moebod

Does anyone know which is a nicer property (i'm using free weekend awards, so no difference in price) and which one would be nicer with upgrades for a plat? It's for a stay for end of july. Thanks!

anchor79

+1 I have a stay upcoming in Late Oct. Can someone share which one is a better pick? It will be my first time staying there and I may go there by myself. Please comment! thanks

moebod

anyone??

ajnaro

I have stayed at both the Gritti Palace and the Europa & Regina. Of the two, the Gritti is by far the nicer, in my opinion. It is more sophisticated, with better furniture, a nicer entrance, and is just next to a vaporetto stop. I was offered upgrades in both, but had to choose between a canal view “junior” suite (in reality, a slightly larger room) and a true suite, with a separate sitting room, but no canal view, in both cases. From what I have heard from friends, both hotels do actually offer the best they have available for upgrades. The staff of both hotels is very accommodating, although perhaps a bit aloof by US standards. If you try to speak Italian to them, they go out of their way to speak slowly and make themselves clear. Both hotels offered spectacular amenities, such as spumante and snacks, beyond the welcome amenity. You really can't go wrong with either one.

cruiser9999

I stayed at the Europa & Regina on 2 occasions in May. One time I had an upgrade to a canal mini-suite, the other time I had a full suite (including a 2 storey living room with a loft) but no view. Both were spectacular, the service could not have been better and the management amenable to every request. I would go back in a minute.

SanDiego1K

What is the best way to get here from the train station? I will have a small suitcase and tote.

craz

take a water bus #1 heading to yur left when facing the canal after leaving the train station and get off 1 stop after Academica or get off at Academica taking the # 1 or 2 water bus and walk over the Bridge to the other side of the canal

SanDiego1K

Here are YouTube videos made about the hotel by/for different booking agencies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX6T0TE8mqE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq_7lvbOAV4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa3BZ94g6os

cohighcountry1k

Just returned from a two night stay here. Fantastic hotel! Booked a junior suite and was upgraded to a regular suite. Over the top hand painted walls, huge bathroom, domed ceiling in bedroom, cookies, a bottle of prosecco, and fresh fruit as welcome amenities. Great recommendations from the concierge. Incredible views at breakfast on the grand canal. Even better views at night for drinks. Was on award stay and they comped breakfast both days for us. Way to go Gritti Palace! Just magical. Can't wait to go back!

AICML

Thanks for the stay report! I'm thinking of booking a FWN here (which would require me to switch hotels as I'm staying at the Westin E&R during the week)Was breakfast comped because of your platinum status?

cohighcountry1k

I don't know why it was comped and was just happy they did. Didn't ask why. It was done at check out - not something they informed me of in advance.

SanDiego1K

I asked about breakfast and was told it is not free unless the rate it includes it. I was specifically told that since I was on an award stay, it was not included. This was written on my key card. It would have been a nice benefit, given that a spartan continental breakfast is 33 euros or 4500 SPG points. And yes, I see that cohighcountry1k was on an award stay. His/her good luck, I guess.

sc flier

Does anyone who was there on a paid stay have a spare key card that says something else?

(I'm not sure if you really mean the key card holder, or if the wait staff asks to see the key as a way to confirm eligibility for the included breakfast.)

SanDiego1K and others,
I would appreciate any dining recommendations that you may have including good alternatives to the hotel for light breakfasts and for lunches. Here's a thread for such discussion in the Italy forum:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/italy...stay-dine.html

This thread from the Italy forum might also be handy:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/italy...ermarkets.html

SanDiego1K

Keys are large, and are left with the concierge when out of the hotel. The key card is shown to him/her to get the room key. It's a cardboard strip, like a bookmark, and the info re breakfast is written on it. There's a lavish fruit bowl in the room which will suffice me for breakfast.

SanDiego1K

There's not much recent info on this hotel, so I shall do my best to provide a mini-review.

Arrival in Venice

I entered Venice by train. You have two choices to get to the hotel: water taxi or vaporetto. I believe that a water taxi would be close to 100 euros, whereas the vaporetto is 6.5 euros. While I could get to the hotel much faster by taxi, I was in no hurry thus chose the vaporetto. When you leave the station, go down the stairs and straight ahead. There are several booths where you can buy vaporetto tickets. I decided to buy a 3 day pass for 33 euros. That way, I wouldn't have to buy any more tickets for the duration of my stay. You need to check carefully for the proper pier. You want vaporetto 1 toward St Marks and the Lido. It is the pier to the extreme right.

The vaporetto makes a number of stops along the Grand Canal. It takes about 45 minutes to get to the Giglio stop - but then again, you're on the Grand Canal, and the ride is part of your sightseeing. It's exceptionally easy to get to the Gritti with luggage from the Giglio stop. There are no stairs nor bridges. You walk straight ahead down a tiny alley til you get to a small square. Turn right, then turn right again and walk back to the canal. The Gritti is on the canal to the left of you.

Lobby
On entering the hotel, the concierge desk is to the right and the check in counter to the left. Although this building was a Doge Palace in the 1500s, the public rooms are comfortable and not grand.

Room
I was greeted warmly, told I had been upgraded to a canal view room, and taken to my room. I would guess that only about 20% of the rooms here have canal views, so I considered myself fortunate. The room was a comfortable size, with two windows facing the canal. A desk sits between. Like many old hotels, the windows are high and not suited for sitting and looking out. I have a terrific canal view when I stand at the window. The ceiling is 16 feet high, which gives the room a sense of great space. The tiny foyer can be closed off from the room, leaving a matched wall. Most of that wall are doors to closets.

The bathroom up two stairs and is tiny, with toilet, bidet, sink, and shower in tub. The shower head is on a hose that can be put in a holder to make it a shower. It is in the mid point on the length of the tube, and the shower curtain does not have a bow.

Deck
I paid 10 euros for a Diet Coke for rent to sit outside on the deck by the canal. It's magic to sit and watch all the canal traffic. There is a stop for gondoliers to the immediate right of the deck. Some of the boats have accordionists and singers. Breakfast is served on the deck.

Surrounding area
Immediately outside the hotel is the crossing point for a boat to the other side of the canal. This costs 1/2 euro. There is a restaurant in the small square, and a number of restaurants within a five minute walk. I had dinner at Restorante da Raffaele, right from the square over a small bridge, then right again along a tiny canal. This was another spot for gondoliers to pick up and drop off passengers. It was great to sit outside and watch the traffic in this tiny canal.

Overall
I am only at this hotel for one night, but I like it very much. It is a small hotel with superb service. The area is very quiet, which I like. There are passageways in Venice this time of year which are so thronged with tourists, they are nearly impassable. There is no sense of that here.