Hi all, this is my first post. Taking a cruise from Venice- Barcelona in Oct 2007, and just heard from La Calcina that they have a room available for the three days before our cruise starts, and I am thrilled as I've heard nothing but good about their place.
However, they want a check from my personal (Canadian) bank account in order to hold the rservation. This seems odd to me, I would think they wouldn't be able to cash any personal checks from US or Canada in Europe. I have emailed back asking for confirmation that a check is what they
want, shouldn't it be an international money order or credit card. In the meantime, I thought I'd ask what paymeny type othertravellers had used. Thanks.

Hi tropicalkerry

We are also booked at La Calcina (2nd time staying there) in September and yes they do want your personal cheque to hold your reservation.

Most places ask for your Visa but La Calcina obviously works differently and yes they can cash your cheque (ours too is on a Canadian bank) Don't worry they will reimburse you if you have to cancel - I haven't heard of any problems from other people who have booked here.

You will be very happy with La Calcina -we loved it the first time and are looking forward to our return visit for 4 days.

Hi T,

They are holding your check in case you are a "no show".

When you check out, you will pay your full bill and they will return your check.

It is easier on you than sending Euro.

When we stayed there for three nights this past April, we too sent a personal check upon booking, for one night as requested, they had given us the USD amount. But upon check out we paid the balance due and did not get our check back. It had been deposited upon their receiving it.

We stayed at La Calcina in April and also were less than happy to send the personal check. It will not be a problem as they credit it on your bill. We loved LC and absolutely would stay there again. The location, rooms, staff, breakfast will not disappoint. We stayed in the Iris Suite and it was so quiet and comfortable. Just outside the sitting room of the suite there is a bubbling fountain that you can hear all night.

thanks to all of you...I feel much better about sending a check now!

Just get travel insurance as well. Illness once forced me to cancel a trip to Venice, where I had booked into La Calcina. Needless to say, my deposit wasn't returned, even though my husband called from the hospital and put the doctor on the phone.

I wonder if they only ask for the check deposit in high season? I stayed at La Calcina (loved it) in January 2005 and they only asked me for my credit card info. Furthermore the only charges made to my card were at checkout.

They requested a personal check from us for 2 of the 4 nights that we will be staying in the "Viola" apartment. I, too, thought it was strange but they assured me that they do this all the time and that we could pay the balance with a credit card or cash. They did not want a cashier's check or money order. It's been 18 days since I mailed the check and I have yet to hear from them with a confirmation.

I sent a personal check for the deposit to them about 2 weeks ago. I got an email back yesterday that they'd received it and I could pay the balance when I arrive next May.

I wish I had specified in my original post that they want a check for THE FULL AMOUNT!, not just a deposit. We don't go till Oct 2007, and they want the check by end of Oct 2006. I would feel more comfortable if it was a deposit, I think. In Sept or Oct I will probably email again to ask why I am paying full amount rather than partial.

Dear TropicalKerry;

That would make me very uncomfortable! That's a long time from now and full payment to be paid a whole year beforehand is pretty pushy. I, personally, wouldn't do it. There are other wonderful hotels and apartments in Venice that only need a credit card to guarantee. No hotel is worth you feeling anxiety,imho.

Good luck with your planning, Jane

My deposit was for the first two of three total nights.

Mine (in GBP) was for 3 out of 7 nights. I'm surprised they are asking you for the full amount - maybe they are getting more cancellations at short notice ? We didn't get the cheque back, just had it subtracted from our bill.

I don't understand why hotels nowadays still want check deposits instead of the credit card account numbers to book a reservation. It would make me feel more anxious if the hotel asked for a check for not just the deposit but for the full amount of the stay. I hadn't heard about this before but I guess some hotels have this policy. Personally I would stay somewhere else just because I wouldn't want the stress of getting back the money if I had to cancel.

I have never been asked for check by La Calcina (CC has always been enough) but this is an old story. Years ago, there was this same question. People wondered if La Calcina requests check only to North American cusotmers (I'm from CH) but obviously not reading some replies above. Most recently 2 weeks ago they asked for my CC detail again to confirm two rooms for this coming weekend (they had availability - 2 rooms but without canal view). There was the same discussion about Pensonne Accademia. Many had been requested a check deposit but not me (stayed there three times). Just curious about their policy.

kappa;
Maybe because it is only 2 weeks before your stay that they only request a credit card. There's not enough time for a check or maybe it has something to do with the length of the stay?
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I had sent our check 3 weeks ago and had heard nothing from them in confirmation. I wrote them yesterday asking about it and today heard back with a confirmation that they had received it. By the way, they had already cashed the check but had not sent me a confirmation.

The reason I chose them was because, for the time that we will be in Venice, all the hotels that we wanted (including La Calcina) were booked and I started sending reservation requests 51/2 months before our arrival. The apt.looks lovely and is in a nice neighborhood; a neighborhood which is highly regarded on this forum.

Normally, I wouldn't cave to a check request or a cancellation policy like theirs but I feel certain that there will be no problems and that their hospitality will make up for it. A little travel insurance wouldn't hurt either. I can't say that I am enjoying being dominated by them in this way but I think that once we are there we will be glad that we chose them.

> Maybe because it is only 2 weeks before your stay that they only request a credit card.

Jane yes, but all the other times, I made reservation 4-5 months ahead.

I will be in Venice the end of April 2007. I emailed the hotel yesterday with my requests and haven't heard back from them. Are they slow in answering emails. After much research this is the hotel I want to stay at. (La Calcina)

Madison,

It took 2 days to hear back from them. I would be very interested in hearing what amount they want from you. I emailed and said I felt uncomfortable paying the full amount, and asked if I could pay half, and got an email back saying thanks for your reservation, so I will leave it till Oct to re-ask.