poss,
Have you looked at the Hilton Molino Stuckey? Saw that they have a private launch from our balcony at La Calcina a few years back. They might even have that king size bed you like.

5* Venice Hilton Molino Stucky - Priceline and Hotwire Forum
Priceline hotel lists, priceline winning bids ... BetterBidding ® ... 5* Venice Hilton Molino Stucky, $120 ... 8/27/09-8/29/09
www.betterbidding.com/show.php/showtopic/64343

Pretty close to the cruise terminal across the canal in fact.

Since you are pre-cruise it is closer and better value...

Hi Poss,

I was just about to suggest the Hilton Molino Stucky but I see some posters beat me to it. I have heard many good reports about it and next time we go to Venice I will try to get in Priceline as qwovadis above suggests.

Last year after our cruise on Regent Mariner we stayed at a lovely B&B called Al Ponte Mocenigo. Very quiet , near a vaporetto stop and also with access to water taxis. Can't recall if the bed was King, I recall it being big. A few years ago we stayed at the Metropole, near Piazza San Marco, which is more upscale, very "venetian". Also has access for water taxis BUT there was a step up to get from the water taxi to the hotel level and my dad (in his 80s) had a terrible time with it.

Molino Stucky is in a very distant part of Venice. I'd never stay there.

I second CruiseLuv's rec for <b>Al Ponte Mocenigo</b>..very nice owners and staff. We had a downstairs room..very large, king bed and bathroom...easy access everywhere. Better than most of the other lodgings we've tried over the years. Short walk from San Stae vap stop...level street to hotel...roller bags work well on its surface. Entrnce is on very narrow alley way....rate should be in the mid 200's ($)..if I recall, it was €180..with breakfast. Very close to one of out fave restos, <b>La Zucca</b>. Good gelato offerings across the street from hotel.

Thanks so much!
I actually telephoned Hilton last night (on Rachel G's rec, cruiseluv). They had no availability in non-smoking room for my dates. I've never attempted priceline and such-- they make me uneasy for some reason. I'm afraid I wouldn't know what to do, how to handle it. SO frustrating that our cruiseline won't be using Hilton next summer, as they did this. Would be SO much easier.
In fact, I've been in touch with Al Ponte, and also with Ca Dogaressa. Both seem very pleasant, but neither has king bed. (Hopefully they can put two together, but neither mentioned that when I asked.)
Do any of you happen to know which might be the more quiet? (Some reports mentioned thin walls at CaD.)
Cruiseluv-- do you happen to remember what room you were in when you stayed at Al Ponte? Did you have a pleasant view? (I don't need waterview-- I'm afraid that'd be too noisy. But maybe not?...)
Does anyone know other, not complicated ways to try to book Hilton? I don't think that its location would especially bother us. We love to walk. (Are there pleasant, moderate restaurants nearby?)
Lovely of you all to respond-- MUCH appreciated.

poss...yes, at Mocenigo, our "kimg" was makeshift. but evidently permanent. Worked out well..our room was the only room off the lobby with a large window-door looking out over the breakfast terrace. All other rooms were up stairs, where they also had computers available at no fee. (There was a small canal (estuary of the Grand Canal)that lapped at the "front entrance" making it possible to arrive by boat...
stu

Poss, my experience at Ponte Mocenigo regarding size of bed was the same as Tower/ Stu. Probably two beds pushed together and I remember much bigger that the queen we have at home.

We had a room in their annex, which is just around the corner, on the 2nd floor. It was considered a deluxe/ superior room. It had a separate sitting area with a sofa, tv, table and armoire. The bedroom was separate and also had a tv there. The bathroom was small though. We had several windows that looked to a small street. One night (Sat night) when we came back after dinner there was a lot of loud music coming from a nearby restaurant. Apparently a family had a big group celebrating something. I called the front desk and complained about it and asked if they knew at what time this would end (even with the windows closed you could hear it distictively). The guy at the front desk went and talked with the people at the restaurant and they stopped the loud music. But other than that day , it was very quiet. I must say that although I liked the room fine it was not the room they had sent me pictures of. Since I didn't have the pictures with me I didn't make an issue about it.

Stu, I know exactly what room you had. However, weren't you bothered about the lack of privacy (unless you had the curtains closed)? As you say, the breakfast courtyard was right there. We found the courtyard as a lovely place to have an after dinner drinks(we had brought a bottle of limoncello with us).

Poss, we were there in August, it was very hot, but I'm happy to report that the room's A/C worked beautifully!

That's strange that so far in advance the Hilton can't guarantee a non smoking room. Could it be that they don't set aside non smoking rooms? I went to their website, to teh booking form , and don't see any rooms identified as non-smoking or smoking for any dates I enter.

I can't recall if Al Ponte Mocenigo requested that people dont smoke in their rooms or not. The rooms were very clean and no smells whatsoever of smoke or anything else.

