What would you do - Venice Hotel?

[account4fun]

Opinions Please....

 

What area of Venice would you stay in??

 

We will an overnight port stop in Venice (Sat 9am till disembark on Sun) and are then thinking of staying an extra night. If we hit the major sights on Sat while the ship is still in port, where is the best place for us to get a hotel on Sunday? Originally I wanted something on the grand canal since this may be my only time in Venice but I've been reading all the posts about bridges with luggage and getting from the pier that have me second guessing my decision.

 

Any help is appreciated!

 

edit - I have been looking at the Locando Orseolo based on many good recommendations here.

[hubofhockey]

Opinions Please....

 

What area of Venice would you stay in??

 

We will an overnight port stop in Venice (Sat 9am till disembark on Sun) and are then thinking of staying an extra night. If we hit the major sights on Sat while the ship is still in port, where is the best place for us to get a hotel on Sunday? Originally I wanted something on the grand canal since this may be my only time in Venice but I've been reading all the posts about bridges with luggage and getting from the pier that have me second guessing my decision.

 

Any help is appreciated!

 

edit - I have been looking at the Locando Orseolo based on many good recommendations here.

 

Locanda Orseolo is an amazing choice. The first thing I'll do when planning another trip involving Venice will be to book a room there.

[paul929207]

We have also stayed there and loved it. It is about 100 yards from San Marco Plaza.

[euro cruiser]

Staying on the Grand Canal is wonderful, if you can afford a room that faces the canal (and they are generally higher priced than other rooms). If your room doesn't face the canal, than it really wouldn't matter to you if the hotel is on the canal, would it?

 

There are wonderful hotels along that canal that do not require crossing bridges, in fact, many (if not most) have their own docks so you can arrive by water taxi directly to your hotel. I've done this once, and it's a special experience, but generally I'm too frugal and haven't repeated it. For a once in a lifetime visit, if you can afford it, I'd say go for it.

[cruisemom42]

First of all, I agree Locando Orseolo is amazing!

 

Here are some thoughts that may help you with your decision. Yes, luggage is definitely a hassle in Venice.

 

One option is to investigate whether your cruiseline has a program that will take your luggage and (for a fee) deliver it to your hotel. I know Princess does it for a number of Venice hotels. Of course, that still leaves you with getting to the airport -- and if you are very overburdened with luggage, the only fairly convenient option that doesn't involve lugging is to take a water taxi. If you get active on your roll call, you may find someone else planning to do what you are contemplating who would be willing to share the cost of the water taxi to the airport.

 

Another option is to book a hotel in the Piazzale Roma area. You will still need to get to Piazzale Roma from the ship with your luggage. You may be able to find a taxi, or you can take the People Mover. There are some nice hotels around Piazzale Roma, some with canal views. (If you haven't already started researching hotels, recognize right now that canal view rooms are always more expensive.) From Piazzale Roma, you can just hop on the vaporetto and go wherever you wish in Venice; in fact, riding up the Grand Canal in the vaporetto is a great pleasure for me. To get to the airport from Piazzale Roma you can take a cab or the bus that leaves from Piazzale Roma (very inexpensive and with room for luggage).

 

A third option -- and one I was going to pursue on a cruise last year that I had to cancel -- would be to pack an overnight bag with what you need for your hotel night, then check the rest of your luggage at the luggage storage in Piazzale Roma. Then you are unburdened and free to stay wherever you wish. Before your flight you can just take a vaporetto to Piazzale Roma, pick up your luggage and take the bus or taxi to the airport.

[smiles2go]

A few weeks ago, we spent 2 extra nights in Venice when we disembarked from Ruby Princess. We had booked at Hotel Antiche Figure since it was located on Grand Canal very close to Piazzale Roma. (Excellent hotel!!! Can't recommend it highly enough).

 

The night before our ship arrived in Venice, we packed up all our bags except one carry on which we were to use in Venice. When we arrived in Venice, we pulled our bags to the People Mover (costs only 1 Euro), rode to the first stop at Piazzale Roma, and left these extra bags at the Left Baggage storage office just to the left of the People Mover structure. It cost 5 Euro per bag per day, but the next day we were able to just walk off the ship with our one little carry on.

 

The morning we were flying out, we took the short walk to Left Baggage and picked up our bags, bought our bus ticket next door, and walked out to the parking lot to the bus. So simple!

[kuldalai]

A good location for Cruisers to stay in Venezia is close to Piazzale de Roma . This area is accessible by land taxi from the Cruise berths and also from the Airport . Within easy walking distance of Venezia St.Lucia station . Piazzale de Roma is also the starting point for Vaporetto services down the Grand Canal.

