Hilton Garden Inn Venice Mestre San Giuliano

The hotel itself is near virtually nothing - it is modern, some of it more fashion than function, six floors. The decor is modern, Italian and spare, with colors and such items as slate bathroom floors (now stained with trust colors) and white tile. Lighting is plentiful, the property is air conditioned (centrally) has a business centre with two stations) with printers and copier, Wi-Fi in the rooms ad public areas (free and 30 minute vouchers from Reception), a spacious lobby, a restaurant (more later) and an outdoor swimming pool. The fashionable stark surfaces throw the sound of happy and otherwise families and loud voices around with ease, so it is a loud property. It's not unusual IME to find a family in the business centre with children playing games.

Reception is variable - "I am not really here to serve you", benvenuto a Italia, by the way - and you will generally be asked if you prefer 750 points or breakfast, regardless of your "My Way" preferences. You will generally not get two bottles of water if Gold or Diamond unless you press. Do not expect your preferences (as in your HHonors record) to be honored - "far from elevator high floor" turned into #202, which is neither, our last stay (May 17 2013). (My "gut" tells me that, regardless of Diamond and guaranteed booking with credit card and a note of "please hold for possible late arrival", which turned into fact given our older BA 737-436 experienced a mechanical breakdown causing a significant delay, they would have given our room to another if the property filled - I can't swear this would happen, but the unpreparedness and uncaring attitude / brushoff from the night desk clerk reminded me somewhat of "Yours is a very and hotel" DoubleTree Club Houston debacle of old. Yes, speculative indeed, but the staff attitudes here are quite variable.)

The room is reasonably spacious, particularly for Europe, but you'll not be hosting any large parties here. Closet with ironing facilities, spacious electronic safe and luggage jack. Herman Miller "Mirra" chair (in white) with desk, HSIA, etc. All electic light operated with your key card (which is a chipped card and swiped across the door sensor - other hotel cards will NOT work to keep your lights on, only the HGI card). Corree (Nescafé) and tea facilities, ice bucket, etc. of course. HGI Sleep System, lots of pillows, etc. Think Scandinavian functionality with Italian moderno fashion and some of it not working so well.

The bathroom is stark white with fashionable design including slate floor (already stained rust colors), deep tub with a flat surround that channels shower water to the floor regardless of how you use it, a "telephone" shower on sliding stanchion, a bidet in addition to the skimpy sink; the bathroom is OK for one, crowded for two. There is an expensive heated towel rack - I've never seen it actually on, and it undoubtedly contributed significantly to the building cost, offering little to the traveler. OTOH linens and toweling are good quality, amenities are still the familiar Neutrogena here.

The restaurant is OK for evening dining, and skimpy for breakfast. Breakfast offers preserved fruits, some salume, ham and cheeses, "bacon" that is tissue-thin and looks a lot like reconstituted rubbish from pork leftovers, cereals, two or three kinds of tinned juice (the "succo di arancia" or orange juice is somewhat like a fuller-bodied Tang), breads and crescent rolls that are frozen and thawed and baked on site (sometimes properly, sometimes underdone), preserves, yoghurts, stewed and preserved fruits, Nescafé or similar instant coffee to your table, and a lot of avoidance from the ladies waiting on tables - actually, mostly waiting, whether for Godot or a miracle to spirit them away is difficult to ascertain.

Dinner was a little better, with decent food if chosen carefully, reasonable wines and less attitude from the servers.

The reason to stay is convenience - we've stayed the night prior to an early departure from VCE, and we stayed last night prior to a cruise departure - a convention or two in Venice are making things quite expensive in the city, for example Hilton Molino Stucky had no awards and was offering EUR 900 for a standard room - a couple of weeks ago - for this time.

You can have the shuttle take you to P. Roma, or take the No. 7 bus - the cruise ship terminal is nearby, most larger cruise companies offer shuttles to the Terminal Passegeri, there is a deposito bagagli at P. Roma and at the cruise terminal so you can drop bags and go into the city if you want - use the vaporetto or walk 40 minutes or so to San Marco, using a map or keeping your eyes open for the directional signs up above eye level on corners as you walk. (In our case, our smaller ship leaves V29 at San Basilio, toward Zattere from the cruise terminal - should also offer a left luggage and allows for walking and some restaurants, such as at Pensione La Calcina, AKA Ruskin's House, with indoor dining as well as outside overlooking the Giudecca Canal, and a gelateria or two nearby.)