Hotel Canal & Walter - Venice
 

has anyone stayed here? trip advisor scares me away from it but i really love the idea of staying on the grand canal. i would really appreciate some honest advice. thanx

randi

Who is Walter???

thats the name of the hotel...canal and walter....lol

TripAdvisor reviews were not very good....you may want to take a look!!

If I may make a suggestion the Hotel Berchielli is a good choice. We stayed there last October. It's along the Arno and a few steps away from the Ponte Vecchio. The rooms and lobby are a bit bland, but the breakfast and breakfast room are very nice. The service is good too. We were able to request a riverview room and paid the same rate as a non-riverview room.

Got my cities mixed up-sorry!

We stayed at the Canal & Walter about two years ago. We had two rooms: a quad at the back of the hotel and then a double on the front of the hotel with lovely french doors that opened onto a great view over the canal (its the one with the arched windows over the front door).

We booked through Venere.com and got a pretty good rate, so for what we paid we were happy enough with the hotel. It is not fancy...a little shabby, maybe, but it was essentially clean and quiet and comfortable.

Breakfast was basic, but fine, and my 3 daughters loved that each morning they got their own individual pots of hot chocolate. The reception was friendly, and recommended a good backstreet restaurant that we wouldn't have found on our own.

The location was good for us since we arrived at night (it was dark in December) and had find the hotel with 3 kids and suitcases in tow. It is a straight shot down the Grand Canal from the bus station and is right across from the train station. It is not right next to any major sights, but Venice is so small, and we were very close to 2 Vaparetto stops, so we didn't mind. I actually liked starting off every morning with a cruise down the Grand Canal.

Would I recommend it? Yes, if you want budget accommodations right on the Grand Canal, and you understand that its no Holiday Inn. For another perspective, read the reviews on venere.com. For whatever reason, they seem to be much better than what you're finding on tripadvisor.

Good Luck!

If you like the location of Canal & Walter, why don't you try Antiche Figure instead? Almost the same location (a few doors apart) on the same Grand Canal and it's No. 1 on Tripadvisor. Personally, however, I have never considered stayed at either, even TA's no.1, Antiche Figure because for me the area is too close to the railway station + the view from the front of the Antiche Figure is really direct to the railway station's non Venice like building.

thanx all...we are also looking at laconda arte in st marks area, much better reviews. anyone have experience with this hotel?

Probably you should post anew, using the Locanda Arte in the subject...

I stayed there in 2002 - we had a quad on the top floor with grand canal view. I thought it was a fine place. Didn't read the tripadvisor reviews but I can't think of what you could complain about. It was clean, reception couldn't have been more helpful, breakfast was fine, furnishings were above average for a hotel at that price. I thought the location was good, as the other person who stayed there mentioned, Venice is small enough so you aren't far from anything and it can be nice to arrive in the city and get to your hotel with your bags right away with no hassel. Then, bag free, you wander all over. On a subsequent trip I stayed right near San Marco (Canal and Walter was booked up for that time) and I also liked that location, but I would stay at Canal and Walter again.

The Pension la Calcina is a great favorite of many Fodorites. It's not on the Grand Canal, but on the Giudecca Canal, and has pretty views there. Also a less crowded spot, and more quiet than the Grand Canal would be. Here are my notes from our breakfast there (we couldn't get a room, as it was full):

"... we headed out to find Bar Caffe La Piscina for a special brunch. Having read so much about the Pension La Calcina, Dorsoduro 780, I had sent an availability inquiry via e-mail to them while looking for accommodations in Venice. Even though they were full, La Calcina sent back a nice e-mail with their regrets, and an offer to visit their lovely restaurant, La Piscina, including a 12 percent discount on our meal, to thank us for our interest (a very nice touch).

Researching La Piscina on the internet, I thought it looked very attractive. It sits on the Zattere, with a beautiful view of the Giudecca canal and the pretty buildings across it. La Piscina’s outdoor tables are shaded by pretty blue umbrellas, and are set on a wooden deck over the water.

We were very happy we’d made the somewhat long and hungry walk to Dorsoduro, because eating at La Piscina was a real treat. The service was impeccable, the atmosphere amazing, and we had a beautiful blue-sky day to enjoy the view. Our meal included wine, bottled water, a primi, a “snack”, and a secondi, for 46.50EUR, minus 5.50 EUR for our discount. It was an especially memorable Mother’s Day, for sure.

After our meal, we walked into Pensione La Calcina and were impressed with how nice it looked. Its prices seemed really low, for its nice setting and the pretty look of the hotel. We’ll definitely remember it, if we re-visit Venice in the future. We were told to inquire several months in advance for lodging availability there."
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