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Location, Location, Location |
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Tuesday, 02 September 2008 01:41 |
Where To Stay In Venice The first choice a visitor to Venice faces is where to stay. Most people envision a large suite overlooking the Grand Canal, with a private balcony for serene private dinner soirees and leisurely breakfasts watching the boats. If money is no object then this is what I would recommend, but for most of us our hotel choice is limited by a budget. There are some smaller more affordable hotels on the Grand Canal if this is what you have set your heart on. The Hotel Marconi is right next to the Rialto Bridge, and has rates from E170 to E495 (in 2008) per night depending on dates, whether the room overlooks the Grand Canal and so on. Location, Location, Location There are many smaller canals in Venice, and a hotel near one of these may provide a canal view, without the bustling traffic of the Grand Canal. One consideration is how close the hotel is to a Vaporetto stop. When you arrive in Venice, ground transport will probably deposit you in the Piazzale Roma, at the northwestern end of the Grand Canal, and from there you will have to carry or roll your luggage to the hotel via some combination of Vaporettos($), water taxis($$$), or various alleyways. Porters are available for a fee depending on your hotel location and your negotiating skills. Some hotels do not have air conditioning or only semi-effective wall units and most do not have elevators. Hotel Abbazia One hotel I can personally recommend is the Hotel Abbazia (Abbey Hotel) which is part of a 17th century Carmelite monastery and is very conveniently located down a side alley close to the Grand Canal and the Piazzale Roma. It is built right next door to the main Venice Train Station and while I did not notice any noise from trains, the monastery bell does ring early every morning. Access from the Piazzale Roma is very easy, one stop on the #1 Vaporetto - get off at "Ferrovia" - The Train Station, or it is walkable even with luggage. The hotel has a small courtyard garden inside, with a few tables for alfresco breakfast. Breakfast is included and consists of freshly made coffee or tea, cold meats, cheeses, hard boiled eggs, croissants, pastries, cereal, canned fruit, yogurt and fruit juices. The front desk staff speak good English and are very helpful. Our superior double room was on the third floor (no elevator) and was a bit cramped, but had a spacious ensuite bathroom/shower and a courtyard view. Venice Lido And The Mainland One cheaper option is to stay on the Venice Lido (beach) which is a thin strip of land between the Venice lagoon and the sea with a sandy beach and easy access by car, bus and taxi, or by Vaporetto to and from Venice. Another is to stay on the mainland, in Treviso or nearby. For either location, Venice itself will be more of a day trip, and you may well end up spending more just to sit in a cafe or restaurant during siesta instead of retiring to your hotel. The best times of day in Venice are either before breakfast, or after dinner, when it is cooler, and the crowds either haven't arrived yet, or have gone back to their hotel. Staying outside the Venice itself, you will miss these times of day, and be part of the daily influx of tourists. Popular Hotels There are hundreds of other hotels to choose from in Venice and one excellent site that allows you to select by popularity based on reviews is tripadvisor.com |
