loveners

Hi Fodorites

Lovener2 has decided that staying in our apartment with the in-laws on our wedding night may not be such a smart move after all - whew - lucky escape there me thinks!!

We'd love your help finding somewhere special to stay on our wedding night. We would love:

- a canal view (a great night view would be lovely)
- lovely furnishings with a air of luxury / opulence (but decor that isn't dark & gloomy)
- a soft bed that feels like you are sleeping on a cloud
- bonus extra: a terrace / roof garden

Budget: at the splurgier end (max ~ 400E for something amazing otherwise in the E300 mark).

Please help me get this one right. We're normally economical travelers who like apartments so this is probably my one chance to stay somewhere amazing in Venice...

Thanks in advance

Lovener1

KarenE

When are you going? 400€ is not THAT much for Venice, certainly not if you want luxery and views.

qwovadis

2 great canal view suites

I have personally stayed in

at GREAT deals in the last 2 years

#1

www.bauervenezia.com in May we paid 40000 Delta Skymiles/nt
($400) the label said 1000 euro/nt on the suite deals on
otel.com and orbitz.com included an AWESOME free on the
Grand Canal breakfast my fav.

#2

www.spg.com we got the Amex CC all the hotel bonus miles did a cash/points deal at the Westin Europa Regina cost 4500
Starwood Points per night plus $90 cash was outstanding no breakfast thougn we still had a wonderful romantic time last
year.

#3

betterbidding.com Hilton Stuky Molino 5 star for us bidding
priceline.com $120/nt April belong to HHonors program got
a free suite upgrade best deal we have ever gotten there 2
years ago.Not at San Marco though still very nice for price.

So 1 of those 3 for me... Congrats!

NYCFoodSnob

For the four items you request, 400€ may purchase one, if you get lucky. Your hopes, dreams, and expectations are not based in reality. Hotel rooms in Venice cost more than ever now, with a serious premium on view rooms and an "air of luxury." The best rooms often require knowledge of a room number and booking very far in advance. The chances that such a room would be available for only one night, the night of your dream, are incredibly slim.

IMO, budget travelers should not waste their money on overpriced dream hotel rooms. I don't care how opulent or romantic a place is, checking in at 3 PM and checking out by 11 AM the next day is thrill kill. To really enjoy a $1000-a-night room, you need to stay a minimum of three nights and not concern yourself with the cost.

I can certainly understand your desire to be alone on your wedding night. 400€ may get you a charming room in a boutique hotel but you'll need a room number and you'll need to book months in advance, if not a year. Any of the Giudecca view rooms at La Calcina will do but they book up quickly because there are so few.

Soft, cloud-like beds are not healthy for most people. The vast majority of travelers prefer firm support with as much cushioning as possible. Soft beds don't last long. They are not practical for a town that caters to massive tourism. True luxury beds in Venice, with super-soft linens, come with a premium price, and are only located in some luxury hotels. To get your dream fulfilled, you'll need a Grand Canal room somewhere between the Accademia Bridge and the Salute. Your room will cost a fortune.

kappa1

> When are you going? KarenE wrote. Important question. Without knowing when, not easy to answer. Rates can change, even twice - thrice less (or more) from highest to lowest seasons. Probably not to consider 5* hotels if you expect all those things you stated. With 4* and not high season - doable. Roof - top terrace however will be a public area for all the hotel guests and not private one.

Personally I recommend Foscari Palace 4*, large Gonzaga suite ( 50m2 large at least ) on Grand Canal, also their deluxu double. Fits to your requests but for "soft" bed. The bed was fine but I don't care for soft beds, so it means their beds are not to your liking but I read Americans often say they find Eropean (or Italian) bed too hard. Maybe you need to compromise somewhere. Would it be such a problem how hard the beds are in Italian hotels?

kappa1

> so it means their beds are not to your liking

their beds MAY NOT be..

steviegene

We just got back from a trip to Venice and stayed in a great room that has some of your requests and was almost in your price range. We were there in the fall and the price if you prepaid was 430E a night, Im sure it would be a lot more espensive in the summer.

