Venice for Anniversary

I've recommended the Palazzo Sant'Angelo to others in recent posts. You can click on my name to see them. Check it out at sinahotels.com.
It is very nice luxury hotel (small, only 14 rooms) right on the Grand Canal. We paid extra for the canal view room with balcony right on the canal and found it well worth it. Rooms were very large, with walk in closet and large marble bath. It is only 2-3 years old, so very modern, but traditional Venetian decor. We really liked it more than the larger luxury hotels, and found the price to be very reasonable for what we got.

www.lacalcina.com

Andie - I was intrigued by almesq's suggestion so tried to go to the site - wrong web address. The actual web address is: http://www.palazzosantangelo.com/

Looks beautiful. I'd consider for our 31st this June, but we're already booked at Pensione Accademia.

KC

actually, you can get there from hotel group's main site, sinahotels.com. Then just click on Venice and it takes you to Palazzo Sant'Angelo site.

Hmmm...The sinahotels.com seems to be temporarily out of order...but will keep checking. THanks for all your suggestions; I have some homework to do! Keep the suggestions coming if you have anymore! I thought I had lost my first posting somehow, so I posted another one with info on gondola, if you have any recommendations...THanks!

Have dinner at Ai Gondolieri; the tasting menu is great value. For high-end dining you might try Al Covo but I have not been so cannot personally recommend. Two other places where I have been, and liked very much are Alle Testiere and Fiaschetteria Toscana. Unlike many posters here, I have never had a bad meal in Venice; just stay away from the (many) tourist traps and you will be very happy.

I have read many rave reviews about La Calcina (website posted above on another post). We were considering staying there this coming Thanksgiving but ended up changing our travel plans to France.

^

I agree on the Palazzo Sant Angelo, it is a very different kind of Venice hotel if you want a more modern Italian design experience. Here are some other reccos that are maybe more "traditional" Venice and not quite in the Danelli price range :


Hotel Colombina
hotelcolombina.com
Fax: 39-041-277-6044
Tel: 39-041-277-0525

This is on the same canal as the Bridge of Sighs and some rooms have a view (you have to lean out a bit). Very convenient to St Mark's Square. Very nice rooms, and nice bathrooms, I have found the staff helpful on the occasions I have stayed there, although I see some negative comments on tripadvisor.

Monaco and Grand Hotel
San Marco 1325 Venice
Venice, Italy 30124
Tel 39 041 5200 211
Fax 39 041 520 0501
www.summithotels.com

It's right on the Grand Canal and just a few minutes walk to San Marco. Fully renovated in Spring 2004. This chain runs very good hotels generally. Good choice value for money.

Ca' Dei Conti
Fondamenta del Remedio Castello, 4429
Castello 4429
http://www.cadeiconti.com/
http://www.smallandeleganthotels.com

Very charming, good size rooms. In a quiet area not far from San Marco, on a canal with little bridge leading to it.

Locanda Orseolo
Corte Zorzi
San Marco
Tel 39 041.5204827
Fax: 39 041.5235586
http://www.locandaorseolo.com

This little 3 star B&B gets an amazing amount of compliments on trip advisor. I have yet to stay here because every time I try to make a booking, they have been full for my dates. I hope to get to stay there some day.


Some restaurant reccos, mostly informal, this is really just the tip of the iceberg, run a search here and go to Restaurants above, frommers.com and slowtravel.com:

Masaniello
S.Marco, Campo S.Stefano, 2801
Tel. 041.5209003
Vaporetto: No. 1 water bus to the San Stae or Riva di Biasio stop.

http://www.venicemasaniello.com

Excellent Neapolitan cuisine. Located in Campo Santo Stefano, about 15 minutes on foot from St. Mark's Square.

Il Refolo
Santa Croce 1459
Campiello del Piovan - Santa Croce 1459
Campo San Giacomo dall'Orio
011-39-041-524-0016

Inexpensive, great food, outdoor tables on a small canal, great wait staff. It has a very nice dining area right between a canal and the front entrance to the church of San Giacomo dell’Orio. It’s not in the Campo (the back of the church faces into the Campo), but when you walk around the church, you will see the tables and the awning that covers them.

L'Incontro
Rio Terrà Canal
Dorsoduro, 3062/a campo Santa Margherita
tel.+39-041-5222404
Closed on Monday, No lunch Tues.
Vaporetto: S.Toma'
line n.:1-82-N
open: 10.30pm-2.30pm / 7.30pm-10.30pm

Sardinian food, friendly service, and reasonable prices.

