OReilly

Hello all:

I am doing some preliminary planning for a trip to Italy: Venice/Florence/Umbria.

As always, I am having ‘sticker-shock’ on the price of hotels in Venice (been there about 5 times, but not for some years).

Last visit, I had a lovely stay in a reasonably priced hotel in Dorsoduro (or perhaps one of the other areas outside of San Marco). Unfortunately, I did not write a trip report and I forget the name of either the hotel or the area.

My requirements are simple, and as follows:
• I don’t really want to stay in San Marco, I would be perfectly happy in the outlying areas that are within walking distance of the San Marco
• A double room, for one person, that has WIFI access. Very clean and not too small.
• In the past I stayed in 4-Star accommodation, but have realized I don’t need this, and would be perfectly happy with good 2-3 Star accommodation
• Don’t care if it is a Hotel or B&B

I’d really appreciate some recent recommendations.

Kind regards … Ger

massimop

AirBnb or Booking.com are your best bets for finding what you are looking for in your price range, but you need to read reviews (which are on the websites). On booking.com you can filter your search for only lodings with wi-fi, and you can search by neighborhood using map features or filters. Most importantly, you can search for your precise dates. No point in my recommending Antica Ponte Vista Bella B&B in Dorsoduro if it's already booked solid.

tuscanlifeedit

Another plus on booking.com is that you can sometimes see the price for a single occupant as well as a double, which tells me that the room is big enough for two. In any case, they give the square footage, or meterage, I guess.


I just booked something there and had a very particular question or two, about the shower and elevator, and the hotel got my questions through booking.com and answered immediately.

And you can set your currency, too.

OReilly

As I said on my other thread massimop ... get OFF my threads.

I would welcome advice from travelers who have recently stayed in hotels & B&Bs in Venice.

Kind regards ... Ger

massimop

No. And as you can see, tuscanlifeedit seconded my advice

Threads on Fodor's are archived for anyone planning a trip. It is solid advice to tell travelers in your situation to go to booking.com, rather than rely on out-of-date personal advice that is irrelevant to your actual travel dates.

Facebook is probably a better social media outlet for you if you want to chatter with friends and get emotional support rather than actually focus on booking what you say you want.

StCirq

Hi, Ger.

I know you said you don't want to be near San Marco, but we spent 5 nights in Venice over Christmas at Ca'dei Nobile and loved it. I think we paid about USD105 a night. The room was enormous (and quiet, on a small side street about 7 mins from San Marco), the price included a nice little breakfast, and the owners were gracious. Possible drawbacks (other than the location you don't want): no elevator (but all rooms are just one staircase up from the street), and the owners aren't there at night (but easily reachable by phone and will arrive in minutes).

OReilly

Thanks Mellan, I will check this out.

Best ... Ger

thursdaysd

@massimop - when someone asks for personal recommendations, that is not a matter of chatter and emotional support. If you don't have any, why bother to post? I have a hard time believing most posters here haven't heard of the websites you site.

@OReilly - last time I visited Venice I stayed in a clean and comfortable B&B very close to a vaporetto stop for considerably less than your budget, but it was in Sant'Elena.

OReilly

Thank you thursdaysd: I follow your blogs and postings, so I appreciate your recommendations.

NewbE

<As I said on my other thread massimop ... get OFF my threads.>

JC, are we in grade school??

thursdaysd

You're welcome, OReilly. This was the B&B:

http://www.bbvenezia.com/

Very convenient for the Biennale, but definitely not central and the area is very quiet out of season.

Pepper_von_snoot

Try Hotel Ca' Dogaressa. It is in the Fondamenta Cannaregio, near the gate to the Jewish Ghetto.

Free WIFI and you can eat breakfast outside on the canal.


Thin

27again

I stayed at Hotel Casanova for that in Euros and was quite happy with it because the location was just great -- literally about 30 meters off St Marks, and maybe 500 meters from La Fenice the other way, yet totally quiet. The room was HUGE, but Casanova style == velvet flocked wallpaper and deep red on the bed, but a minifridge, a nice view to the canal, albeit small. The bathroom was brandnew -- but the shower was kind of cramped. AND the people were really nice. I got a deal off tripadvisor in fact, which they extended for me when I decided to stay another night.

