Another Venice Hotel Question

[Numbers]

We are planning to spend 2 nights in Venice after disembarking from the Zuiderdam in October. After getting sticker shock from the hotel prices (especially given the dollar/euro exchange rate at present), I realized that I have enough Marriott points to get a free room at the Courtyard by the airport. Even after reading dozens of posts on the subject of transportation in and around Venice, I still don't get it, and am concerned that I might be making a mistake by staying near the airport and traveling into the heart of town each day. I'd love everyone's thoughts on this -- is it worth it for a free room?

 

Thanks.

[cberge]

We are planning to spend 2 nights in Venice after disembarking from the Zuiderdam in October. After getting sticker shock from the hotel prices (especially given the dollar/euro exchange rate at present), I realized that I have enough Marriott points to get a free room at the Courtyard by the airport. Even after reading dozens of posts on the subject of transportation in and around Venice, I still don't get it, and am concerned that I might be making a mistake by staying near the airport and traveling into the heart of town each day. I'd love everyone's thoughts on this -- is it worth it for a free room?

 

Thanks.

I can't tell anyone how to spend their money,but if you are going to Venice with the thought of not visiting again I would bite the bullet and stay "in" Venice or on Venice,but if you think you will be going back again soon I would go for the Courtyard,and take the vapparatto around.Here is alink that you can cehck out hotels on,and there is a lot of inof on this board re hotels asw ell if you do some reading on the pages.

Hotel reservations - Venere.com

[Sheepdog]

I agree and would stay " in " Venice...with such a short time there, you really want to enjoy it and get the true feeling of Venice !!

Try and find a place that is easy access to the vaporetto....I saw lots of people lugging suitcases up the bridge and down the bridge....not my idea of fun !!

We're staying not too far from San Marco....hopefully far enough away from the crowds, but handy to everything.

Enjoy,

Sharon

[Nodakboiler]

Actually, we on the Splendour of the Seas in early November and I have decided to stay at the Courtyard by marriott both pre and post cruise. I have points for one free night. I had read a recent cruise review where the reviewer had most favorable comments about the Marriott. The review also said that Bus No. 5 (I think) goes right by the hotel and takes you into venice. With the $ taking a beatind vs. the Euro, I thought it was worth the try. Enjoy!

[sakana]

I really wanted us to stay in Venice - to really experience the atmosphere of a place I'll probably only get to visit once in this lifetime. We couldn't afford the hefty price tag of most of the hotels and didn't want to end up in a dive, either. I ended up renting us a townhouse suite for 100 Euros a night. I found a good place to look for "non-traditional" accomodation is http://www.cross-pollinate.com.

[Catnip]

We did this when we got off Splendour of the Seas this past Oct. It was great! We took a cab from the pier to the Courtyard at the airport as soon as we disembarked. We checked in and left our luggage. We went right outside to the street and hopped on the bus back in to Venice. It was easy, cheap and only took about 20 min.

Then, early that evening, we did the same thing back to the hotel. The hotel is nice....clean and less than 5 min away from the airport. Really nice if you have an early morning flight out.

No schlepping your suitcases like you will have to if you stay in a hotel in Venice. No bridges to haul them over.

It's so convenient and the hotel is nice.

[Liv4cruzin]

I understand your shock at the price of the hotels on the islands of Venice. I know you want to make the most of your 2 days in the city; & I hate to think about how much time will be spent w/ bus & vaporetto transfers. The one great advantage to doing it your way is the ease with which you can transfer you & your bags to the hotel. Trying to find a hotel "in the city" that is close to a vaporetto stop so as not to pull luggage over bridges & steps is a tall order. The expensive hotels usually have a landing stage to make it easier; but the smaller hotels further off the canal can be a challenge.

 

On the other hand....One of the great joys of being "close by" is the spontaneity of ambling around, here & there; getting lost & not giving a thought of the time. A late night walk in the city is magnificent; the ambiance is totally opposite of the hustle & bustle when the daytrippers from the ships are milling about. As sakana stated there are options; & with a little more research, I think you will find a price that you can live with. May I suggest that you visit tripadvisor.com. There are great hotel reviews; & their message boards are full of recommendations & critiques. Good luck w/ your search.

