Perhaps the less glitzy of all its locations, Locanda Cipriani on Venice’s remote Torcello Island nonetheless perhaps best encapsulates the original ethos of the family-owned hospitality group.

As the name suggests, the restaurant with rooms, Italy’s version of an inn, has exemplified Cipriani’s roots in family-style hospitality since 1947, when it first opened its doors.

Now, after three years of renovations spearheaded by the group’s chief executive officer Giuseppe Cipriani, the inn is back to its old glory days.

Surrounded by lush gardens with a direct water access to the lagoon, the location has hosted notables across decades, from Ernest Hemingway and Charlie Chaplin to Maria Callas, Paul Newman and Queen Elizabeth II.

“The locanda was already there, steeped in history. It simply needed to be brought back to life with the same respect with which it was originally created, striking a balance between the past and the future. The goal was to preserve its soul while enhancing it with understated luxury, thoughtfully designed around the need for space and privacy,” Cipriani told WWD a few weeks after the inn reopened last June.

The unusual property became part of the Cipriani galaxy long before the tony Fifth Avenue restaurant in Manhattan, Cipriani Dubai or Casa Cipriani in Milan. It is second in age only to the OG Harry’s Bar in Venice’s San Marco district.

In 1936, Giuseppe Cipriani Sr. fell for the island while sailing along its shores. Sparsely populated, he discovered that it was home to a local osteria, a tavern and wine shop. Charmed by the placid atmosphere, he bought it and opened the inn 11 years later, after World War II ended.

Revamped with help from design firm Fabrizio Cocchi Studio, Locanda Cipriani’s modern incarnation preserves the original understated, familiar DNA.

“Every decision was guided not by asking ourselves what would be beautiful today, but what would still feel natural 50 years from now — in the materials, the light and the spaces, all shaped with elegance and ease,” Cipriani said.

The original six rooms are now 10, primarily suites with sweeping views over the Venetian canals, the property’s private gardens and the haze falling over the lagoon at dusk. The antique wooden beams, custom made furnishings and Murano glass lamps enhance the welcoming, timeless vibe of the storied location.

“The Locanda is perhaps the place that best expresses who we are. Harry’s Bar, like the restaurants that followed, is about connection; Casa Cipriani is about belonging; the Locanda is about silence,” Cipriani said. “It reminds us that hospitality also means not feeling compelled to fill our guests’ time but giving them the space to feel comfortable and free.”

Several anecdotes about the Locanda’s famous past — including Hemingway completing his novel “Across the River and Into the Trees” while staying there in 1948 — fill the pages of “The Harry’s Bar: The Life and Times of the Legendary Venice Landmark,” the 2007 book by Cipriani’s father Arrigo.

The many personalities who have stayed at Locanda Cipriani would end up calling it home, Cipriani said.

“What these guests had in common was that, once they crossed the threshold, they stopped being public figures and became human beings,” he said.

They fill Cipriani’s own childhood memories, not unlike regular folks, such as Vittorio, a farmer who would sail to the neighboring island of Burano rowing “alla valesana,” or Venetian-style, or the priest who let him play the organ behind closed doors.

“We have always wanted our locations to be places guests long to return to, without trying too hard to impress them — simply seeking to make them feel good. I believe that is the essence of the appeal,” the executive said.

The 10 new rooms convey the scale of the full makeover, with new parquet flooring, marble bathrooms and glossy wood paneling, nodding to the original decor while providing the luxurious feel that Cipriani regulars elsewhere have come to expect from the hospitality group.

The apartment-size rooms were designed according to three different color themes. On the ground floor, red and green rooms are defined by the deep-hued marbles and burgundy accents and the forest green upholstery and verdant surrounding, respectively, while the blue rooms on the first floor overlook the lagoon with dusty blue walls and striped textiles.

Nestled within the property, a private garden overlooking the Byzantine Church of Santa Maria Assunta and Church of Santa Fosca, offers fresh produce daily — the culinary experience being integral to any stay at Locanda Cipriani.

The menu is infused with quintessentially Venetian dishes flanked by Cipriani signatures — from the “castraure” artichoke salad and pan-fried “moeche,” the Mediterranean green crab, to the renowned raw beef carpaccio “alla Cipriani” and Venetian-style calf’s liver sautéed in butter and fresh sage.

Similarly, the activities offered reflect the location, with rowing classes and fishing expeditions, as well as historic walks across the Torcello island, or private visits to local craft ateliers in Burano and Murano.

The inn is open from late March to November and rooms start at 1,000 euros a night, depending on the season.