't being served yet, but the breakfasts are great and the coffee is excellent. I'm told the vegetable-forward menus will focus on local seasonal ingredients and will cater for vegans. The hotel's small but lovely bar does a classy aperitivo hour - try the bergamot-scented Gin Venice, a twist on the gin fizz made with gin produced in the Venetian lagoon.

There is only one reason to stay in Venice, and that is to explore Venice. The central location of this hotel means it is easy for you to get just about anywhere - although if you hate crowds, avoid staying here in the middle of the northern summer.

The staff are super-helpful any time I ask for tips, anything from the best place to buy limoncello to where I might find a nice cashmere jumper. Interested in visiting the studio of a local artisans? They can make it happen.

Read more on Explore:

With San Marco just five minutes' walk away, I make a habit of strolling through the square first thing in the morning and last thing at night, when I have it all to myself. A magical experience in one of the world's most romantic cities.

Explore more: violinodoro.com

The writer was a guest of Violino D'Oro.