Venice

[joan24]

Does anyone have a favorite hotel in Venice? We are looking for someplace small and on a canal for 2 pre-cruise days in May. I'd appreciate any information. Thanks.

Joan

[baltimorebarb]

HI-

 

We are staying at the Best Western San Marco. It is not on hte canal but my SIL has stayed there before and booked us there. She likes it for the cleanliness, room size, location and price.

 

barbara

[vacationhappy]

We are staying at Locanda Orseolo - http://www.locandaorseolo.com. It is a small family-owned hotel not too far from St. Marks. It comes highly recommended and my initial contact with them has been wonderful.

[lisabor]

My husband and I just got back from Venice about 2 weeks ago. We stayed at the Locanda Orseolo (the one vacationhappy just mentioned). It was just wonderful!! The people were so friendly and called us by name whenever we came in the door. The rooms were decorated beautifully. The litte courtyard where it is located is nice and quiet. We only wish we could have stayed longer!! Enjoy your time in Venice!!

[ajpack]

We're not going until Oct. 2005, but I'm already making plans. We'd like to spend a day or 2 post cruise in Venice, but all the logistics of getting off the ship and getting to a hotel with all the luggage worries me. We are in our mid fifties, and I have back problems. There's no way I can drag the suitcases in and out of water taxis! Do they help you? I was looking at the Locanda Orseolo web site and it looks wonderful. I'd really like to spend a few days there---who knows when we'll get back there. How are you all dealing with the transportation challenges in Venice?

 

Anne

[lisabor]

Yes, there are definately people there to help you get your luggage on and off. There was actually a conveyor belt at the dock that they used to load up the taxis. Then at the Locanda Orseolo they have a "water door" on the canal side that they use, the hotel staff will greet you there and help carry stuff up to your room. I assume other hotels might have a similar arrangement. So all you have to do is roll your luggage from the building at the port where they line it up to the water taxi stop at the dock. It wasn't far.

[ajpack]

Thanks so much! I was really obsessing about it and it's over a year away. We're leaving Aug. 5th for Seattle for an Alaskan cruise, and I'm spending more time researching the Med. cruise. I'll drive my husband crazy until then!

 

Anne

[ocean.queen]

ajpack....your not alone. We are leaving for Anchorage on Aug 5 for an Alaskan cruise and I am spending more time researching, reserving & obsessing about the same things as you for our June '05 Greek Is cruise. We are booked at the Locando Orseolo as well with two other couples that we met on the Tahiti cruise last March. I'm so glad to see such wonderful reviews from ones who have stayed there. We plan to store our cruise luggage at the airport during our stay in Venice.

[Slyfox16]

Could anyone please tell us more about this hotel and its rates.

Thanks, Seth Sclevin@aol.com

[NEW YORK LADY]

For info and reviews on Locanda Orseolo go to tripadvisor. com and read the many reviews from all over the world.

 

We are staying there with Ocean.queen in June 05 and have already made our reservations. It is a small hotel with only about 15 rooms. As far as luggage goes what we are doing is leaving our big pieces of luggage at the "hold luggage" area at the Venice airport and then just taking a small carry-on for our two night stay in Venice. This way we can just take the regular vaporetto that goes from the airport to St. Mark's Square and walk to the hotel from there. At the end of our stay we will do the reverse and pick up the luggage from the "hold" area at the airport and then hop a taxi to the ship. Pretty easy to do actually and you don't have to struggle with the large pieces of luggage.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

Also, planning Alaska 5 weeks after we get back from the Med so I'm busy as well with both these trips, plus a London trip in Sept. 04. Seems like I'm always juggeling.

 

Jackie

[eilis]

Seth, the price for a double room is 140 min to 240 max on the Locanda Orseolo website. The owners and staff are indeed very nice and helpful. Beware of Room 15 which is the middle photo on the website and the one we stayed in. It is extremely dark and we had to have the light on at all times. In case you are not aware the Locanda does not have an elevator but the staff will help with luggage.

[ISABELLA]

We came back from Venice a month ago after our cruise on Star Princess, which was absolutely wonderful. We stayed in Venice one night post cruise and we left our luggage at the airport after we disembark the ship, taking only carry on to the hotel.

We took a land taxi ( 30 euros)from the pier to the airport and bus (1 euro)to Piazza Roma and then Vaporetto ( 5 euro)to San Marco. Our hotel was 5 min from the stop, but we did not drag the luggage around. Worked out great.

[Petoonya]

Isabella,

 

Where and how did you store your luggage at the airport?

Are there lockers or a secure facility or just what? Do you recall what the fee was and was it fairly easy to arrange?

Thanks very much.

[wwinfl91]

My wife and I did this last year. The Held luggage office is on the bottom level of the airport. There is an attendent who will run the luggage through an X-Ray machine before they store it. They just put it on shelves but the room is supposed to always be attended or locked. You can lock your luggage and it is supposed to be safe but I still wouldn't leave expensive jewery or lots of cash just in case. I think the fee is 3 euros per day per piece of luggage. As opposed to trying to lug it around Venice it was a bargin. The Held Luggage office isn't open. Here is a copy of the email I received last year from them.

 

You can find a left luggage place at Marco Polo airport in the arrivals area.

It is open everyday (6.00 a.m - 9.00 p.m.).

The cost per 24 hours for each luggage is euro 3.00.

