[EXPIRED] Crowne Plaza Venice East Quarto D Altino 1€
Oct 6, 2009, 4:25 pm
#286
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 60
Just returned
I just got back from Venice, here are some notes I typed on the return flight regarding the hotel and city.
The Hotel
• There were no complications with the hotel or staff from check-in through checkout. I am waiting for the credit card charge to go through and will share any charges that were added, however I don’t expect any.
• Breakfast was included and honored with the rate. The breakfast was ok and was open from 6:00AM – 10:00AM. Definitely worth it if you want to save time and a few bucks before setting out for the day.
• The hotel also honored the complimentary roundtrip transfer to/from the airport. I let the hotel know in advance my arrival flight information, and was met by a driver outside the baggage claim exit. The hotel is about a 15-minute drive from VCE.
• The hotel was nice, and the room was comfortable. Internet was available through an ethernet connection for a charge. The ethernet cable was hiding behind the TV.
• The hotel sells train tickets to/from Venice at a cost of 2,35€ each way. The train station is next to the hotel as advertised, the walk to the station should not take any longer than 2 minutes from the lobby. REMEMBER to get your ticket stamped in the yellow boxes before boarding the train. Plan for about 25-minutes travel time each way. The train only makes about 5 or 6 stops
• The hotel provided a train schedule to/from Venice. The trains do not run on regular intervals, but do run all day with very late returns; however Venice did close down and empty out for the day by about 5:00PM so there may not be much reason to stay in the city to late in the evening.
Venice
• With proper planning in advance, you can see most of the city in 1.5 to 2 days. I bought a guide book, however I found Wikitravel to be about 95% accurate/helpful. Consider reading the section in its entirety before buying a book and/or making your Venice plans.
• Venice was worth seeing, however be prepared that it extremely tourist oriented, which I found disappointing.
• • Sit down restaurants are plentiful yet rather expensive, and not that great of quality IMHO. Shops selling panini’s, pizza, gelato and other snack foods are plentiful and are probably the way to go for the most part. For a first and second course with wine, plan for at least 40€ per person.
• I recommend the standard sights around Venice, such as Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge Palace, and the Bell tower). There are also a few museums in Piazza San Marco that I did not see. A ticket for about 13€ will get you entrance to the Doge Palace and Correr Museum (Venice History Museum)
• Plan for about 2-hours for the audio guide tour of the Doge Palace. I tried to book a “Secret Itinerary” tour, however they were sold out for through the following weekend.
• It is possible to go to the top of the bell tower for an 8€ fee. Try to bring exact change. You get to the top of tower via an elevator, not by stairs. If you ever wondered what it would be like to be in a bell tower with the bells ringing a few feet above your head, time your visit around the top of the hour. I wasn’t curious, but found out inadvertently.
• Just south of Piazza San Marco is the beautifully reconstructed opera house. An audio guide is available for about 8€ and will run about 45-minutes.
• One of my favorite attractions was the Jewish Ghetto section of Venice. This is the first “Ghetto” in the world, and if you take the tour which visits literally the oldest synagogues in Europe, you will learn how the word Ghetto was created. A guided tour will cost 7€ and lasts about 45-minutes.
• Spend some time wondering around the city and getting lost. It is a beautiful.
• If you are spending more than the two nights in Venice, research some possible day trips outside of Venice. I didn’t have time, but would consider them if I was staying longer or return.
I will be happy to answer any additional questions.
320Fan
The Hotel
• There were no complications with the hotel or staff from check-in through checkout. I am waiting for the credit card charge to go through and will share any charges that were added, however I don’t expect any.
• Breakfast was included and honored with the rate. The breakfast was ok and was open from 6:00AM – 10:00AM. Definitely worth it if you want to save time and a few bucks before setting out for the day.
• The hotel also honored the complimentary roundtrip transfer to/from the airport. I let the hotel know in advance my arrival flight information, and was met by a driver outside the baggage claim exit. The hotel is about a 15-minute drive from VCE.
• The hotel was nice, and the room was comfortable. Internet was available through an ethernet connection for a charge. The ethernet cable was hiding behind the TV.
• The hotel sells train tickets to/from Venice at a cost of 2,35€ each way. The train station is next to the hotel as advertised, the walk to the station should not take any longer than 2 minutes from the lobby. REMEMBER to get your ticket stamped in the yellow boxes before boarding the train. Plan for about 25-minutes travel time each way. The train only makes about 5 or 6 stops
• The hotel provided a train schedule to/from Venice. The trains do not run on regular intervals, but do run all day with very late returns; however Venice did close down and empty out for the day by about 5:00PM so there may not be much reason to stay in the city to late in the evening.
Venice
• With proper planning in advance, you can see most of the city in 1.5 to 2 days. I bought a guide book, however I found Wikitravel to be about 95% accurate/helpful. Consider reading the section in its entirety before buying a book and/or making your Venice plans.
• Venice was worth seeing, however be prepared that it extremely tourist oriented, which I found disappointing.
