When "Venetian" and "casino" appear in the same sentence, you likely think of the all-suite Las Vegas hotel with world-class restaurants and a luxury spa.

But forget theme park dupes of canals and replicas of Venetian art, and swoon over the real Renaissance luxury of Casino di Venezia, housed in Palazzo Vendramin-Calergi, one of the most magnificent gems of Italian architectural splendor on the Grand Canal. Outside, soaring Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns frame rows of lancet windows with rounded arches, a signature flourish of Venetian facades.