Michelle

Help!!!!! We will be visiting Venice for our first time in April (Easter weekend). Would like to hear from those who have been to or stayed at ANY of the aformentioned hotels. What was your impression? Money isn't an issue, just want nice, clean hotel with good location and friendly staff.

ThinGorjus

I have been to Venice three times and have always stayed at Cipriani. However, I have had drinks at Danieli, and the lobby is spectacular. It is also in a fantastic location, right on Schiavoni. You have the gondolas of San Marco in front of you, and the Bridge of Sighs at your right side. I haven't seen the rooms, but I imagine a room with a view of the lagoon would be an unbelievable experience. The Gritti Palace and Bauer are no slouches either. I am sure which ever you pick will be nice because in my opinion it is the room with a view of the canals, no matter how lowly the hotel, that makes a trip to Venice an unforgetable experience.

Grinisa

We stayed at the Gritti in November of 2001. It was great: beautiful room (view of small side canal) and excellent service. Well located near everything but not busy or noisy. The Danieli is right in the middle of everything-the Times Square of Venice. If you like that sort thing, you could stay there, but I found the location to be too busy, loud and noisy. Plus, every tourist in Venice is running into the lobby to look at the hotel. You could also get a room that is in the new, modern addition, which is a lot of money to spend on rooms that don't have that palazzo ambience. Do all of these hotels have availability for Easter weekend? That would be surprising. I would make reservations as soon as possible.

elaine

Not having stayed at these hotels, purely based on location I vote for the Bauer or the Gritti, for the reasons Grinisa mentioned.<BR>These hotels are however well beyond just nice and clean. They are luxury palaces. The Bauer Palazzo rooms are I'm told more Venetian in feeling than the other Bauer rooms.

EyeSpyEurope

While I dislike the post-Stalinoid appearance of part of the Bauer, it is a fantastic hotel. Yet, my favorite of the 3 you mentioned is the Gritti Palace. Understated, head-of-state-like opulence. Polished, refined, great location. The Danieli is right in the middle of it all, and if I had a free night there I wouldn't mind, but all in all, the Gritti Palace is for me. The Bauer Grunwald has very lavish rooms in the Palazzo section too. Go the Danieli around sunset so you can have a cocktail on the roof. Magical.<BR>

Elainee

For many people the Gritti is Venice. It has the most atmosphere of any hotel we ever stayed in. We also had side canal room (it is very expensive), but splendid.

Julian

We stayed at the Gritti Palace in Aug 2002 on a freebie. Good job we weren't paying. Thought it was very poor value for money - our room had parquet floor, broken fittings, stained bedding. Obviously hadn't had a cent spent on it for 40 years. The canalside terrace was nice, though.<BR><BR>We looked at rooms at the Danieli just to see if we were missing something and got shown a tiny and very unimpressive room. <BR><BR>Personally if I had money to burn, I would try the Cipriani. <BR><BR>By the way you are talking serious money - 16 dollars for a bowl of fries at the Gritti Palace...