• • Sit down restaurants are plentiful yet rather expensive, and not that great of quality IMHO. Shops selling panini’s, pizza, gelato and other snack foods are plentiful and are probably the way to go for the most part. For a first and second course with wine, plan for at least 40€ per person.
• I recommend the standard sights around Venice, such as Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge Palace, and the Bell tower). There are also a few museums in Piazza San Marco that I did not see. A ticket for about 13€ will get you entrance to the Doge Palace and Correr Museum (Venice History Museum)
• Plan for about 2-hours for the audio guide tour of the Doge Palace. I tried to book a “Secret Itinerary” tour, however they were sold out for through the following weekend.
• It is possible to go to the top of the bell tower for an 8€ fee. Try to bring exact change. You get to the top of tower via an elevator, not by stairs. If you ever wondered what it would be like to be in a bell tower with the bells ringing a few feet above your head, time your visit around the top of the hour. I wasn’t curious, but found out inadvertently.
• Just south of Piazza San Marco is the beautifully reconstructed opera house. An audio guide is available for about 8€ and will run about 45-minutes.
• One of my favorite attractions was the Jewish Ghetto section of Venice. This is the first “Ghetto” in the world, and if you take the tour which visits literally the oldest synagogues in Europe, you will learn how the word Ghetto was created. A guided tour will cost 7€ and lasts about 45-minutes.
• Spend some time wondering around the city and getting lost. It is a beautiful.
• If you are spending more than the two nights in Venice, research some possible day trips outside of Venice. I didn’t have time, but would consider them if I was staying longer or return.
I will be happy to answer any additional questions.
320Fan
Last edited by A320Fan; Oct 6, 2009 at 5:33 pm Reason: typos
Oct 6, 2009, 4:40 pm
#287
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: PDX/AUS
Programs: AA-UA-AS IHG-SPG-Carlson
Posts: 4,562
Thanks much A320Fan for the first report.
All sounds fine; I didn't remember that breakfast was included.
Took me a minute to understand:
"Sit down restraints are plentiful yet rather expernsive"
but I will now plan on bringing my own restraints.
I am studying up whether a car rental would be
a good idea to explore other areas,
although I am sure trains work fine for Verona, Padua, etc.
Still have six months to work that out....
Did you notice the price for the hotel internet?
Thanks again.
All sounds fine; I didn't remember that breakfast was included.
Took me a minute to understand:
"Sit down restraints are plentiful yet rather expernsive"
but I will now plan on bringing my own restraints.
I am studying up whether a car rental would be
a good idea to explore other areas,
although I am sure trains work fine for Verona, Padua, etc.
Still have six months to work that out....
Did you notice the price for the hotel internet?
Thanks again.
Oct 6, 2009, 4:47 pm
#288
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: All over
Programs: AA-LTP, HH-DIA, Marriott-LT+AMB, Hyatt-Globalist, Hertz-PC, UA-GS
Posts: 6,828
I just got back from Venice, here are some notes I typed on the return flight regarding the hotel and city.
The Hotel
• There were no complications with the hotel or staff from check-in through checkout. I am waiting for the credit card charge to go through and will share any charges that were added, however I don’t expect any.
• Breakfast was included and honored with the rate. The breakfast was ok and was open from 6:00AM – 10:00AM. Definitely worth it if you want to save time and a few bucks before setting out for the day.
• The hotel also honored the complimentary roundtrip transfer to/from the airport. I let the hotel know in advance my arrival flight information, and was met by a driver outside the baggage claim exit. The hotel is about a 15-minute drive from VCE.
• The hotel was nice, and the room was comfortable. Internet was available through an ethernet connection for a charge. The ethernet cable was hiding behind the TV.
• The hotel sells train tickets to/from Venice at a cost of 2,35€ each way. The train station is next to the hotel as advertised, the walk to the station should not take any longer than 2 minutes from the lobby. REMEMBER to get your ticket stamped in the yellow boxes before boarding the train. Plan for about 25-minutes travel time each way. The train only makes about 5 or 6 stops
• The hotel provided a train schedule to/from Venice. The trains do not run on regular intervals, but do run all day with very late returns; however Venice did close down and empty out for the day by about 5:00PM so there may not be much reason to stay in the city to late in the evening.
Venice
• With proper planning in advance, you can see most of the city in 1.5 to 2 days. I bought a guide book, however I found Wikitravel to be about 95% accurate/helpful. Consider reading the section in its entirety before buying a book and/or making your Venice plans.
• Venice was worth seeing, however be prepared that it extremely tourist oriented, which I found disappointing.
• Sit down restraints are plentiful yet rather expernsive, and not of that great of quality IMHO. Shops selling panini’s, pizza, gelato and other snack foods are plentiful and are probably the way to go for the most part. For a first and second course with wine, plan for at least 40€ per person.
