How to find the best accommodation in Venice for each type of traveler

The best Venice hotels for each type of traveler

There is hardly any place on Earth which would be as stacked with hotels, hostels, and all other sorts of places to stay for a limited amount of time, like Venice. This however doesn’t mean, that you don’t have the high chance to end up finding the type of accommodation which doesn’t suit your needs.

There are tons of types of travelers arriving in Venice every single day, but out of all these there are only certain types, which don’t have to think about accommodation options: those who sleep on the cruise ship they arrived with.

Also, as it so happens, the sheer number of accommodation in Venice is just so incredibly high, that it’s inevitable that about 80% of these are overpriced, lower than promised quality places which are really not what you may have imagined.

As someone who is proud to call Venice-Mestre area her sort of second home, I will be happy to share my best tips, options, and other things to keep in mind before booking your accommodation in and around Venice.

We can first of all differentiate 3 key options when it comes to choosing accommodation in Venice:

• The Island of Venice
• Mainland Venice – Mestre
• The Lido

Each area has its pros and cons. Let me quickly enlist these

The Island of Venice

Things to keep in mind when staying in Venice

• If you want to stay on the island of Venice which is considered the real Venice you need to get prepared the pay the big bucks for it. Generally, accommodation in Venice costs a minimum of 30% more than on the mainland of Venice.
• A 3 Star hotel in Italy especially in Venice is in reality barely hits 2 stars and if you want to stay at a hotel that’s a 4 star or above, then you will need to have serious money to afford that. And still, many 4-star hotels don’t really offer much more than a good location for your money.
• Outdated hotels because they are located in Venice they can get a reasonable amount of guests even without looking fairly good, in fact, many hotels do have clientele who are looking for an authentic Italian style hotel. If you chose this option prepare to buy a transformer to be able to use the plugs.
• The price of accommodation rather depends on the location of the place than on the actual quality.
• Small and tiny hotels: Expects tons of extremely small hotels with very small rooms which are not of the highest quality and generally are without air conditioning. Size issues also showing in the general lack of amenities you may have gotten used to in other hotels elsewhere.
• No swimming pools. Venice due to its size, location, and characteristics is not a place for pooled hotels.
• The excessive number of tourists with all the crowds and sounds will wear you down. If you are sure you want the whole Venice package by staying in Venice, try to choose a hotel that’s a bit off the beaten track. Venice is full of beautiful friendly squares, nice and calm streets which are much less visited than the tourist routes.
• If you want to ensure effective public transport then bear in mind that the majority of the Vaporetto boats go along the Grand Canal, which is the artery of Venice. So, if you have your hotel nearby you can get to a Vaporetto stop. Also, the only place where you can catch boats going out of Venice is from San Marco Square.  Vaporetto tickets are pretty expensive ( 8 EUR one way)
• If you are only planning to spend 1 or 2 nights in Venice there are several hotels located very near to the bus station and the train station within about 10-minute reach. From the bus station there are buses going to Venice Airport and also going to the Airport in Treviso ( that’s around 45 mins away). I would suggest staying on the other side of the Canal (opposite to train /bus stations). I have stayed at Hotel Carlton and Hotel Canal both coming with a fantastic view and they are both relatively silent being on the opposite side of the Grand Canal, off the largest tourist track.
• If you are having issues with climbing all the stairs and bridges, you are elderly then you need to do good, careful planning or choose a hotel which has its own boat taxi which can take you to different parts of Venice and makes sure you see the entire island without too much stress. 

Which type of traveler is Venice the best for:

For those doing a round trip through Italy and want to experiment Venice by night
For honeymooners
For those who don’t plan to spend more than 2 nights in Venice
For those who are in transit and have to stay overnight and have a day to explore Venice before their train, bus, or plane leaves.

For hotel names please check out my earlier post on the best hotels in Venice. 

About Mestre –mainland Venice

·     Ever since the electronic monorail is in use it’s super easy to go to Venice from Mestre and much less crowded than the buses. It’s about 20 to 35 min ride depending on where you get on in Mestre.

Mestre has its fair share of hotels in every category. However, in terms of quality accommodation, I must say, Mestre, is still in progress. The majority of small hotels are family businesses. There are some new hotels and hostels which are more up to par, but overall, if you plan to stay in an Italian hotel and not pay a fortune, you need to lower your expectations. There is now a project in motion to bring new life in the Forte Marghera region that’s a nice park right next to the sea just facing Venice, so let’s hope some nice amenities and services would be built there.

