limmy

Has anyone stayed here relatively recently? How is this location? How is it for crowds?

It is just for a two night stay September 1-3, so it doesn't have to be perfect but we are taking my in laws and I want them to be comfortable and start the trip off on a good foot. This is their first impression of Italy/Venice and first time to Europe for one of them.

I've avoided Venice so far in all my visits to Italy because of the crowds (all our visits were during peak season). I always thought I'd stay in the Dorsoduro area when we finally made it to Venice but I'm not sure that's the best idea for the parents first and only trip. Seems like they should experience it from a vantage point more like the Westin. The reviews are not so hot on booking.com though.

I'm trying to make use of my starwood points to keep the trip affordable. I could put the parents in the Gritti Palace or Danieli instead (which have fantastic reviews) but I only have enough points for them, we'd have to stay somewhere else because in cash the rooms are out of our budget. Any suggestions for where we could stay that would pair well with the Gritti or Danieli? Ideally for not more than 300/night?

traveller1959

Last November, we stayed before our cruise in the Hilton Molino Stucky and after the Cruise in the Boscolo Venezia. In both hotels, we paid around €150 per double room. Loved them both, especially the Boscolo which was really an experience - staying in a historical palace.

sandralist

I'm not sure your thinking about what your parents' first and only experience of Venice should be. Many people dislike being right on the canal for sleeping because of nighttime noise from the restaurants. You will be there at the very height of the tourist/cruise ship season, so perhaps everyone would enjoy being able to stroll around a bit in a much quieter corner of Venice.

Can't help you with alternate lodgings regarding starwoods points and not knowing what your upper limit for cost is without points.

limmy

Thanks Sandra, you're right that I could be thinking about that the wrong way. In addition to that thinking (that could be wrong) I should also say that my in laws do stay right in the thick of things or "on the main drag" vs "off the beaten path" so to speak when they travel, that is very much their style. I believe they would book something in the area of the hotels I listed themselves if it was in their budget. That said, it's not impossible that during their visit they might see the value of a quieter area for a return trip.

I'm scratching the Westin off the list because there are just too many poor reviews. I would think that noise wouldn't be an issue at the Gritti Palace and probably not the Daniele either just because of the caliber of quality, and I haven't seen any mention of this in reviews. Do you have any thoughts on the location of either one? They are the same number of starpoints.

We'd like to keep the budget 300 if we do all rooms in cash. If only doing half the rooms in cash we could go up to 400. But gosh that is hard to swallow, we are not used to paying that kind of money for lodging. I know we are going during the thickest of tourist season & it would be a lot different if we were going in February. These are the prices we get in the first of September, fair enough, but it still stings. It makes me want to go for the Gritti Palace all the more.

A hotel I'm considering in the Dorsoduro area is called Hotel American Dinesen. If it were just hubby & me it would be a done deal, it has everything we need. So right now I'm thinking of either putting the parents at the Gritti/Daniele and us at the American Dinesen or putting all of us at the American Dinesen - it's doable budget wise either way. Thoughts?

rialtogrl

The area around the Westin (and the Gritti, and the Danieli) is very crowded during the day. If you don't want to be around crowds I would stay away from all of them.

But if you to suck it up and deal with it (and at night it should not be as terrible) you could put your folks in the Gritti Palace, and you stay at the Hotel Flora. That is in your budget.

http://www.hotelflora.it/en/

PS you are pretty awesome to give up your points for your in-laws. Brava.

limmy

Hotel Flora looks lovely Rialtogrl, thank you so much! Now I'm tempted to put all of us there and save my points lol

I am willing to suck it up. I'd rather accommodate them than myself for these two nights. I can go back to Venice whatever time of year and stay in whatever area I want in the future. I doubt they will ever be back.

Maybe I will discuss the two options with the parents and let them choose between the quieter Dorsoduro Hotel American Dinesen or the crowded St. Mark's area Hotel Flora. If they choose Hotel Flora we could decide to surprise them by actually putting them at the Gritti, only for them to find out when we get there.

Thank you, I'm already having visions of an off-peak season visit to Hotel Flora in the future, it looks so nice.

rialtogrl

Whatever you do, don't delay... its a very busy time in Venice, the film festival is going on, and also on the 4th is the Regatta Storica. I haven't stayed at the Gritti, but I have had drinks there (inside and outside) and the common areas are pretty fabulous

limmy

I already reserved rooms for all of us at Hotel Flora

Dukey1

Those crowds are around San Marco, NOT those hotels but you've made up your mind so have a great trip.

HappyTrvlr

Hotel Flora is nice. We have stayed at several different places in Venice and our least favorite was on the Grand Canal, so noisey with vaporettos hitting the docks at all hours. Hotel Flora was quiet.