Venice Hotels and Apartments - my search criteria

Venice Hotels and Apartments

My hotel search criteria

First of all, let me set one thing clear: I’m picky when it comes to quality accommodation no matter how much it costs it should have a good value for money value in my eyes. By keeping this in consideration, I’d like to represent you some of my findings which I think are good quality hotels in Venice. I also will present you to some bad examples so that you can see the difference.

And before going any further let me set this one thing clear: this article entirely reflects my opinion, my personal taste and my list of criteria and it is not made to offend anyone and any hotels.

About my hotel search:

I have used several websites to look for and be able to detect quality hotels according to that given website’s criteria. It’s been a pretty lengthy process and I’ve also learned a lot from it. So let me collect all things you need to keep in mind when looking for Venice hotels.

• Lots of sites have misleading results – either because they get paid or they are simply outdated.
• The best site to look for hotels is Booking. Period. There is no site better. And I don’t say some of their quality points weren’t penetrated to show better results than the hotel actually is. But still, it’s the site where you can do the best possible search with the widest selection of search criteria so I would suggest you all to go for it.
• Lonelyplanet presents with hotels which have unreasonably high prices and it seems to work with an outdated list ( or are those its sponsors?)
• To me TripAdvisor was always sort of complicated. You cannot really search or set criteria there and when you find a place the information is just too much and comes without much of an order.

The reason why many visit Venice: the unique sight of canals and gondolas

My hotel search criteria:

The facts:

• First of all, this is something I have told you in my previous piece too but it’s a fact: Don’t expect much from Venice hotels and especially their hotel rooms. Unfortunately the large rustic, baroque style huge beds paired up with a wardrobe and a small table with one chair stuffed in a small room are the norm. To me it’s just too much and way too kitschy.
• Booking: A Venice 9.1 rating more or less equals an 8-8.5 by Western European standards.
• Don’t go overenthusiastic by any type of Certificates of Excellence: these high statuses can and are usually paid for.
• What I generally find problematic with Venetian hotels, is that what they do, is that they over-concentrate on some aspects of the hotel or their rooms, and then they perfectly disregard others. Residenza Grandi Vedute is a perfect example. I like the rooms! They are very finely done, nice, spacey and modern. But then you see the bathrooms and realize they forgot about them and they stayed in the Eighties!  This is some of the most confusing aspects about Venice hotels or any other sort of accommodation you are looking for.  
• Or they go totally overboard with being conceptual which results in something like this that’s dark, confusing and yeah very dark.
• Style confusions is another element that drives me crazy.
• The case of exaggerated ratings: there are places with ratings I don’t understand. This hotel got a 9.5 rating. Why? They probably worked to top their rating in different ways. It should totally be a good 7.5.

An eye-capturing Venice canal

The photos:

Let’s talk about the common tricks and plays how hotels sometimes work with photos and see what’s considered good and not that good in terms of finding a real good hotel.

• This is a trick often played but sometimes it’s well overplayed:  hotels featuring the good thing in the room (a flower, a bed, or something totally unnecessary) or what they think is a good aspect about the hotel  - then show us the same from 30 slightly different perspective.
• Food pics! – This is something I always have to emphasize on. Although half board is non-existent in Venice, the breakfast is still important! And Venice hotels sometimes don’t pay enough attention to breakfast (see Part 2 of this series) so yes, definitely look for photos featuring what a hotel has on offer for breakfast.
• Restaurant pics! If a hotel shows all too much of their rooms (or bed only for that matter) it’s definitely shady. Do they really offer a breakfast? Check the reviews very well.
• Too many artistic photos are always shady – you don’t REALLY need to see 10 close ups of pictures on the wall, sculptures (especially if it’s only one shown from different perspectives) neither do you want to see close ups on flowers, water flowing in a sink and stuff like that. Photos like that are made to hide something.
• Avoid the too artistic over- conceptual hotels– Charming House is another good example to that.

Another beautiful canal: who wouldn't want to wake up to a sight like this?

Tomorrow I’m posting the final results of my great hotel search and will share all my opinions with you on my findings. Also, check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

Ask me, comment and share your own travel experience with me. I’d love to hear from all of you!