Room 501 at the Hotel Bucintoro... This is a classy 4 star hotel located on the lagoon in Castello a few minutes walk from some of the very pricey hotels nearer to St Mark (Londra, Metropole, Daneli). The decor is reminiscent of being on a boat with wood paneling, brass fittings and a marble clad bathroom. The room is squished into the roof part of the hotel, so it has a quirky layout and just a little porthole looking over the canal... but there is an awesome roofdeck with a stunning view of Venice and across the lagoon. 501 is the only room with outside seating. Good luck and congrats!!

The photos are the third group from the bottom:
http://www.hotelbucintoro.com/photogallery/

TexasAggie

Unfortunately I don't have room advice for you... but wanted to add my hearty congratulations! Me husband and I went to Venice on our honeymoon (June 2004). We stayed in a nice enough place but it was not anything special. Of course, it was also quite cheap... I think around E125 per night. I believe they might have had a nicer suite at the top of the hotel but don't know anything about it. Locanda SS Giovanni e Paolo was the name. My only other trips to Venice were in college and I stayed in a hostel - definitely NOT wedding night digs!

Best of luck finding a special place!

nytraveler

Your budget is nowhere near a 5* hotel - but you might get a discounted 4* with some of your requirements = esp if you have some miles to turn in. A lot depends on your dates - and if there are a lot of tourists or conventions in town. I would start looking at the discount sights - and be very flexible about your requirements (esp a terrace or balcony which are quite rare).

loveners

o.k, great feedback thanks. Will rejig the numbers as we are after something special. The night in question is May 12, 2012 so we have an opportunity to book in advance. Hopefully that will help our case

Keen to hear others tips as well. Thanks for the suggestions already received, will start looking into them now.

kappa1

For your date, I checked Foscari Palace 4* I recommended.

http://www.hotelfoscaripalace.it/

Go have a look at the photos. The site shows, Gonzaga Junior Suite (when I stayed there a few years ago, it was just Gonzaga Suite), Foscari Suite, Deluxe double (all facing the Grand Canal) and standard/or superior double (no grand canal).

Gonzaga is from €490 and deluxe double from €420. I stayed in both. May is a high season so these prices are not bad for the quality of the things you get at this hotel in Venice. Also you will see the (public) roof top terrace with Grand Ganal view. Is is worth only for 1 night? May yes, maybe not. Only you can tell. My stays here were once 3 nighst and another time for 2 nights. I really liked it both times. Gonzaga has 3 standing only (not unusual with Venice hotels) balconies. Deluxe double had only a balcony or just a window facing Grand Canal / fish market, I don't remember.

Marija

On our last trip we stayed at the Falieri suite at the Antico Doge and liked it better than the more expensive Venetian hotels.

http://www.anticodoge.com/

NYCFoodSnob

<i>"The night in question is May 12, 2012"</i>
May is a glorious month to be in Venice. Venetians actually smile in May. Prices are at their highest, too. They now call it PEAK season. By all means BOOK NOW, as many places as necessary. You can always cancel. Don't be surprised if some of the grander places are already booked. The best rooms in Venice go quickly for the peak months. You need to call to be sure. The internet doesn't tell the whole truth. Be sure to keep track of where you book if you book multiple places. The best hotels have cancelation penalties and, if you forget to cancel, you will be charged.

Very few service people speak fluent English in Venice. Keep your emails simple and direct, and don't make obscure American references the Italians won't understand or, worse, will misinterpret. By all means tell them it will be your wedding night, you desire a special room. Don't insult the service person by asking for a discount. A discount will not be offered.

<i>"Will rejig the numbers"</i>
Good idea. I don't like seeing people blow hard-earned money on a 19-hour moment but wedding nights are special, and spending it with the in-laws would be out of the question for me.

