Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal in Venice

[scorpio47]

(**Cross posting from Italy Ports Forum**)

 

DW and I will be ending a Celebrity cruise in Venice next July and plan to spend a few days exploring Venice before flying home.  We're staying at the Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal near Piazza San Marco and have a few questions for fellow cruisers who have stayed in this hotel recently:

1) What are your thoughts on the hotel?  Does the hotel offer a complementary breakfast?

2) Any recommendations for restaurants in the area where the food is good and the prices are not outrageous?

3) If you have taken a water taxi from the hotel to the airport, where does the water taxi pick you up?

 

We're also working out activities while we're in Venice.  We're planning a day trip on a Sunday to Murano and Burano to visit the museums and explore a bit.  If you've been there, any comments on these locations?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Paul

[CelticMCO]

Did you try TripAdvisor?

[ccotting]

We stayed there.  Water taxi takes you directly to the front door of the hotel for drop off and pick up.  Rooms very small by North American standards but nice. Breakfast can be included in your room price but you pay a higher rate.  Conveniently located, we walked to the Academia, the Rialto, and St.  Marks.  Venice is enormously expensive, watch out for drinks at $20+ US price in Harry's bar (right next door to the hotel), the hotel is not much different.  Nor are the coffee places around Piazza San Marco.    The hotel will organize a free water taxi to Murano for you but it is through an arrangement with a particular glass factory and you will need to take their tour and sales pitch.

 

For meals I would recommend:

 

The popular self-service canteen inside the landmark Palazzo Franchetti, for €15 you can eat all you want from the buffet, and there is no problem going back for seconds.  You have to go past the doorman, don't be afraid to ask him how to get to it.  It's right near the academia bridge.
• Campo San Stefano 2847, San Marco, +39 041 240 7711, palazzofranchetti.it, lunch only, closed Saturday and Sunday

[Hlitner]

Its a decent hotel for those who want to be in the St Marks area.  Breakfast depends on the term (and price) of your booking.  As to the post that talks about a "free" shuttle to Murano...just about anyone can get a "free" boat over to Murano if they are willing to spend some of their time taking a tour of a glass factory (be it real or created for tourists).  Instead we prefer getting a times vaporetto pass (you can buy these for 24, 48, 72, etc hours) which gives you unlimited access to all of the vaporettos.  And yes, vaporettos go around Venice and to Murano, Burano (our favorite island), Torcello, Lido, etc.

 

Hank

[pretty princess]

Loved my stay there.  

[crazyman3]

We've stayed there 4 times.

 

1st as a Princess Cruises post-cruise stay. A small room with a poor view.

 

2nd A suite overlooking the Grand Canal. 

 

3rd Identical suite as last time

 

4th A much larger suite but no view of the canal.

 

We stayed at the Molino Stucky once.... a canal view but a very small room. Never again. 

 

A few weeks ago we flew over for a long weekend and stayed at the SINA Centurian. Our suite was excellent!

 

The restaurants at both the Monaco and the Centurian were both good ----but £££££

 

I have written a number of reviews about places to eat, places to visit etc. on Trip Advisor. I am crazymaddancer!

[flipflap78]

I can suggest as newly opened hotel and great area, H10
Spanish chain, I used it in Madrid and I had a great time.
In Venice I stayed in another 4 star hotel, but remember that in Italy the 4 stars are not as prestigious as in the rest of the world.

[cltnccruisers]

We stayed there pre-cruise a few years ago.  Had a nice suite overlooking the gondola station.  The drawback was being woke up around 5:00 AM by the delivery boats that also dock there.  About a 5 minute walk to St Marks.  I was really looking forward to seeing the basilica.   Unfortunately, a bishop had passed away and was laid out inside so access to the basilica was by invitation only.  I guess we'll just have to go back.  

[crazyman3]

6 hours ago, cltnccruisers said:

We stayed there pre-cruise a few years ago.  Had a nice suite overlooking the gondola station.  The drawback was being woke up around 5:00 AM by the delivery boats that also dock there.  About a 5 minute walk to St Marks.  I was really looking forward to seeing the basilica.   Unfortunately, a bishop had passed away and was laid out inside so access to the basilica was by invitation only.  I guess we'll just have to go back.  

 

Yes, you'll need to return to Venice. Hopefully everything will be hunky-dory for you.

 

You were unlucky being woken by the delivery boats. I'm a light sleeper and wasn't woken. Perhaps it was my wee dram just before bedtime...