"our room was the only room off the lobby with a large window-door looking out over the breakfast terrace"

I've stayed in that room. However, that room is no longer used as a guest room. It has been converted into a breakfast room. I love Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo. You can read about my 8-night stay this past March in my trip report. No smoking in the rooms.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm

Continued thanks-- and Ellenem, that's a most amazing trip report! They're all sorts of interesting and helpful details: much appreciated.
Alas, Al Ponte has reported that the only superior double left is one "without any view." (or "without any special view"-- can't remember exactly what they said.) I asked if they could please send me a photo of the room, and it seems to be the one on their website that has two red chairs and a desk under some sort of white "canopy" (?) I see two windows in the photo, so I'm wondering what they look out on. It's neither canal or patio, so maybe it's your little street, cruiseluv? (And I shouldn't focus on the photo too much anyway, given what you said about your room being different from what they'd said it would be.)
Ellenem: With your knowledge of the hotel, do you happen to know which room this is supposed to be? E.g., what the (non) "view" is? What the bathroom is like? They didn't say which of the buildings the room was in.
THANKS!
(They said the junior suite was available, but it's beyond what we want to spend.)

I don't think any room at Al Ponte Mocenigo has a magnificent view, just a charming one. In the main building, one superior room has the arched windows and overlook the narrow canal. Some rooms overlook the courtyard or across the rooftops. Some overlook the incredibly narrow alley that serves as the level entry (as opposed to the entry across the bridge into the courtyard) which is really no view since one cannot even use an open umbrella in this alley. On my most recent stay we were in two different rooms in the annex, one overlooking Salizzada San Stae, which a busy street for the area, but not all that busy; the other room overlooked the rooftops toward neighboring buildings.

Personally, I never chose this hotel for the view, but for the location, level of service, and cost. I've rarely chosen a hotel for the view.

The bathrooms are clean and modern, though vary in size from room to room. I've never seen the baths in the superior rooms. In the main hotel, the ground floor rooms have large baths with tubs and plenty of floor area, I think because they are intended to be accessible. The annex rooms are on upper floors, and the baths were smaller (shower, not tubs) but all new and well kept since they're only a few years old.

Go to my Shutterfly site and the first few photos show parts (not comprehensive) of the hotel, including our annex bathroom and our view across the rooftops.

http://ellenem.shutterfly.com/

Poss,

I can tell you that none of the rooms pictured in their website is the room we had. Actually, I think the room they're offering to you looks handsome. Difficult to comment what the windows may face. As far as I could tell only rooms in the annex would have faced that side street I referred to (Our room faced the front of the annex). Maybe Ellenem or Stu can comment further, but other that the little side canal I don't think there are any other "views" to speak of from this hotel .
Have you checked the reviews for this hotel at Tripadvisor? There are many photos there, I think I saw some of the room they're offering you.

Having read Ellenem response above I want to clarify that the "side street" I refer to where the windows of my room faced is the one Ellenem refers to as Salizzada San Stae, not the very narrow alley. Yes, I guess in retrospect it could be considered a "busy street" (although the only time we had any noise issue was that Sat night from loud music coming from the party at the restaurant).


I think for sure this hotel offers a high value to price ratio.

Yes, Salizzada San Stae is a busy street for the area, basically when a vaporetto stops there and five people get off and walk past. Mostly quiet and/or deserted. Not busy at all compared to many areas in Venice just a few minutes away. That's why I love this location:close to the vaporetto, close to Rialto, but off the beaten track.

Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo is not a fancy hotel. It is a charming hotel.

So many thanks! And I MUCH prefer charm to fancy. Yes, that one room overlooking the tiny canal looks wonderful. They said it was available, but now it seems it's not. The courtyard looks charming though; wouldn't at all mind that view. (not available it seems) Not so sure about a street-- though, heck, it's not Broadway!

Of course, when we say "street" in Venice, we mean that is an alley 10-15 feet wide instead of 3 feet wide.

Thanks for continued attention.
Does anyone know the Locanda Orseolo? (and how it might compare to Al Ponte?)

Cruise;uv:

<i>Stu, I know exactly what room you had. However, weren't you bothered about the lack of privacy (unless you had the curtains closed)? As you say, the breakfast courtyard was right there. We found the courtyard as a lovely place to have an after dinner drinks(we had brought a bottle of limoncello with us)</i>.

It's a rather moot point now that Ellenem tells us that the room has been made into an inside bkfst room...too bad...it was a very nice room to stay in. The curtains were adequate, but being an exhibitionist, the lack of privacy was not troublesome. Kidding, but it did not pose any problems. The courtyard was certainly among the nicest features....we, too, enjoyed it after traipsing all day. I figured that in past visits we stayed in four different lodgings before Mocenigo was recommended by someone on this forum.

Mocenigo would most certainly be my choice should we ever return.

stu

I've never stayed at Locanda Orseolo, but my understanding is that it's fancier, provides an impressive breakfast (everyone mentions crepes), and has a very attentive staff. It is tucked away close to Piazza San Marco.

I stayed at the Locanda Orseolo and it is lovely. The best part is the staff and their incredible hospitality. You feel like you are a member of the family. You absolutely want a canal side room, NOT one facing the tiny court yard. The canal side rooms are a bit noisy, though, with all the boats delivering stuff to the various shops around as early as 7 am. We loved to watch all the action but we are early risers. Also many many gondolas throughout the day and night, and the 30th "O Sole Mio" might be a bit annoying to some. If you want quiet, upscale and close to the action I recommend http://www.aquapalace.it/