• I recommend the standard sights around Venice, such as Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge Palace, and the Bell tower). There are also a few museums in Piazza San Marco that I did not see. A ticket for about 13€ will get you entrance to the Doge Palace and Correr Museum (Venice History Museum)
• Plan for about 2-hours for the audio guide tour of the Doge Palace. I tried to book a “Secret Itinerary” tour, however they were sold out for through the following weekend.
• It is possible to go to the top of the bell tower for an 8€ fee. Try to bring exact change. You get to the top of tower via an elevator, not by stairs. If you ever wondered what it would be like to be in a bell tower with the bells ringing a few feet above your head, time your visit around the top of the hour. I wasn’t curious, but found out inadvertently.
• Just south of Piazza San Marco is the beautifully reconstructed opera house. An audio guide is available for about 8€ and will run about 45-minutes.
• One of my favorite attractions was the Jewish Ghetto section of Venice. This is the first “Ghetto” in the world, and if you take the tour which visits literally the oldest synagogues in Europe, you will learn how the word Ghetto was created. A guided tour will cost 7€ and lasts about 45-minutes.
• Spend some time wondering around the cit.. It is a beautiful city, and great for wondering around and getting lost.
• If you are spending more than the two nights in Venice, research some possible day trips outside of Venice. I didn’t have time, but would consider them if I was staying longer or return.
I will be happy to answer any additional questions.
320Fan
The Hotel
• There were no complications with the hotel or staff from check-in through checkout. I am waiting for the credit card charge to go through and will share any charges that were added, however I don’t expect any.
• Breakfast was included and honored with the rate. The breakfast was ok and was open from 6:00AM – 10:00AM. Definitely worth it if you want to save time and a few bucks before setting out for the day.
• The hotel also honored the complimentary roundtrip transfer to/from the airport. I let the hotel know in advance my arrival flight information, and was met by a driver outside the baggage claim exit. The hotel is about a 15-minute drive from VCE.
• The hotel was nice, and the room was comfortable. Internet was available through an ethernet connection for a charge. The ethernet cable was hiding behind the TV.
• The hotel sells train tickets to/from Venice at a cost of 2,35€ each way. The train station is next to the hotel as advertised, the walk to the station should not take any longer than 2 minutes from the lobby. REMEMBER to get your ticket stamped in the yellow boxes before boarding the train. Plan for about 25-minutes travel time each way. The train only makes about 5 or 6 stops
• The hotel provided a train schedule to/from Venice. The trains do not run on regular intervals, but do run all day with very late returns; however Venice did close down and empty out for the day by about 5:00PM so there may not be much reason to stay in the city to late in the evening.
Venice
• With proper planning in advance, you can see most of the city in 1.5 to 2 days. I bought a guide book, however I found Wikitravel to be about 95% accurate/helpful. Consider reading the section in its entirety before buying a book and/or making your Venice plans.
• Venice was worth seeing, however be prepared that it extremely tourist oriented, which I found disappointing.
• Sit down restraints are plentiful yet rather expernsive, and not of that great of quality IMHO. Shops selling panini’s, pizza, gelato and other snack foods are plentiful and are probably the way to go for the most part. For a first and second course with wine, plan for at least 40€ per person.
• I recommend the standard sights around Venice, such as Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge Palace, and the Bell tower). There are also a few museums in Piazza San Marco that I did not see. A ticket for about 13€ will get you entrance to the Doge Palace and Correr Museum (Venice History Museum)
• Plan for about 2-hours for the audio guide tour of the Doge Palace. I tried to book a “Secret Itinerary” tour, however they were sold out for through the following weekend.
• It is possible to go to the top of the bell tower for an 8€ fee. Try to bring exact change. You get to the top of tower via an elevator, not by stairs. If you ever wondered what it would be like to be in a bell tower with the bells ringing a few feet above your head, time your visit around the top of the hour. I wasn’t curious, but found out inadvertently.
• Just south of Piazza San Marco is the beautifully reconstructed opera house. An audio guide is available for about 8€ and will run about 45-minutes.
• One of my favorite attractions was the Jewish Ghetto section of Venice. This is the first “Ghetto” in the world, and if you take the tour which visits literally the oldest synagogues in Europe, you will learn how the word Ghetto was created. A guided tour will cost 7€ and lasts about 45-minutes.
• Spend some time wondering around the cit.. It is a beautiful city, and great for wondering around and getting lost.
• If you are spending more than the two nights in Venice, research some possible day trips outside of Venice. I didn’t have time, but would consider them if I was staying longer or return.
I will be happy to answer any additional questions.
320Fan
Oct 6, 2009, 11:30 pm
#295
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,541
That's a nice report. I traded my nights in, but the transfer and breakfast options might have changed my mind about one group of nights. I know that when a hotel chain acts in a upright manner like this, I'm much more likely to stay more nights.
Oct 16, 2009, 4:38 pm
#300
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Coventry,UK. Las Vegas
Posts: 269
My sister is enjoying her stay at this hotel this past week. The driver did come and pick them up from the airport and the breakfast was included. She was surprised to find an American style breakfast as opposed to a continental breakfast. Will ask her which local places she ate at for dinner when she returns.