It was so nice to be able to run to the room and run back out. I don't usually spend anywhere near that much, but this was a treat to myself and boy did I enjoy it! (Instead I usually spend on food lol)

Yes free wifi, no anything on the canal tho sorry!

27

john183

We stayed here in 2012 and loved it (we liked the location too). FYI - there is no elevator but the rooms are only one flight up and someone carried our luggage up and down. It may be out of your range but it looks like the rate is about 200 Euro per night for late September.

https://www.cabonvicini.com/

jamikins

We stayed here a few years ago and found it basic, affordable and well located.

http://www.aitagliapietra.com

We would stay again.

suze

http://www.lacalcina.com/

I've stayed here twice. It's in Dorsoduro. A smidge over your requested budget at 161 euro for a single, non view room. I loved this hotel.

jamikins

And La Calcina has a lovely patio to sip a Campari spritz! This looked like a lovely hotel when we walked by at Christmas!

suze

I stayed one time with a friend and we had a larger canal view corner room that was wonderful. But the first time I was there solo and had the non view single (the same or very similar to the photo on the reservation page) and it was very sweet too. Calm, cool, a perfect retreat from the hub-bub in the central areas of the city.

OReilly

You guys are great

Thank you so much. I will check your recommendations.

Best regards .. Ger

OReilly

Mellan: I can't drive as I no longer have a licence. When I moved to London, I let my Canadian licence lapse, did not renew, as there was no point. I did previously drive around the region (there is a half-finished trip report on this site), so I don’t feel I am missing out. If anything, the absence of driving will encourage me to spend more time enjoying the towns, which I did not do on previous visits.

Thanks guys for your recommendations re hotels for Venice. I checked everyone out, but some were way outside of my budget ( E290 plus per night on the one that I loved!) and then I gave up, because I realized that I actually do not want to be in Venice over a weekend. Hotels are horrendously expensive, and it will be so crowded with the cruise and Ryanair/easyjet people arriving, similar to my experience in Rome last October over a weekend. So, I will leave Venice for another time.

I have re-designed my schedule. I want this to be a relaxing holiday, avoiding, as much as I can, crowds of people.

Serendipity, a very good friend of mine, provided me with inspiration. Palladio is a great passion for me. I was reading an article on-line about Palladio and, that night, found a BBC programme about the first Palladio-inspired building in London. It was a gift from the Gods. I did a lot of research on-line about the Veneto, fell in love with Padua and Vicenza and other towns in the region. I also discovered how cheap the hotels are in the Veneto, compared to Venice. I was committed. I ordered two books from Amazon about Palladio.

So, I have decided that to fly into Venice, but stay in Padua so I can visit Vicenza, the wonderful Palladian villas in the regions, and maybe do a day trip into Venice.

My preliminary plan is as follows, I am still checking out the logistics. Also, I intend the trip to be very fluid, as in I will follow my schedule as my mood takes me on the day and not be regimented:

Friday: Fly from London to Venice. Half day in Padua. Stay in Padua

Saturday: Explore Vicenza. Stay in Padua

Sunday: Explore Palladio mansions. Stay in Padua

Monday: Possible day trip to Venice. Stay in Padua

Tuesday: Full day in Padua. Travel to Florence in evening. Stay in Florence

Wednesday: Full day in Florence. Stay in Florence

Thursday: Day trip to Siena. Stay in Florence

Friday: Full day in Florence. Travel to Perugia in evening. Stay in Perugia

Saturday: Full day Perugia. Stay in Perugia

Sunday: Day trip to Bevegna. Stay in Perugia

Monday: Day trip to Spello. Stay in Perugia

Tuesday: Day trip Spoleto. Stay in Perugia

Wednesday: Day trip to Gubbio. Stay in Perugia

Thursday: Day trip to Pienza/Asissi. Stay in Perugia

Friday: Full day Perugia. Travel to Florence in evening. Stay in Florence

Saturday: Full day in Florence. Stay in Florence

Sunday: Full day in Florence. Travel to London in late afternoon.

Thank you for your continued assistance and support. It is much appreciated.

Kind regards.. Ger