Al Tramonto Dorato

I’d give Nicola a perfect 10 for the attention he gives his guests. Al Tramonto Dorato is beautiful inside, and the website photos don’t do it justice. It’s an old building in pristine condition, sparkling clean, with lovely old fixtures and furniture that suit its style. Our room was huge, faced the water, and had a lovely blown-glass chandelier. The view was phenomenal. We realized how good the location was once we’d walked around. It’s near some good places to eat and St. Mark’s, on a well-lit main route by the water, so coming and going during the day was easy, without the twists and turns you get in Venice’s streets. The Google map directions were wrong, though. I’d noted both addresses listed for the hotel, and luckily Nicola was waiting out front for us and flagged us down as we trudged past with our giant backpacks. Our train was late, so he’d waited almost another hour. We’d been mostly on our own in London and Paris and had just arrived after an exhausting, long train trip from Munich. His warm welcome meant a lot. He gave us advice about tourist traps, good restaurants, and which boat routes to take. When we had to leave early for a train, he even packed breakfast for us to take along. He really does it all. The two bathrooms are shared, as I knew when I booked, and both were immaculate. We never had to wait or take turns. Our room faced the water and main thoroughfare, so there could be some noise, just the usual sounds of a busy city. It didn’t bother me, and I wouldn’t trade that gorgeous view.