PLACES
TO STAY
(and Shop)
VENICE
There must be at least 50 stellar places to stay in Venice. As we covered the city on foot we passed many that looked great, and a previous trip was successful in a very inexpensive pensione. (Just be sure your choice is air conditioned.)
Karen Brown and other guides will lead you to fine choices. We give you the hotels we stayed in during our 2002, 2004, and 2005 trips, plus two others in which we have not stayed, but which we have visited and talked about with those we trust who have been there. They are all luxury, but deals abound on the Internet even for these superb hotels.
If
you're using this site seriously, the chances are you're not going to take the
vaporetto and trust to find your way accurately on your first trip. Water
taxis are expensive (80 plus euros at last count), and even then you have to
wrestle your bags onto a shuttle bus that takes a long way round to the taxi
"stand".
Because Russ was responsible for 3 large bags and 3 small ones in 2005, so that
Kaye could help her mom in and out of taxis, we explored another route that
proved to be outstanding. Through the concierge at San Clemente Palace, we
arranged for a driver with stretch Mercedes to be waiting inside the Marco Polo
Airport. He took us and our bags on the bridge to a canal, where he'd
arranged for a water taxi to be waiting. The taxi pilot took care of the
bags and delivered us promptly to San Clemente Palace's island.
The total fare was 130 euros, and the taxi pilot refused a tip.
To give you some idea of the value, a 17 minute gondola ride cost 120 euros.
The
best website for getting to and from Venice, and much more is Durant Imboden's
Venice for Visitors.
Click
here for great help.
We lucked out with a
great suite. Note Kaye in the right hand picture at one of the four
windows of the suite, which you can see in the picture of the whole hotel on the
left. If you go to the hotel's website (above) our suite is the one in red
in the hotel's slide show.
Not exactly a panorama
picture (taken at different times), but the view left, ahead, and right from our
suite. This is the view a fish eye lens provides on the hotel's website.
Locanda Novecento
Calle del Dose 2683/84
(your water taxi from the airport can drop you half a block from it)
041 24 13 765
Fax: 041 52 12 145
info@locandanovecento.it
Direct link: http://www.novecento.biz/dynalay.asp?PAGINA=116
Halfway between Piazza San Marco and the Accademia Bridge (and the wonderful bead shop - see Shopping below), Novecento is charming, which means that it is quite reasonably priced, quiet, well situated, pleasantly staffed, and 'comfy.' The rooms are quite small and the wiring won't allow you to use an iron, but it will cost you half of the other places on this page, maybe even less. We stayed there, as did our friend Sharon, in 2004, and it was quite acceptable.
San Clemente Palace
Isola di San Clemente 1, San Marco
15 minutes from Piazza San Marco or Londra Palace by hotel shuttle
www.sanclement.thi.it
This is the relatively new (6 years?) hot place to stay. It's still shaking down, apparently, because some of our fellow guests in the hotel launch were less than enchanted with their very small room and the hotel's refusal to move them. Previously we had said we hoped to stay there someday, and in September of 2005, we did.
The concierge who had been
wonderful in arranging our limo/water taxi arrival was virtually surly when Russ
asked when the (3 only) available computers might be back online, even though we
thought we'd been effusive in our praise of his assistance. Perhaps it was
just a bad day, but in hotels where your room may cost you over a thousand a
night, no one has the right to a bad day.
(WARNING: Italian hotels in resort cities have barely discovered the
Internet as of '05. Neither Sirenuse nor San Clemente had access in the
hotel rooms.) Your best bet in Venice is one of a number of Internet
cafes.)
Nevertheless, because of our Roman friends and the kindness of the hotel (who wanted to keep our Roman friends' business), we were double upgraded to La Residenza, a separate building with two suites on the edge of the hotel grounds. Our suite had two large bedrooms, two and a half baths, a huge living/dining room, and a 60 by 100 foot private garden overlooking Venice. When we checked out Kaye asked the usual price - it was $4300 a night.
It's a lovely hotel, and we recommend it; but we suggest you ask about the dimensions of your room before you commit to a reservation.
Above left, a photograph from the
launch pier that doesn't do justice to the hotel - check the website link above
for much better views of the hotel, the island, and the rooms; but it does show
the private building, La Residenza, on the left, set off by itself (and not
listed on the website).
Below left, the private garden overlooking Venice in the distance (to the left of this shot); on the right, the living room. The two french doors on the right in that photo are the doors on the right in the garden shot. The doors on the left were to Kaye's mom's room. Spectacular.
TWO PLACES WE WANT TO STAY SOMEDAY:
Hotel Cipriani
Guidecca
Island
10 minutes from Piazza San Marco or Londra Palace by hotel shuttle
www.hotelcipriani.com
Go to their website to see more pictures. The Terrace Restaurant, at the
pool, is spectacular, with great waiters and excellent food (Places to Eat -
Venice). If you've got a lunch or dinner reservation, take their launch
from one of the docks directly in front of San Marco Plaza. (2008
Note: Room rates for a double at about $1600 a night and up, way up, for
better accommodations, make this for those truly driven and not subject to dizzy
spells.)
Hotel
Danieli
Castello
4197
Tel: 041.522.6480
Fax: 041.520.k0208
http://danieli.hotelinvenice.com
The lobby is spectacular, though a bit Old Europe for us. But the top floor
terrace restaurant does have a great view. It's restricted to guests part
of the time, so check at the desk for public hours. Worth it for the view
(and pictures). (2008 Note: During any given week, the same lagoon
view double will vary in price from $1100 to $1,575!)
SHOPPING
Venice is one large shopping center. Where is not to shop? Use Born to Shop liberally, but, if you like handmade jewelry and other glass and bead items, especially the ability to design your own pieces and have them ready that night or the next day, a must is Genninger Studio.
Genninger Studio
2793/A Dorsoduro
Calle del Traghetto
041.522.5565
www.genningerstudio.com
Get directions from
their website; you'll need map references. It's about a 25 minute walk from Piazza San
Marco, if you follow directions carefully. It's also at the Ca'Rezzonico
boat stop. We went there twice, despite Russ' whining, in 2002, and again
in 2004 (sending Russ back to pick up what we'd designed and ordered).
Great beaded
jewelry using glass and metallic beads made to the store's design and for the
store only. (2005 Note: We went back this year, too.
Added a few pieces to our collection.)
Another stunning display area on the left, and Leslie Genninger herself,
awaiting the arrival of a son and heir. Later, we were pleased to receive the
announcement on the right.
Tell Leslie we
sent you.
Some shops in Venice defy description. (Don't ask.)
We did
not take up the offers of free tours to Murano, the glassblowing island. See
Warnings for the reason. If you must go (the glass is available in dozens
of Venice shops), take a regular boat or water taxi (the latter is expensive).
Russ' brother said he got much better deals on a large purchase he made by
dickering on the island compared with shops on the main islands. Have your
hotel help you to the nearest vaporetto stop, with directions.
Be aware, too, that some small items made for tourists, especially those which have nothing to do with Venice, such as toreadors and dolphins, may be made in China, not Venice. (???!!!)
Copyright 2008 Kaye and Russ Cooper-Mead
Last updated 03/12/08