Venice - hotels
 

My husband and I are trying to decide, should we stay at a lesser hotel in Venice with a waterview room on the Grand Canal, or at a better hotel (by better I mean Londra Palace) with a courtyard view? Also, I saw an ad for the hotel Flora in Venice (cheaper than Londra) and it looks pretty nice. Anyone have any info on Flora?

You'll find lots of info on the Hotel Flora on this board. It is a very nice 3-star hotel. We stayed there in October and liked it very much. The location is excellent, our room was charming and the staff were very helpful and pleasant. If you decide to book there ask for a garden-view room.

The Flora is full of charm. One of my favorites. It does not have a canal view but has it's own lovely garden. This hotel books does up quickly so if your trip is within the next 6 months, I'd book asap.

Hi <BR>I too love the Flora. It has an outstanding location, just a few minutes from San Marco, and yet quiet.<BR>There is a (small) elevator and as mentioned a very pretty courtyard where in good weather you can have breakfast or a drink outside.<BR>The rooms and bathrooms are mostly not large, so if space is an issue it might not be for you.

Mary Kay---<BR>You will find the Flora to be charming and half the price of the Londra Palace, but when you arrive be sure you ask to see the room first. There are a few rooms that are very small. As for a jump from Flora to Londra Palace--- before you go all the way up to the Londra, which is very expensive, you might want to check the many other 3 star hotels in Venice, because there are lots of charming hotels in the price range of the Flora. My personal view is that no hotel, not the Londra or the Danieli or the Cipriani or any of the other luxury places, is worth the price in Venice. Venice is a city for wandering and exploring, not for staying inside and luxuriating in your hotel room.

If you want a less expensive hotel but one with a canal/water view, I suggest<BR>the Savoia & Jolanda hotel. It's located<BR>between the Londra Palace and the Danieli and has very reasonable rates. We stayed there last September and really enjoyed it...great location, great staff and we got a huge room for the price of a "broomcloset" at the Danieli !

Another very charming hotel that I visited on my last trip, with nicely-sized rooms is the Colombina. <BR>Also minutes from San Marco, prices slightly higher than the Flora.<BR>I may very well stay there on my next visit.<BR>www.hotelcolombina.com

I would also put a vote in for the Savoia & Jolanda. Stayed there last September, did not pay extra for a Grand Canal view and had a lovely room for the same price as our room in Rome ($200/night). Great location, reasonably priced, and the hotel itself was very nice. My husband & I kept remarking on the price relative to those next door and further away from San Marco when they really were not any better. <BR>Best of luck.