Venice

"Best" is subjective. A water taxi is probably the easiest, especially if you are just coming off an overnight international flight. It will cost you though, over $100. If you want to spend far less, there are a number of options that will get you to the Rialto Bridge area where you can walk the rest of the way. You can try the Alilaguna boat or take a bus to Piazale Roma and then a vaporetto to Rialto.

Do you make arrangements in advance for a water taxi or do it at the airport? Can you recommend a company?

You can book a shared water taxi from the airport, but you may have to wait up to 40 minutes for the others booked with you, and the boat will make several stops.

If you want a private water taxi, you can just walk down to the dock and you will find one there.

But before you decide on a water taxi, I suggest you contact the hotel and see if they have a private dock where the taxi can drop you. They are on a small side canal, so the taxi cannot leave you just anywhere. There may be no benefit to a water taxi if they cannot get you right to your hotel.

I see they do not even mention a water taxi as an option for reaching the hotel on their website. Did you see this?

http://www.starhotels.com/en/our-hotels/splendid-venice-venice/location.html

But I looked on Google street view, and it appears they have a small dock---although right at water level so it may be unusable. Take a look if you have access to Google street view.

you can just walk in to one at the airport dock, like you'd do for a regular taxi.
Or you can book ahead online. The cost is 100€ from the airport to the historical center for a party of up to 5 people. For 6 or more in the party there is a surcharge of 10€ per person.
There is a night surcharge of 20€ between 10pm and 7am.

https://www.motoscafivenezia.it/eng/

We have been to Venice several times, once for as long as a month, and have used every different method of transport to or from the airport (or train station area). The water taxi ride down the Grand Canal from Piazzale Roma to the hotel dock byvCa' d'Oro (courtesy of my brother-in-law) was a real treat.

But the vaporetto from Piazzale Roma travels down the same Grand Canal and is a whole lot less expensive, so that would be my next choice if the water taxi is too expensive---or if you learn that the taxi cannot get you close to your hotel. It is buried deep in the heart of Venice, in a great area but on a small canal, so you need to find out about that.

The hotel's website says they have a private water taxi dock. But on occasion, during very high or low tides, water taxis can have some difficulties in the interior canals. Water too high? Can't get under a bridge. Water too low? Not enough water depth for the boat. This of course changes constantly. The boat driver will know the current conditions (its his job) and will tell you if he has to use an alternate dock near the hotel, or if you should wait an hour or two.
I always get hotels near a vaporetto dock so I can get to a from with public transportation. But it looks like a great hotel, in fact splendid.

As I mentioned above, you can see the hotel's taxi dock on Google Street View. ( Gotta love Street view for Venice---you can "walk" all over the city. I dropped the pin on the little bridge Ponte dei Pignoli and you can see two gondolas and a private boat in the little canal, along with a clear view of the dock).

The dock is very low--about one inch above the water in the picture ( which appears to be a nice day, not acqua alta) so it must be flooded at times. At best it could be difficult to use. I know they mention it under the hotel's amenities, but it is curious that they do not mention water taxi as an option in their instruction for arriving at the hotel. They only mention the No. 2 vaporetto and the Alilaguna, combined with a walk from either Rialto or San Marco.

When are you going, inacantor?

Thank you. My husband and I will have 3 large suitcases and will need help getting to the hotel if we hAve to walk from another dock. Is there any service from the airport to the door of the hotel?

Is there any service from the airport to the door of the hotel?

Repeat, Water Taxi.

Water taxi landing stage
Arrive directly at the hotel from anywhere in Venice.

Contact the hotel directly with your "problem" and see if they have a porter service that can meet you where the water taxi lets you off.

I take it that if you are traveling with most of your wardrobes you are joining a cruise after visiting Venice?

Only people on cruises take so much.

You will also have to leave the hotel, which because of your heavy luggage, is likely to also have to be an expensive taxi.

Will you be going anywhere after the cruise?

Is there any way you can get the weight down? Cut out a bag? If you have three huge suitcases between two people somebody has to haul two of them.

Nigel, There are people who take cruises with only a carry on size bag and a personal bag. We've done it for years.

OK, I'll put it another way.

Not all cruise passengers take steamer trunks with them.

Not all visitors to Europe overpack.

If somebody travels with huge amounts of luggage more often than not they tend to be on a cruise - thinking that they have to change outfits several times a day and have plenty of formal and fancy dress outfits for those times onboard when they think they will need them.

I know. I used to frequently sail transatlantic with my mother.