I just e-mailed a request for a hotel in Venice for July 2003. They responded that a deposit of 300 Euro is required within 3 days. This is acceptable a cheque only in our own currency/not VISA card. Is this normal request. If made reservations last year in Germany, Switzerland and Austria and never was requested the first night in advance. How do I do this? What if we cancel, are Itailian hotels willing to refund this deposit?

I Yes, it happens. A few hotels in Paris also request the guest to send a personal check but not always in euro. Sorry, but that's the hotels' policy. In my opinion, I would rather look for a comparable hotel that takes c/c as a deposit. It's less trouble.<BR><BR>If the hotel is reputable it will return your uncashed check to you AFTER you pay them by credit card if you wish to pay by credit card. You may use your check as payment towards the bill also.

If you want to cancel you need to check with the hotel directly on their policy. Likewise, if it's a reputable hotel, there shouldn't be any problem.<BR><BR>You can send your check via regular mail or you can FedEx it.

There should never be a deposit of more than one night's stay, so this is certainly an expensive hotel, meaning 300 euro per night. I could understand if it were a tiny inexpensive hotel, but not one of that stature. I'd forget it. I imagine if they start out this way, there's no way you'd ever see your money if you had to cancel.

The deposit of 300 euro is most likely for one night's stay. But the hotel is too demanding by asking for it within 3 days. Forget them. Look elsewhere; you can find very nice hotels in Venice without going through all this b.s. <BR><BR>

I booked 8 hotels in Italy for our trip and 1 hotel asked for a cheque in euro to be mailed and 1 hotel took a deposit off our Visa card. The others didn't require a deposit, just the credit card details in case of a no show.<BR>I agree with the others, I'd find a different hotel that doesn't require an upfront deposit.<BR>Kay

The hotel I was trying to book was Pensione Accedemia which has been very positively reviewed on these pages. Did everyone who booked this hotel send a deposity, or I'm I booking too early? It was for there family room, which I understand they have only one of. This is why I tried to book early.

I recently booked the Pensione Accademia for next May, and all they requested was a c/c #; perhaps your request for the special room mandates a special circumstance.

Hi there. If have a spare room in central venice that i let from time to time at very good rates. <BR>If you are interested in such a service then pls send me an email and i will send you more info + pictures since its not allowed to advertise on Fodors. <BR>Thanks and best regards. <BR>Jack <BR><BR><BR>

I've reserved a room at the Pensione Accademia several times, and they always required a c/c number to secure the room, but NEVER a cash deposit (and they NEVER debited the card in advance). By contrast, the nearby Pensione La Calcina required a cash deposit. PS: I think that the Accademia is a most desirable property.

I booked a room at Pensione Accademia for three nights in June 2003 and they required one night deposit upfront I sent them $300 for a junior suite. Seems odd that some say they require and others don't. Has anyone stayed there recently and sent a deposit?

Maybe they are beginning to require a cash deposit for summer 2003 for the most expensive rooms?????????????

We booked at the Hotel Riva twice in the last 3 years. This is a small family-run inexpensive hotel (140.000lL for a double in May 2001, 200.000L last Sept.). They did not take credit cards, so we mailed them a pair of travellers cheques for the amount. One time, the mail did not show up by a month before, we used Fed-Ex to send them another $100US. When we got there, both deposits were there.<BR>I suppose that commercial establishments are not as small-business friendly in Europe as in North America. A week's warning is not unusual cancellation policy for a small hotel - you can less tolerate cancellations when you have 15 or 20 rooms, not 200. If a client cancels their reservation too late and then contests the charge on a credit card, the hotelier is out the money until they can convince the credit card company the charge is legitimate. After too many such hassles, some probably bypass the credit card system altogether for deposits.