Karen

I posted ealier about not being able to get reservations and now I think I have three in Venice. Need your expert advice. I have the Antonio Suite at the Ala hotel , a canal view double at Pensione Accademia, and a non- canal room at the Metropole. Waiting for your opinions. Thanks. THis is for June 2002

Holly

Why don't you make up your mind real fast, then cancel two reservations so other people can start their planning and booking???!!!

Dale

I'd hold them all until next May. Then have an auction. Sounds like big bucks to me! Ciao.

Venus

Where's Dr. Ego when we need him? <BR> <BR>Is MollyPool compulsive, impulsive or just repulsive?

lilipad

it really doesn't matter where you stay as long as you are in the city and not on the outskirts, like lido - if any of those hotels have breakfast included, take that, otherwise go with the cheapest - you're not going to spend much time there except to sleep anyway <BR>(and ignore the mean tones, they're just looking for a fight , right guys? )

xxx

Karen: I don't have experience with any of the 3 hotels you mentioned. If (with the exception of lilipad) only the grumpies answer, see if you can do a search here with each hotel's name. That should help. <BR>Good luck!

Heather

Karen, missed your earlier email and not sure I have any "expert" advice. After reading the positive comments here and elsewhere on the P. Accademia, I booked there for next June. Which will make a clean sweep for all 4 trips of staying in the Dosoduro area or just over the Accademia Bridge in the San Marco sestiere. I love that location! <BR> <BR>Does one hotel jump out at you on the Internet or in recommendations? If you haven't been to Venice, a canal view room is pretty magical. But, just about any view is special. I had my first Grand Canal view this Summer and it was wonderful to fall asleep to and wake up to the view and the activity.

Heather

Gah ... body at work, brain at home. I meant earlier post, not email. Sorry.

nancy

Karen, <BR>I do not have any personal info for you, but is the Pensione Accademia the one discussed frequently on this board? <BR>It is also listed in many other books, and does seem to be a lovely place. <BR> <BR>What are your priorities? <BR>View, <BR>Spaciousness <BR>Balcony /Terrace. <BR> <BR>Sorry I can not help more than that. <BR>But, doing a search will give you all the past opinions <BR>(Incase you do not know how; type in hotel name in TEXT SEARCH box at top of this page) <BR> <BR>Also, <BR>I too, am sitting on 2 reservations right now. <BR>the person I am traveling with is not available to check out the websites till the weekend, <BR>I see nothing wrong with holding onto a room for a few days , esp. if the trip is not for another 8-9 months! <BR>Karen has all intentions of cancelling ASAP, just as I do. <BR>And I bet we are not the only ones here that do this! <BR> <BR>

Holly

Karen hasn't stated here that she has any intention of cancelling any reservation anytime soon. Just because a lot of people double- and triple-book reservations does not make it an acceptable practice, especially when some people hold all those reservations for months on end until they get around to making a decision. It's just not a big deal to make a decision about a hotel, especially with all the info available these days. To multiple-book is just plain selfish and greedy.

Rex

I suppose the "bat call" (to Dr. Ego) is directed at me. Thanks for thinking of me. <BR> <BR>And I am not going to criticize Karen/MollyPoo1 for this. People reserve rooms that they are not sure they will be able to use. It's a fact of life. And hotels adopt policies in accordance with their ability to "re-sell" them - - all businesses extend privileges to "possible" customers to try to gain their patronage. As a retailing friend once told me (who sells computers on credit) - - if you're not occasionally having to re-possess some merchandise sold to those who can't pay, you're losing business to marginally creditworthy customers. <BR> <BR>I, too, have overbooked - - and I am slightly overbooked right now for Florence and Rome in September. For all I know, one or more of those properties are over-sold to accommodate me. The industry has to anticipate uncertainty in booking, no-shows, and last minute bookings. <BR> <BR>A person who books two rooms in two hotels, and uses one - - but cancels one at the acceptable minimum period for one of those hotels - - is no different from someone who books ONE hotel - - and then finds it necessary to cancel that one room. <BR> <BR>As for your question, Karen - - I rather think take the cheapest one that meeets your requirements. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>

Karen

Wow! I was surprized by all the bad remarks. I put in requests for all three of these hotels for days and was repeatedly told no, then today I get notices from all three that they have rooms. I wasn't planning on keeping them more than the one or two days I thought I might get some helpful,expert advise on this board.Guess I was wrong.

Holly

Rex - Your argument for double-booking doesn't hold water, IMO. Please see my second response on the Can't Get Hotels to Make Reservations thread. I don't want to argue it all over this forum; I'm just trying to make a point. Which I hope a lot of people will start thinking about before they go double-booking all their next trips. Can we get some input from some Europeans on this point?

Holly

Forgot to mention - I strongly doubt that 12-15 room "mom & pop" type hotels in Venice and other small cities (y'know - the ones that most of us want to stay at because of the "local" factor) routinely overbook for retail business reasons. And we shouldn't, either.

june

I am from U.K. and I have to say this a peculiarly American thing, double, tiple booking hotels. I have never heard it done until I read this board. I have had holidays all over the USA and Europe and have only booked the one hotel. I often book in advance. Last year I went to Marthas Vineyard and booked inns in advance. One inn was booked up so I chose another.I would be concerned if small establishment lost business by this practice, hough I notice that increasingly, hotels and inns are charging cancellation fees depending on notice given. This places all travellers at a disadvantage when genuine cancellations have to be made. I suppose you can't have it all ways.Personally, I don't like the practice and cannot help feeling it is rather selfish.

Karen

Again I want to state the reason I ended up with three reservations was the fault of the hotels, who would tell me they are booked and then 3 days later send me confirmations. I think some of this anger should be directed at the slow laid back way some of these hotels operate. I did not overbook on purpose. If you look at the board the day before this message, I had a message asking for help because no hotels would give me a reservation.

Heather

Karen, you did get "some" advice if you weed back through the other posts. <BR> <BR>I would never book at multiple places, but I guessed what happened in your case was exactly as you explained later. So, no lectures from me ... I was just curious if you decided which hotel to go with ... and if you are excited about the trip. I just love Venice.