[lambs2]

A compromise you might want to consider is to book the first night after your cruise at a hotel in Venice and then to move to the Marriot using some of your free points for the second night. That way you would get to experience the "magic" of actually staying in Venice with time to see the sights and enjoy a morning there too, but on the second night you would already be conveniently located close to the airport for a much easier departure for your flight. Most hotels or B&B's will hold your luggage in a special room even after check-out time in Venice, so you would not necessarily have to rush over to Mestre for your last night near the airport

[Ardy53]

We are planning to spend 2 nights in Venice after disembarking from the Zuiderdam in October. After getting sticker shock from the hotel prices (especially given the dollar/euro exchange rate at present), I realized that I have enough Marriott points to get a free room at the Courtyard by the airport. Even after reading dozens of posts on the subject of transportation in and around Venice, I still don't get it, and am concerned that I might be making a mistake by staying near the airport and traveling into the heart of town each day. I'd love everyone's thoughts on this -- is it worth it for a free room?

 

Thanks.

 

 

There is a charm to Venice that is very difficult to describe and it extends from early morning till late at night - from waking up to the smell of fresh croissants from the bakery across the canal, to the view of gondolas going past your window before bed.

 

Although you would be getting a really good price for your stay, my own personal preference would be an inexpensive hotel near one of the Vaporetta stops. After much research, we have booked (€100 per night) a small hotel 3 minutes walk from P. Roma. It has good reviews, an adjacent restaurant and is away from the most touristy parts.

 

 

Here is a link to what the two hotels look like. http://www.alger.co.za/images/2hotels.jpg

 

Whichever way you decide, you will still love Venice.

 

Roy & Val

[MercedMike]

I really agree with the others. If you are only going to be in Venice once in your life, do you really want to stay in a modern plastic hotel and take a bus into the city?

 

We had a delightful experience at the Violino D'Oro http://www.violinodoro.com/en/index.htm

and the price was reasonable -- at least for Venice! It is a small, comfortable hotel with a delightful concierge, and sits in the Campo San Moises just across from a beautiful little church (and incidentally next to Versace and Gucci.) A one block walk brings you to St Marks square and as others have said it is a lot of fun to just walk around the city on your own.

 

I really think that staying in the heart of Venice this way will be an experience you will not forget.

 

Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/holyland3.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[auntdot]

Mike,

 

Did you have to walk and drag luggage? or is it a 'ship' hotel with transfers? We have to get from the ship to the hotel, and then from the hotel to the airport two days later. DH and I cannot walk too far without a rest (especially with luggage) and I am finding it very hard to fathom how we get from the ship to St Mark's area.

 

Thanks,

Dot

[auntdot]

Me again, Mike,

 

I just went back to your review (I had read it just after you posted it, but forgot the information!) Seems like you arranged private transportation - this will be a very pricey option for the two of us (getting to the hotel - and then to the airport) but we'll see what they quote for a room rate! We have a reservation on the other side of St. Mark's - but no landing stage!

 

Thanks,

Dot

[MercedMike]

Mike,

 

Did you have to walk and drag luggage? or is it a 'ship' hotel with transfers? We have to get from the ship to the hotel, and then from the hotel to the airport two days later. DH and I cannot walk too far without a rest (especially with luggage) and I am finding it very hard to fathom how we get from the ship to St Mark's area.

 

Thanks,

Dot

 

This is indeed a huge problem. Porters seem to be unknown in Venice. We had a private water taxi to the hotel, but they dropped us about a block from it. I just stood there leaning on my cane and looking at the luggage and refused to get out of the taxi until they agreed to help us drag it to the hotel. They also went and got the concierge from the hotel to help.

 

Going back we once again booked a private transfer to Piazzle Romana. The hotel staff dragged our bags over the bridge to the taxi stop. They were nice about it but it was clear it was not the normal procedure. At Piazalle Romana the water taxi dropped us off, and we got a porter to carry our bags the 50 yards to the taxi stop. He demanded 25 Euros!!

 

I don't know what to suggest to you. It seems to be the norm in Venice.:confused: