Albergo Antico Capon

The staff were great, and the location was good. The rooms are decent for the price, though the bathroom is small and some of the design choices are questionable.

The location was the big plus for us, close to San Marco garage and the train station, and worth the tradeoffs. Our room was cold in the 50°s weather; it had a radiator and ceiling fan, but no AC, and we could have used a blanket. The bottom sheets were flat and wouldn’t stay put, and there was no mattress cover. The floor wasn’t level, which, given how old these buildings are, may be expected, though by American standards it would rate poorly. All the rooms are at least one flight upstairs, and there’s no TV or other entertainment. We were hardly in the room, so that didn’t matter much. Just wanted to be honest about what to expect.

The pasta my friend ordered was below par for Italian standards, with too much bland sauce and dried parmesan flakes that looked like they came from a Kraft container. It was probably the least authentic meal we had on the trip. They also charged a cover, the only time I saw that on a bill in Venice. This is a review of the restaurant, which should be listed separately from the hotel. We stopped in on a whim later in the evening, planning to have dessert, one entree, and drinks while chatting. When I told the waiter, an older balding man with short hair, he scoffed and muttered after asking, “You are at a restaurant, and you want to just get desert?” I said yes and asked if that was a problem. He begrudgingly took our order, then the wait staff’s awful attitude soured what had been a good day. It wasn’t fine dining, and there were plenty of empty tables, so I thought taking our money for whatever we ordered would be fine. With so many places in the city, you can do much better by throwing a dart at Google maps. Go elsewhere.

The price was great for staying on the island, and that was enough for me. I stayed in a four-person mixed room, but the place didn’t feel as sociable as other hostels, so it ended up being just a bed to sleep in. The beds were comfortable, and the fan helped keep the room cool in the heat. The bathroom was cramped, and its odd shower door was hard to see, so water got everywhere. There were no lockers, meaning you either take the risk with your things or carry them around.