Mestre is way more relaxing than Venice and it’s perfect for those who want to experience life in Italy. The big market day is held 3 times a week. When this happens the whole downtown area will become a market. It’s absolutely stunning and a perfect program. Mestre has a large fish market that’s also a nice attraction, a fully equipped luxury department store with a hypermarket on the -1 floor, and a lovely downtown perfect for a stroll.

Mestre is served by plenty of buses that go all around the area. It has its own large international train station connected to Venice train station and the airport is also very close by bus.

Mestre, especially its campsites are perfect for those who travel with family and would love to have a place with a pool ( this is otherwise close to impossible) for a good price. It’s a good choice for those who would like to have other programs, learn more about the surroundings, and would spend some more time in the region. Campsites are also by far the safest places to stay at.

Which type of traveler is Mestre the best for:

• For those looking to stay up to a week looking for a more relaxed place away from the tourist crowds.
• For groups especially student groups
• For family travelers who want to stay at a camping village equipped with a pool + has other services such as a shop, restaurant, laundry. Most importantly which is a safe, gated community with plenty of space for walking and outdoor programs too. I do love Camping Village Jolly but there is also the Camping Venezia and the Camping Rialto to choose from.

Mestre hotels are primarily for in transit and executive travelers, who would like a relaxed yet quality accommodation. I recommend the NH Venezia Laguna Palace and Hotel Venezia Mestre both of which are among the newest hotels in Mestre, have breakfast included. NH Venezia is located at a lagoon, with its own harbor alongside a bus stop to catch the bus to Venice. If you are from the US, UK, Germany and area these hotels should be your top choices. Anda Venice Hostel is the perfect choice for teens, groups, backpackers. Bear in mind that all Venice hotels are like airport hotels elsewhere: strictly accommodation + restaurant but no other extra services like fitness, swimming pool, etc.

As Mestre is slowly progressing to become more welcoming for tourists, there is a chance there would be more and more hostels opening up, especially in the area of the train station. 

About Lido Venezia

·     Lido is a very special part of Venice. First of all, it's a little bit off the beaten track as the majority of the tourists don't visit it and don't really care about it.  It’s a renowned beach resort island on its own right with its exclusive audience. It’s way more elegant than Mestre with its prices being the highest in Venice but it’s worth it because Lido has great beach streets full of restaurant, bars, stores it has a nice sandy beach with warm water and has tons of classy, luxury hotels like the Excelsior, the Meridiana

Lido is so long and large that it has its own lagoons and it’s served by its own bus line and it also has a small airport. The Lido is perfect for those looking for a real beachside holiday while staying close to Venice and the other islands.

Also, the Lido is perfect for those who would like to wander around by boat and visit the many islands of Venice such as Murano, Burano, Santa Maria del Mare, or Giudecca among others. Venice Piazza San Marco is more or less a 20 minute ride and Vaporettos go roughly every 15 minutes. Note, that the only way to Lido goes from Piazza San Marco ( St. Marc Square).

 Lido has a very dedicated Italian fanbase. It’s full of elegant villas has its fair share of super elegant hotels and deluxe apartment houses decorated with lovely Mediterranean gardens. Due to it being relatively hard to reach for the crowds, it’s much less touristy than Venice.

Which type of traveler is Lido the best for:

• The Lido is great for luxury travelers who need their own private place, pool, and beach recreation in a more intimate atmosphere next to visiting Venice. 
• Lido is the perfect choice for those coming on honeymoon.
• Lido is great for family vacations
• Lido is also very popular among those mature or retired travelers who want to spend a longer period of time here.
• All those who want to have a great luxurious beach holiday in a classic hotel feeling like being on the French Riviera Hotel Excelsior or the Ausonia Hungaria ( that’s currently being revamped) should be your top choice. As an extra Ausonia does have a direct view of San Marco Square.
• Looking for a spa, garden, and more privacy? Choose Le Ville del Lido perfectly equipped for today’s holiday needs.

Last, but not least if you want to spend a long time in Venice and its area it's nice to check out the apartment renting options too.

Best sites to check for Venice accommodation: Booking is apparently the best website because it offers the largest number of hotels with the largest price range. You can do your filtering according to your preferences. Booking also has private apartments and houses for rent. Check out the booking dropdown on my website to check accommodation. 

For students: check on  www.hostelbookers.com

If you want to rent an apartment on any of the websites read all the instructions very scrupulously. Many apartment owners may charge extra fees that are not included in the descriptions or in the base price. You may need to collect keys from a different address.