Unfortunately our recent experience as a Gold member booking rooms with points was nothing close to the description provided by
yjc281 and
odie11. Based on our experience, I doubt we will stay here again and cannot recommend the property to anyone who books a standard room with points during peak summer season and am sorry we did not book the Gritti Palace or even the Westin E&R. Certainly it is not worth E700+ per room per night for what we received
We received some of the worst rooms in the hotel - nothing close to the website photos but rather 2d floor rooms in the "historical" (read: unrenovated) wing with small pedestal bathroom sinks. the first set (55 & 56) were connecting rooms that were reasonably large but did not have adequate A/C (a common tripadvisor complaint) and maybe a view of building tops towards St. Marks. When I returned to the desk to express my disappointment, we were offered rooms 145 & 146, which had zero view and shared a common door at the end of a corridor (then 2 interior doors). These rooms were a bit smaller but much cooler and had separated toilet/shower areas (both with sinks) with a formica counter that provided a little space for toiletries. 145 also had a separate closet/dressing room. Both had the usual safes and refrigs (prestocked, but drinks could be moved). There was some afternoon and evening street noise from the alley below though it thankfully tapered off before midnight. As the A/C was adequate (not great) we kept the latter rooms. In response to our dissatisfaction with the rooms, the front desk staff gave us free breakfast for all 3 days which was a huge gesture as the "discounted" rate offered at checkin was E35 per person per day with no discount for children. For 3 nights that would have been E420 just for an average breakfast (and the only option)!
As noted above:
Pros- Location - close to prime tourist attraction (St. Marks) with ACTV/vaporetto water bus stop a few feet away. Plenty of restaurants, gelato, bars and other shops nearby.
- Lobby - still elegant with a great bar (E12-20 drinks) and music at night though unfortunately many lookie-loos and improperly supervised children running around (several admonished by staff)
- Small water bottles restocked every day
- Maid service generally good. Bathrooms had windows which provided decent ventilation.
- Staff - pretty much every staff person was nice and helpful, except for the rooftop hostess (more on that later). Checkin staff gladly made room change for us and extended late 2pm checkout on request. Concierge provided advice and made reservations without complaint.
- Rooftop restaurant - this is one of the prime reasons to stay here, but only if you plan to enjoy daily buffet breakfast. The views are amazing and service is generally good, aside from the cranky hostess who would quote wait for tables despite quick turnover (we were always seated immediately or within 5m). The buffet was okay - not as good as Eastern Europe properties (or even lounges in Asia) and not close to Four Seasons but enough choice to eat well before setting off for the day. There was an omelet station and the staff will bring as many cappucinos as you like. O
- Plenty of round 2-prong euro electrical outlets by desk.
- Fruit and cheap bottle of wine (E10) waiting in room on arrival.
- Robes and slippers and lots of large white towels
- No surprises on final invoice
Cons- Location - I hate wading through a stream of people every time I enter/exit hotel and most of the nearby restaurants are overpriced low quality. Gritti area seemed a bit less hectic. Really glad we did not stay in Grand Hotel dei Dogi or the JW, which would be too far from the action (though the latter may be a better option for kids if you don't plan to go back and forth multiple times daily to the main tourist areas)
- Rooms are small, old and tired. Stains on carpets and walls. A/C is inadequate in summer. No balconies or views unless you luck out. TV channel selection weak
- Bathrooms are small, old, tired, with insufficient counter space. The small bathtub showers are tight & awkward, esp. for this price point.
- Wifi is spotty, kept disconnecting so Mrs. B ended up exceeding her roaming data limit.
- As noted above, Hotel is disjointed, combines 3 buildings with interior walkways up and down stairs. Difficult to wheel your own luggage. Windy corridors to get to lobby.
- Rooftop restaurant - it closes at 10:30am on weekdays and was unbearably hot and humid - unpleasant for those of us from colder climes who never experience humidity. Would be great outside summer.
Overall, I feel that the property is resting on its historical reputation (my grandparents stayed here in the 50s) but has not really upgraded itself sufficiently compared to other luxury properties like St. Regis Rome and Florence. Grossly overpriced with rates of E600+ though we can't complain too much paying only 60k per night. Highly unlikely I will ever return given the multitude of options in Venice. Did not expect a balcony grand canal view but would have been nice to get something modern instead of worst rooms in hotel.
Will update soon with local dining thoughts. Also note private water taxi from train station was only E70 if you take the less scenic route (not Grand Canal) but was charged E130 to go to airport with 9 bag. Seemed a bit excessive.