San Giorgio

Venice was beautiful, but this hotel made it hard to enjoy staying there. The room was much smaller than advertised, and there wasn't room for my bags. There were holes in the walls, the bathroom door wouldn't shut because water had damaged the frame and it was peeling away, most switches and sockets didn't work, and the shower towels were hand-towel sized. At booking, on the hotel website, and on the signs at reception, breakfast was listed as included. But when we came down the next morning and asked where it was, the receptionist just said no. They did keep our bags for an extra hour without any problem, but when I came back, that same receptionist tried to charge me the tourist tax twice. I showed her the message saying the total was 4€, not 4€ per person, and refused to pay more. I was only there one night and was disappointed by the whole stay. No one was at reception when I arrived, and I hadn't been told in advance that check-in couldn't be done in person. I stood outside in the cold for about 15 minutes, calling several numbers taped to the door before one worked. Then check-in happened over WhatsApp, and I had to send passport photos, which felt insecure and made me uncomfortable. They eventually gave me the front-door code and told me where to find my key. The stairs were steep, though that's Italy for you.

For simple accommodation, this was very nice, and the location is good. The room and shower were small, but for the price and where it is, I thought it was very good. On arrival, ring the bell to reach the front desk. If you check in by 1 PM and ask beforehand how to get into the hotel when staff aren't there, you should be fine.

We left and found another hotel during our four-night visit. The room smelled extremely strongly of urine. Staff neither cleaned it nor offered us another room. They blamed the canal, but that was not the source. Don't even consider staying here.

Apart from the location, I can't say anything positive about this hotel. Our room was disgusting, damp and wet-feeling, with mold all over and lots of mosquitos. We took photos and contacted management by email and WhatsApp, but nobody replied. We actually left with mold on our clothes. We arrived in the early afternoon to locked doors and an empty front desk. After ringing several times with no answer, I called and was told the code was taped inside the keypad box. If they use a check-in process unlike a normal hotel, they should send instructions beforehand. And being able to lift open the keypad and see the code is a huge security problem. Once inside, our keys were sitting in an envelope on the front desk. I wish I'd read the reviews before booking. They were so consistent that I would have gone elsewhere. I rarely write reviews, but people should avoid this place.