 

Best regards

Marianna

Coop. Trasbagagli

tel 041 713719

fax 041 713864

e-mail info@trasbagagli.it

sito web http://www.trasbagagli.it

 

They list a web site and an email address so you can get some additional information.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[divinc]

We found a perfect solution to not having to haul luggage around in Venice and still have a great hotel on the Grand Canal thanks to references on this board.

 

We just returned from Star Princess Venice to Barcelona last week and stayed two nights pre-cruise in Venice. Since I was the only male with my wife, daughter and grandson, there was no way I was going to haul luggage around, over bridges, uneven walkways, etc.

 

The Hotel Santa Chara is the only hotel on the Grand Canal that a taxi can deliver you to the front door. (And of course pick you up to the port or to the airport.) The hotel was perfect with the rooms overlooking the canal and included breakfast. This part of Venice is so much different from the mob scene in the San Marcus area. The cafes and shops were also less expensive and affordable. We took evening walks all over the area and ate late dinners. The water bus stop was only steps away to take you to San Marcus or anywhere else. I highly recommend you consider it. Also less expensive than San MArcus area.

 

Airport to hotel was 25e and hotel to port 25e. THis was for a taxi van for 4 with lots of luggage.

 

Even if you choose not stay in this part of Venice, you will be missing out if you don't visit this area and experience a part of Venice many people miss.

 

Phil

[joan24]

Thanks for the information everyone. We just booked 4 days at Locanda Orseola. We had only planned for 2 days pre-cruise but Deltas upgrades were gone for the day we had planned to leave. Now we get to enjoy 4 days in Venice rather than 2. We're going in May. Can't wait.

Joan

[desertheat]

Hey ajpack, what ship are you on for your cruise in Oct. 05? We just booked the Brilliance. So much to research - wow!

[Blamar]

The longer you get to stay in Venice the better. We stayed at the Hotel American and it was wonderful.http://www.hotelamerican.com/eng/hotel/index.html

 

Make sure you get your Venice Pass, it is really useful especially when you remember to bring your reciept with you to claim it. Also as much as you can use the vaparetto to go up and down the canal, don't forget to use the Traghetto to cut across the canal when it is too far to walk to a bridge.

 

One more thing that we did that was a real hoot, don't have a whole meal in one place. Try having anti-pasta in one restaurant, go for a walk, have prima pasta in another and your final course or desert in another. Its a great way to spend a venice night.

 

Have a wonderful time,

B

[wwinfl91]

I'm sure you will enjoy the extra time in Venice. It is one of the most interesting cities we have ever visited and is great in the evenings after most of the other day visitors leave. It becomes a different city then much more magical and more authenic. I would suggest instead of the Venice card getting a waterbus pass from the ACTV for transportation and paying your own way into the museums and churches that you want to visit. We did the Venice card when we visited and did not really feel we got a great value for our money. If you actually do all the museums and activities that it offers it will pay off but if you do other things you may at best break even. Be sure to do the Doges Palace and if you can sign up ahead of time for the secret tour. It is worth doing. Spend time on the Grand Canal during the evening and morning on the ACTV waterbuses and you will have some great opportunities for pictures. Just talking about Venice makes me want to book another cruise and visit it again but we have other places we haven't been yet before we will get back to it I suspect.

 

Have a great next cruise and a fantastic time in Venice.

[ajpack]

Hi desertheat...We're booked on the Millenium Oct.13th Barcelona to Venice. Can't wait!

 

 

Anne

[preciouscheryl]

Thank you all for such great information! We will be on the Millie out of Venice June 20, 2005! Can't wait! Arriving Venice 2 days early to take as much in as possible. Honeymooners!!

 

Still need clarification..if anyone can help!

 

1). what is the best way to book hotel? Direct or on line (ie priceline, etc)

2). how far in advance should we book hotel?

3). we want to make certain that we get our luggage to the hotel and that we do NOT have to carry it around! From reading this thread, it appears that both Locanda Orceola (leaning towards that hotel) AND Santa Chara will provide door to door service for us from the AIRPORT??? And then to our cruise ship??

 

Thanks soo much!!

[krobertson]

My mom & I stayed at the Malibran in Feb. Close to Rialto Bridge so it is very centrally located, quaint and affordable and clean. You can email them at info@mailibran.it . They ususally respond the next day.

[dondiane]

We stayed at the Sant Angelo hotel in May for three nights. Right on the Grand Canal about 30 steps from the Sant Angelo vaperreto stop... Loved the hotel. Only 14 rooms. I had booked a "run of house" room for about 100 Euro less than their Standard Room rate. Not sure of what kind of room that might be in Europe I was delighted to find a large well attained room. The bathroom was done in marble ,double sinked, whirlpool tub, bidet, towel warmer..fluffy white robes and slippers. We had a nice breakfast (included) each morning in the breakfast room. I would definately stay there again. They also have a private boat dock right in front of the hotel entrance.

[preciouscheryl]

Wow! Sounds like you were very fortunate! I pulled up information and they appear to be quite expensive and require a 30% deposit w/reservation!! Yikes!

 

Sticking with Locanda Orseolo for now! :p

[jezzdogg]

We are staying at the Hotel Ala, with your AArp card senior rate was about 122 dollars, which was 50% the regular rates, about a 5 minute walk from ST. Marks, they have a water taxi dock and just down the street from the VAPERETTO. While we have not stayed there yet(will let everyone know on my review when we return) they cam highly praised on the old boards, they are right next to the Gritti Palace and by the church Giglio(sic)

I have some questions maybe someone can answer

1. On what website, can I buy the Venice card?

2. On what website can I reserve tickets for the secret Doges tour

Thanks

Norma