Splendid Venice

Splendid Venice was a charming hotel situated about 5 minutes from St Marco Square. Our stay was short but the staff was excellent. If your taking a water taxi to snd from the hotel book it through the hotel. You’re almost guaranteed to be picked up at their dock. We used a transfer service and we got dumped at Rialto. It’s no fun schlepping bags through the streets of Venice. We cancelled that same service and booked our taxi to the airport through the hotel. Worth the 180 Euros. Our room was comfy but I didn’t need the canal view it wasn’t much to look at it.

This hotel has an identity crisis. It's a 3 star hotel that didn't get the memo about not being a 4 star hotel. I am not a complainer, but wanted to write this review to share my experience with others who may use AI to find hotels. This hotel ranked high for location and staying within what I wanted to spend per night on my 21 night vacation in Italy. I'll start with the cons in hopes of saving someone from having to read further: When we arrived at our room (Room 253), we were greeted with a very strong odor that smelled like a combination of exhaust and sewage. It was only in the entry, not the room or bathroom, so we assumed it would dissipate. It did not. I mentioned it the next day and the front desk assured me it was taken care of. No apology was offered. I arrived in my room to find the scent was very faint, so I am not clear what was done but they also added a diffuser to my room. The next morning, I left for an 11 hour trip to the Dolomites, only to return to the same strong, offensive smell again. I gave up at this point as I was checking out the next morning. So, if you walk into your room and have that smell, insist on changing rooms. It's just gross and they clearly know there is an issue but perhaps they hope you just won't care. I am not really sure. The toilets were extremely difficult to get even the smallest piece of toilet paper to flush and the bathtub filled halfway with water while showering for just 15 minutes. It took even longer to drain. I realize this is an old building with old plumbing, but sanitation should be a top priority here and this just added to the insult of the smell in the entry. The Guest Services person was extremely unhelpful on the 2 occasions (his name starts with an F but I do not recall his full name). I found the front desk staff to be indifferent on the 3 occasions I had to interact with them. An overall lack of customer service and/or training in the hospitality industry. We put our room service breakfast order on the door the night before and requested 7:30 am as delivery time. It didn't arrive until around 7:45, and while that isn't a big deal under normal circumstances, we had to leave to walk to the meeting point for out Dolomites trip at 8:15 and there was a miscommunication on the order that we just had to deal with at that point. I was never made aware, at check in, that there is a rooftop bar. I discovered it on my own. It's nothing special (no real views) but it's nice to go up and relax before dinner and have an apertivo. The pros about this place: The water taxi can drop you off right at the front door, so there is no wheeling luggage through Venice. Location is good, close to a lot of sites. The waiter (he is bald gentleman) at the restaurant was very nice and apparently went to training on how to provide great customer service. Hotel is clean although dated. I would absolutely never stay at this hotel again, nor will I recommend it to anyone. I have let my travel agent know since this hotel came up as one of her recommendations, in addition to me finding it using AI.

Lovely old property right on the canal! Delicious breakfasts, comfortable room, and helpful staff. This hotel is within walking distance to San Marco Square and many tiny, twisty paths lined with touristy shops.

Before booking, I had read several reviews mentioning problems with the air conditioning, but I assumed the issue had been resolved. Unfortunately, it had not. Our room was extremely hot throughout our stay because the air conditioning was not working properly. We reported the problem and asked for it to be fixed, but nothing changed, and we were never offered another room. Sleeping comfortably was very difficult. The Wi-Fi in our room was also too weak to do any work, making it impossible to rely on for emails or video calls. The hotel is in a beautiful location, and the staff were generally pleasant. However, for a hotel in this price range, the failure to address these issues was very disappointing. If you are planning to visit Venice during the summer, I cannot recommend staying here until the air conditioning issues have been properly resolved.

A most lovely hotel - the beautiful furnishings and decor enhance the feeling of style in this hotel. The location is perfect, being a short walk from the main sights and close to lots of amazing restaurants. Surprisingly quiet given its city location.