Hotel Gritti Palace or Hotel Danieli in Venice?
 

We are going to be spending 3 nights in Venice this August, we are deciding between Hotel Danieli, Hotel Gritti Palace and Westin Excelsior in Venice. Any thoughts? Which one is the nicest? WHich one is in the best location?<BR><BR>Thanks!

I'd rule out the Excelsior just based on the fact that it's on Lido. If money is no object, I'd go with the Gritti. It has a great location, close to San Marco but quietly secluded near a vaporetto stop. The Danieli attracts lots of tour groups and is located in an ultra busy section right off San Marco. If you want to save a few dollars, check out the Europa Regina, located between the Gritti and the Danieli and it's just a notch below them in quality.

Are you a Starwood member? We are trying to decide the same thing for our stay! I think we're leaning towards the Gritti, although it's a lot of points!

A recent Wine Spec. reviewed both hotels, plus good restaurants. I used Gritti once, and it is lovely - and has that wonderful terrace above Grande Canal, the single most romantic place in Venice for a meal or drink.

I can't let those comments slide. Both Gritti and Danielli are great hotels. The staff at the Danielli is nicer and more service oriented than any I have found, anywhere. Try to book Room 71 at Danielli, it opens onto a view of the the mouth of the Grand Canal and looks out to San Giorgio and the Lido...it is truly beautiful. There is also a short cut along the side of the hotel which will take you quickly away from the crowds along the back of the Doges Palace and Prison and from there you can easily get to San Marco and beyond.

Stayed at all hotels mentioned and Gritti is now my permanent Venetian home. Location, Location, Location. Smaller than Daniele thus many more less desirable rooms at Daniele. We always have great service at the Gritti. The Gritti is much quieter than Daniele even though there is a vap stop right around the corner. Forget the Lido (Westin Excelsior)unless you are going to the film festival.

And once you select the hotel, by all means, get a reservation or two at Da Fiore. Ask your hotel to do that ASAP. It is a terrific place to eat, but afterward do not go shopping, unless you've brought lots of plastic. I do not need to explain, I'm sure. The wine was wonderful, the seafood fresh and delightful. The best Venice has to offer, a special place to eat.

I've stayed at Hotel Danieli and Gritti. Both are fine but my favorite which is also within the Starwood Group is Europa and Regina. It is tougher to book perhaps but if it is available during your dates I'd opt for this in a heartbeat! Robert

If you like big, choose Danieli--227 rooms versus 87 in Gritti. For service, it's hard to distinguish, but the sheer size of the Danieli means some folks are going to be ignored. As for location, I think Gritti wins for me because it isn't quite so much in the middle of the tourist mob, yet it's obviously pretty convenient to everything. Danieli is about 300 meters closer to San Marco than Gritti, so if location means close to the mob, pick Danieli. As for amenities, I really don't see that one is "nicer" than the other. And for price, there are some lower cost rooms in the Danieli, but they get taken pretty quickly. (By lower cost, I mean around $300 as opposed to the norm for both hotels, which is about $500-$600).<BR><BR>Finally, I'll put in a plug for my favorite, which is on the lagoon a bit farther east of San Marco than Danieli. It's the Metropole, which I still favor over all the others. I hasten to point out that the Metropole, because of its "charm," is also pretty expensive, but less than either of the others.