HeidiInTheAlps

I never booked it, based on the price and the location alone.

A pity Marriott don't offer a nice option in Venice

HookEm

Why do you say that? The Boscolo Venezia gets positive reviews on TA. What is wrong with that hotel?

SkiAdcock

If anyone's thinking of getting married in Italy (May-November 2016), the JW Venice spa has a deal going on right now (that will cost 492,500 points):

https://www.experiencesmarketplace.c...fect-proposal-

"Picture Perfect Proposal at the JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa: 3-night stay, candlelight dinner & private photography session

Experience includes:

Three (3) night, double occupancy stay in a Uliveto Deluxe room and buffet breakfast
Candlelight dinner for two (2) in a private gazebo overlooking a secluded lagoon
A two (2) hour photography session in the resort's quaint, century-old park (digital images provided)
Experience is for two (2) people"

Cheers.

HeidiInTheAlps

Yes, that's right... forgot about that one. It's always booked when I go, so I've never stayed there...

German Expat

We are planning to go for 4 nights early August (I know it will be very full in Venice at this time of the year). I do have some questions though after reading the reviews. But first maybe some feedback what we are looking for. We like to swim in the morning and relax and go into the city later in the afternoon. Therefore a pool with some lounge chairs is a must.

- looks like there is no free elite breakfast anymore, correct (I am Gold) ?

- on the reservation it showed a 60 Euro rate for the 3rd person which might be waived for a child, we have a 10 year old, will they charge for it?

- how are the pools and I read some reviews that said not enough lounge chairs

- another option would be the Molino Stucky, anybody stayed at both and can recommend one vs the other?

thanks for the replies

Raffles

Forget the rooftop pool, that is effectively a kids splash pool, irrespective of the original intention.

The pool in the grounds is stupidly small given they could have built an Olympic size facility but I imagine if you are up early it will be ok. Only enough lounge chairs for, I would guess, 5% of guests at full capacity.

That said, despite my issues with the hotel we are back there for the last 3 nights in August because cash costs elsewhere were crazy. Not many Venice hotels can take 4 in a room and the JWM was offering rooms that take 4 at standard reward pricing plus a copay. My wife wasn't happy when she found out what I'd done though ......

German Expat

Hi Raffles, thanks for your reply. Do you have any experience with the Hilton Molino Stucky? They have a very good prepaid rate at the moment and seems like they still honor Gold benefits (free breakfast).
Looks though the grounds are not as nice but at the same time its on an island with a couple other things going on.
The rooftop swimming pool does not too big either though.
Other option might be to go to the Lido or Jesolo but we are only going 4 nights and do prefer Venice. We also plan to mainly go to town later in the afternoon and evening so the city is not as crowded anymore. Therefore also the pool to keep our 10 year old busy and active.

Raffles

Never been to the Hilton. My wife would prefer the Lido but no high end options until the Four Seasons opens, if it ever does.

HereAndThere

I'm glad I read this thread before I booked. I was expecting a nice lounge for Platinum members like hotels in most major cities. I've had enough of Marriott's shenanigans with the resort label and resort fees so I won't be going with Marriott.

I don't know what the corporate office is thinking. If they are making money from these so-called resort ventures, so be it, but I'm not contributing when there are other choices.

flymax77

I am looking to book a junior suite for 65K Marriott points, but see that they tack on some annoying $75 charge for having a third adult in the room, even though the room clearly says it accommodate up to 4.

Question - how strict are they on charging this $75 fee? Assuming you cannot keep a low profile due to the fact that you have to ride in on their shuttle, I am guessing it is pretty mandatory?

Thanks in advance for any datapoints.

kymbakitty

I was wondering if you stayed here and if you did, what you thought of the property.

We are booked for 5 nights in late October and it is too late to switch over to Boscolo Venezia unless I want to pay an additional $400.