<i>"Gonzaga is from €490...facing Grand Canal / fish market"</i>
Which is $657 at today's exchange rate. That's a lot of money for one night to someone on a budget. And if you're downwind of the fish market, let's hope the honeymoon couple enjoys the smell of raw fish. The Foscari is a nice place but the prices are what they are because of their proximity to the Rialto. The Rialto area is fun to visit, for five minutes, but I would NEVER stay in that area, especially for a romantic night.

For me, glamorous romance is on the Grand Canal, somewhere between Accademia and Salute, because the views are most spectacular along that strip. If it were my wedding night, I would stay in the Royal Suite at Il Palazzo (I have stayed there) but I wouldn't have my heart set on light decor. Traditional Venice is dark and mysterious, and the fabrics follow suit. The closest Venice gets to Malibu bright is at the Cipriani Hotel on the Giudecca. The Cipriani Hotel is also lovely but May is too early to swim and the views are too far away to be super special. The precious rooms in both these hotels will set you back at least $2000 for the night. If you can't afford that then I say it's silly to consider such an extravagance, even for a special wedding night.

For peace, quiet, charm and water views, La Calcina is tops in Dorsoduro. The rooms on the corner #2 line have three sets of windows that open to the water. These rooms book the quickest. They have one room with a terrace and they also offer four apartments. I would book something with them because any room choice gives you access to their floating dock on the water where you can eat all day and enjoy the water view. For romance, I would want to be away from the tourists and La Calcina has one of the best locations in Venice.

If they are completely booked, then I would look into Pensione Accademia and/or Locanda San Barnaba. Both have private gardens and lots of charm. The Locanda has a small terrace.

Venice has its own definition of luxury and style, and there's nothing in America that can compare. True love doesn't need ideal surroundings. A charming whole in the wall with a little light, and a great sense of humor, can set the stage for some really terrific memories. Keep an open mind and do everything you can to get away from the inlaws, without breaking the bank.

Good luck.

TexasAggie

What a wonderfully informative post from NYCFS. Bookmarking

Royal

Great advice from NYCFS.

We have stayed at La Calcina twice and have had the room with private terrace overlooking the canal. It's a wonderful view and the hotel itself is very nice. The Dorsoduro is our favorite location, away from the daytime madness of the Rialto and San Marco.

zeppole

Funny, but I was just thinking how dreadful it would be to book La Calcina for a honeymoon night. Look what happened to John Ruskin.

Loveners, consider the Colombina and the Bucintoro, Neither quite breaks your budget. See if you like the reviews on Tripadvisor or Venere.com

And either the San Clemente Palace would fit your idea of a romantic escape or it wouldn't.

zeppole

http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/colombina.en.html

http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/buci...5d99efcd1f0e7a

http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/san-...resort.en.html

zeppole

It just occurred to me I better add that I was only joking about La Calcina, since I booked part of my own honeymoon there -- then ended up not being in Venice for any of my honeymoon -- but that's another story.

Besides, it was actually the Danielli where the Ruskins spent their (allegedly) disastrous wedding night.

I'm surprised no one else found NYC's post an ugly display toward people who surely don't need a lecture about how to celebrate true love, and have already shown they have a sense of humor and an open mind. I've no doubt the OP can easily laugh that off, but I do think it is important to point out - at the risk of an NYCFoodSnob meltdown of vituperation in this thread -- that Venetian booking staff in the type of hotel Loveners speak and write good English and have an easy familiarity with American pop culture, that traditional decor, style and color in Venice is not dark (anything but), and that it has been simply eons since it was true that getting away from tourists in Venice meant booking in the Dorsoduro.

Venice is an internationalized tourist destination. You'll find plenty of accommodations to suit your taste and dates and budget on the internet, and if you want to contact the hotels directly, you won't have any trouble communicating with staff.

Peter_S_Aus

You probably know this, but I’ll post it anyway. In Europe, 12th May is written as 12-05-2012. Americans would write it as 05-12-2012.

And have a great trip! Venice for your honeymoon – no matter where you stay – will be very special.

KarenE

La Calcina is in a very nice location but far away from luxury in my opinion. So the OP might be disappointed!