Linea d’Ombra
Dorsoduro, 19
zattere-punta della dogana
30123 venezia
tel. +39-041-5204720
Vaporetto: Zattere
open:8am-1am
closed on: Wednesday and Sunday evening

Jazz and piano bar and restaurant serving good Venetian style food, a lively fun place. Moderate to expensive.

Fiaschetteria Toscana
Cannaregio, 5719 S.Giovanni Grisostomo
30121 Venezia
tel.+39-041-5285281
fax +39-041-5285421
Closed on Thursday
Vaporetto: Rialto
line n.:1-82-N

It has a wide-ranging menu, a very-well-priced wine list and good service. Good value for lunch or dinner. Near the Rialto Bridge.

Acqua Pazza
Campo Sant'Angelo, san marco, 3808
Tel 0412770688
Fax 0412775421
Closed Monday
Very large servings. Do not be seduced into ordering extensively, let the first course appear and then take it from there. Expensive, so another reason to not order too much.
Vino Vino
Calle delle Veste, near La Fenice
Wed-Mon noon-3:30pm and 7-11pm
www.vinovino.co.it

Wine bar in San Marco. Good for lunch.

Osteria La Zucca
San Giacomo dell'Orio
Santa Croce 1762Tel. 041-5241570
http://www.lazucca.it/
(Closed Sunday)
Opening time: 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM and 7:00 - 10:30 PM

While Osteria La Zucca isn't a vegetarian restaurant, it's a great place for anyone who likes vegetables, becuase they are the star of the cuisine. Rustic atmosphere.

Cantinone Storico
660/661 - S.Vio,
(off Campo San Vio) (Next to Hotel American)
Phone: 041.5239577
Closing day: Sunday
Between the Accademia and the Guggenheim

Good fish, cheerful staff. It is on a canal near the Accademia Bridge. A bit on the expensive side.

Accademia Pizzeria
Rio Terra Foscarini 878
Phone: 041.522.7281
Closing day: Tuesday

For lunch in Venice. At the foot of the bridge on the Dorsoduro side of the Accademia Bridge
with tables right on the Grand Canal. This is a must do for me on every trip.

Al Gondolieri
Dorsoduro 36, Ponte Del Formager
041-5286396
(Venice Dorsoduro)
(Closed Tuesdays)

This is one of my favourite restaurants in this very cool area. Make sure you've worked up an appetite during the day because the food here is superb as is the wine. The decor is fairly simple and they generally have jazz playing while you eat. Highly reccommended but make sure you book before. Near the Peggy Gugenheim.

Antico Martini
near Saint Marco
Campo San Fantin, S. Marco 1983
Tel. (+ 39) - 041 5237027 or 041 5224121
www.anticomartini.it

Good food, a little touristy. Pleasant outdoor terrace. Good location near San Marco

www.camariaadele.it

Wow...! I love this forum. Thanks to all your excellent recs. I`ll be glued to my pc on the weekend..! Ciao!

Andie

Wonderful informaton. Thanks!

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We had one of the most amazing meals of all times at the restaurant at the Danieli. Not only was the food extraordinary, but the restaurant opens to the hotel's roof-top terrace, which has incredible views. See & taste the "Danieli style" without having to pay the room price!

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Perfect info for my sister who's going next month! Thanks so much

Watch out at the Hotel Columbina!!! Although the location is good, the Hotel has been criticized lately for a "Bait and Switch"....they have purchased a two star property behind the Columbina ...the Locando Remedio...
They are putting people in that hotel and charging Columbina rates. We were the victim of this in July! We had reserved 3 rooms and were put in the back property....when we complained the management was so rude! It was very disappointing! With all the choices in Venice.....I would definately take my business elsewhere!

The Colombina management is famous all over Venice for being rude, and weird. How unfortunate that tourists can't have the knowledge of the locals, that's what makes places like this flourish...

Hmm, I have stayed twice at the Columbina and never had this problem with being sent to another hotel. Don't know how to explain it. Once was in July and once in October, so don't think it was summer versus lower season. I had seen the negative comments on tripadvisor about the staff, that has not been my experience, although everyone can have different experience with staff at the same hotel for sure.

Bookmarking

Unfortunately, Venice DOES have a problem with the "bait and switch" hotels-a proprietor buys another hotel, which may, or may not, be near the one YOU believe you're staying at, and then, once you get there, they make the excuse "oh sorry, the pipes are broken, etc., but, we have this other hotel not too far away-we're going to put you THERE." And off you go, there's nothing you can do about it. The San Moise hotel is really bad about that, but because of the complaints they've gotten, they've starting advising guests before they get there that they'll put them in their Fortuny annex. I don't like that, and wouldn't patronize any establishment that had complaints about that sort of thing-there are TOO many great places to stay in Venice that WON'T try that with you to have to worry about one that will!

