Palazzo Veneziano

We arrived in Venice by train after visiting Florence and Bologna. We initially weren’t sure how easy it would be to reach the hotel which, on the map, looks to be on the relatively distant side of Venice. Nothing to worry about - we caught line 5.1 from outside Venezia Santa Lucia and in around 20 minutes were at the hotel (which is only a couple minutes walk from the stop “Zaterre”). First impressions of the location and hotel were magnificent. Stunning views and the greeting from Fransceco at reception was excellent. We soon were in our room which was absolutely perfect. Despite booking a room with a “courtyard view” we could see the top of St Mark’s Campanile and all the rooftops of Venice. Beautiful! The room was a good size, beautifully decorated and the bathroom with chemotherapy lights very nice indeed. Excellent aircon for this warm summer weather. A fast hairdryer! Hooray. All staff at the hotel were wonderful and breakfast was very good. Love the mimosas, cream croissants, banana cake and tiramisu. Is there a better way to start the day than waking up with lovely views over Venice and then having a delicious breakfast? I can’t imagine there is. Most important to note is just how amazing the location was. We originally looked at hotels in San Marco area because we wanted to be close to heart of the action and reduce the need to take vaporettos. I really believe now that staying anywhere else would have been a mistake. The San Marco area in particular was very busy and touristy at all hours of the day with lots of focus on selling souvenirs etc. The area is beautiful and a highlight of any visit, of course. It shouldn’t be missed! For us, Dorsoduro felt like San Marcos quiet twin. Just as beautiful to explore, with the stunning Zaterre promenade, lots of amazing places to eat and so much more peaceful and relaxed. We got great takeaway pizza from a place near Campo S. Margarita. Delicious! The vaporetto was a great way to get to St Marks Square (either line 5.1 which gets you there in only one stop or line 2 which crosses over first to the Guidecca and San Giorgio Maggiore islands with stunning views all around, 16 mins to St Marks in total). A 5-10 min walk depending on how much you’re stopping to soak in the views, leads to the Academia bridge and from here you can get up or down the Grand Canal from virtually any line! It was worth paying for the day passes (we weren’t sure at first but it was well worth the money in the end). On our way back to the airport we walked 10-15 mins with light luggage - maybe not so easy with heavier cases - through Dorsoduro to the Piazalle Roma where we caught the Aeroporto bus to Marco Polo. This only cost €10 each and took 20 mins. With heavier cases you could take the 5.1 to ple. Roma! This option made the journey back to the airport both quick and cost effective (since it seems you often have to sacrifice one or the other when moving around Venice!). Overall, if you’re thinking about the palazzo Veneziano for your trip to Venice… go ahead and book it. It’s a beautiful hotel, very reasonably priced, in an exquisite location for sightseeing and extremely simple options for getting to/from the train station or the airport (which is slways important). Thank you Palazzo Veneziano for our amazing stay in Venice: we won’t forget it!!