 

The new Overhead PEOPLE MOVER also operates between the Cruise Terminal and Piazzale de Roma .

 

We use Hotel Locanda Salieri a stone's throw from Piazzale de Roma.

[account4fun]

A few weeks ago, we spent 2 extra nights in Venice when we disembarked from Ruby Princess. We had booked at Hotel Antiche Figure since it was located on Grand Canal very close to Piazzale Roma. (Excellent hotel!!! Can't recommend it highly enough).

 

The night before our ship arrived in Venice, we packed up all our bags except one carry on which we were to use in Venice. When we arrived in Venice, we pulled our bags to the People Mover (costs only 1 Euro), rode to the first stop at Piazzale Roma, and left these extra bags at the Left Baggage storage office just to the left of the People Mover structure. It cost 5 Euro per bag per day, but the next day we were able to just walk off the ship with our one little carry on.

 

The morning we were flying out, we took the short walk to Left Baggage and picked up our bags, bought our bus ticket next door, and walked out to the parking lot to the bus. So simple!

 

This sounds like a great suggestion! Thanks to cruisemom as well! I've read about the people mover and left luggage in other threads but hadn't put it all together. Thanks again!!

[account4fun]

Staying on the Grand Canal is wonderful, if you can afford a room that faces the canal (and they are generally higher priced than other rooms). If your room doesn't face the canal, than it really wouldn't matter to you if the hotel is on the canal, would it?

 

There are wonderful hotels along that canal that do not require crossing bridges, in fact, many (if not most) have their own docks so you can arrive by water taxi directly to your hotel. I've done this once, and it's a special experience, but generally I'm too frugal and haven't repeated it. For a once in a lifetime visit, if you can afford it, I'd say go for it.

 

I've read that I can take a water taxi to the water window at Locando Orseolo and thought about doing this. Are there taxi's at the cruise pier that we can just hop on?

[hubofhockey]

I've read that I can take a water taxi to the water window at Locando Orseolo and thought about doing this. Are there taxi's at the cruise pier that we can just hop on?

 

You should contact Locanda Orseolo directly. I know they arrange private water taxis from the airport for their guests. Perhaps they will do the same from the cruise docks. We shared a private taxi with another couple that we met at breakfast from the hotel TO the cruise docks. So, I would think you could easily do the reverse. The cost from Locanda Orseolo to the cruise dock area was either 80 or 90 euros. After tip, I know it was 50 euros per couple.

 

Another option is the Alilaguna. It will take you to San Marco. There are porters there who will wheel your bags and walk with you to Locanda Orseolo. They charge 25 euros for that. But the Alilaguna is only 6 or 7 euros one way. The walk is about 7-8 minutes.

[iancal]

It is fairly straightforward to determine if there are many bridges involved in getting to your hotel/b&b. If the establishement has a map on their web site, just trace the walk from the vaporetto (if this is how you are travelling) to the accomodation. If you do not cross any canals then you are fine.

 

This was one of our 'wants' on our trip in the spring. We had no problem finding a B&B with these attributes. We usually stay away from St. Marks/Rialto.

[mapleleaves]

This site provides the hotel by Piazzale Roma. even includes the number of bridges to cross.

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-cruise-terminal-hotels-piazzale-roma.htm

On our last visit we stayed on a small canal and to be honest I wouldn't do it again because of the noise factor. The small boats were active until after midngiht with passengers yelling back & forth, then it started up again at 6am. It could have been a one-time thing or just that area, but it turned me off the notion of a canal stay.

We had stayed in Venice 2 weeks earlier for a few nights so for this visit we used left luggage and took an overnight bag since it was just one night. We had 3 bridges to cross.

On our first visit to Venice a few yrs ago we stayed between St Marks and Rialto. We only had 1 bridge to cross and that was the Rialto. So as iancal said it is possible to find lodging all over Venice that has one or no bridges to cross.

[iancal]

As to what area we prefer...we have only been a few times but we like Cannaregio (sp), and more specifically between Ca D'Ora and Fondementa (sp) vaporetto stops. Why? First of all we use the vaportetto-no bridges to cross (depending where you stay). It is centrally located-easy walk to Rialto or St. Marks or P. Roma. It tends to be less expensive, more locals, less noise, and lots of good restaurants.

[William Dean]

We stayed at the Danielli and I don't think my wife would consider anywhere else now. It was superb. They have their own dock, of course, but you don't have to do anything as menial as touch your own luggage!

 

Highly priced, but then, you only live once.

 

WD