Andie-you will be going at the highest high season-so you need to be prepared for a CRUSH of tourists during that time period, there are as many as 150,000 tourists A DAY in the city in June (they leave at night). I would advise, therefore, that you might want to stay up in Cannaregio during that time period-for a more authentic, and a bit less crushed by tourists experience-and there are MANY great properties that I think would fit what you're looking for.

First of all, and for a splurge, about trying the new CA SEGREDO? One palazzo down from the Ca'd'Oro vaporetto stop, one of the most elegant 15th century palazzos, with its own new restaurant, its own Bar- L'Incontro-works of art from the Venetian Renaissance masters,-you COULD NOT BE better located-When I was in Venice in March, this was getting ready to open, and the rates are quite reasonable-right on the Grand Canal, a real historic property-with Tiepolo ceilings,-42 rooms and suites, around 300E a night. It's listed in Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Check it out-the frescos in this hotel are INCREDIBLE. The location is wonderful-right across the canal from the Rialto fish and vegetable market-some of the suites have views-and on the other side, the views of the always fascinating Strada Nova-within a few minutes walk from many great trattoria.

http://www.slh.com/italy/venice/photographs1_vensag.html


Another luxury hotel I'd VERY seriously consider for a romantic anniversary in Venice for this time period is the off-the-beaten track in East Cannaregio BOSCOLO GRAND HOTEL DEI DOGI-this is a GORGEOUS property, Andie, but why would I recommend it? First, because it is a beautiful ancient palazzo-for the romantic effect at night, you CAN'T beat this for atmosphere, plus, it has a lovely, VAST garden in the back with a view of the lagoon, and the lagoon islands-and in the hot summer month of June, this is exactly what I'd want-a cool garden AND a lagoon view, to have a drink to rest and marvel at the surroundings. The garden itself is 2,000 square meters, and has this ancient 400 year old underground icebox that you can visit-way cool, I think! But here's the best part-you want to go down to San Marco, to eat at the Hotel Danieli's great rooftop restaurant in summer (highly recommended for a splurge) then this hotel has FREE DAILY CANAL BOAT SERVICE TO SAN MARCO. This you will not find in Venice! The Dei Dogi is a hotel situated where you will not be hassled by the crush of tourists-really romantic. And if you arrive at the Venice airport, you can take the Alilaguna Arancia line, get off at Madonna dell Orto, and be right there at the hotel for only 12 Euro.

Check out these pictures:

http://www.boscolohotels.com/eng/hotels/dei_dogi/gaden.htm


There are some wonderful local trattoria in this area- I don't generally like to recommend trattoria unless I know where the poster is staying-because 9 times out of 10 you don't end up going to to the places that people tell you in various parts of the city-you go to those that are near your hotel, in the area where you are staying. So if you stay in this area, there are great ones, as well as excellent bacari-Venetian wine bars- to explore.

One thing I can say, there are few, if any, places in the world that have such a fantastic variety of unique, ancient, historic hotel and rental properties as Venice-from one star, to five star properties, you can find something unique in the properties available-even when staying at a monastery- both ends of the travel spectrum can experience the splendors of historic Venice in their accomodation choices-Venice offers something for everyone.

For example, for those more budget-minded travelers, there is a new two star property located right by the Casino in San Marcuola/Cannaregio-ideally located-close to EVERYTHING-with its own beautiful small garden-with a pomegranate tree in the back, (I'm really into the gardens of Venice, btw-they are lovely!) where breakfast and snacks are served-it's called "LOCANDA DEL MELOGRANO" (fittingly, house of the pomegranate-I love that!) very reasonable rates, basic accomodation around 80-150 Euro/nt. Check it out:

http://www.locandadelmelograno.it/

I couldn't more highly recommend the Foscari Palace Hotel. I stayed for 6 nights in November 2005 and it was one of the loveliest hotels I've had the pleasure of staying at. The breakfast buffet is superlative!! WOW. There are only 26 rooms at this hotel so if you book via hotels.com or another lowrate site, you can be sure you'll still have a wonderful room. The location is perfect; right off the Strada Nuova and literally "steps" from the Ca'd'Oro vaporetto stop.10-12 minute walk to Piazza San Marco. Very romantic hotel. On Saturday evening they serve cocktails and fancy hor d'ourves (sp) with live classical music. Here is the site to the hotel and tripadvisor>

http://www.thegiannettihotelsgroup.com/eng/foscari/home.asp

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187870-d305352-Reviews-Foscari_Palace-Venice_Veneto.html