We really don't worry about the cost of things while on vacation (it is what we save up for month after month, year after year), however, if we are getting nickel and dimed every time we turn around and the Marriott property truly treats guests using points as riff raff, then I may consider just paying the extra $400 for the Boscolo property. From what I understand, it will likely be a wash if we don't need to get that boat over to the property from the airport. I'm sure it wont' be free to get to the Boscolo Venezia from the airport, but the more I read about having to take the boat every single time you want to go to Venice, well, let's just say the novelty is wearing off.

I'm going to do a little more research on the BV property today and possibly bite the bullet and pay $400 plus 180k points at this property. I don't know if they upgrade either, but at least we can walk out of hotel and be on land.

Thanks!

Dawn

Raffles

I am back here as I type. Things have picked up since last year, I will do a longer note next week.

SkiAdcock

Look forward to the update.

Cheers.

submonte

The Molino Stucky Hilton is one of the best Hiltons in Europe, the best in Italy (not counting Rome Cavalieri which is under WA flag). I would always go there again. But I thought the JW Venice would be also an option to try. I have no status with Marriott currently (can change) but some points to go there.

Raffles

I think I may have been too optimistic

Let's look at what is better since last August:

* a large area decking with 100 sunbeds has appeared alongisde the family swimming pool. This triples the number of loungers on the property and means that you may now get one. Unfortunately the decking faces what is currently being used as a football pitch rather than the pool.

* the kids play area has been much improved

* we have picked a more suitable room type this time (Junior Suite instead of the - bigger but cheaper, but for a reason - Studio Suite we had last time)

* reception was far more switched on this year

* the kids club is now a permanent set up, although without any outdoor space (last year, when we were here, they ripped it out on the 2nd day because someone wanted it for a meeting)

* the fine dining restaurant has got a Michelin star

Let's look at what is worse:

* €39 per day resort fee has been introduced. Being Europe, this is at least optional. It includes kids club access (€25 per day per kid otherwise) and the high speed internet access. You are also banned from certain things, eg Pilates classes, if you haven't paid. In theory they charge you €20 to borrow a bike for the 5 minute ride round the island if you haven't paid although most bikes are left unlocked.

* there is a big issue with the free basic internet. Coverage is good but there are security issues. Dropbox has refused to connect for security reasons and I can't access various sites.

* the rooftop pool has banned kids under 15. You may consider this a good thing, but you are in the crazy situation where the shallow pool now does not allow children but the (very) deep "family" pool - where my '8 year old who is as tall as an 11-year old' cannot even stand - does. There is no lifeguard either which is an issue as only 12 loungers overlook the pool.

* the family pool remains laughably small given they have an entire island to build on

* the shuttle service to St Marks has been reduced to half-hourly with 39 seats per crossing, no reservations allowed. To be fair, I looked at the schedule on the pier for the Kempinski next door and the Excelsior on the Lido and they are even worse. The boat does at least run permanently from 9am to 00.30 without any lunch or dinner breaks.

* the spa is hugely overpriced - a hotel selling rooms from €350 shouldn't be charging €160 for a massage

* food and bar bills now have a box at the bottom saying 'Suggested tip: 10% 15% 18%'. It appears that staff are expected to circle one of these numbers depending on what they believe you should give. Luckily no-one to date has had the cheek to fill it in. Italy is not a tipping country at all and this is purely to scam money out of US visitors who know no better.

The sense of nickel and diming remains, unfortunately. It is a shame because if Four Seasons got their hands on this it could be outstanding.

It remains good - we wouldn't have returned otherwise - and the junior suites are lovely (would be even better if we hadn't got 2 kids beds squeezed in!). You just spend all your time banging your head against the nearest wall at Marriott's attempts to mess up what should be a no-brainer success (de fact new build property on its own island).

PS. I was amused to see that the 'free trip to a Murano glass factory' tour is now stratified. Suite and cottage guests get invited on one tour whilst losers in cheaper rooms must go on a different tour (presumably to a different factory that sells cheaper stuff). Non-suite guests are banned completely from a Burano lace factory tour!