Antico Portego

I was a little worried after booking when I realized Antico Portego was a B&B rather than a hotel. I've had concerns about complicated check-in and finding help at B&Bs without a reception. Those worries disappeared as soon as I entered the building. It was clean, cozy, and clearly well cared for. The location is excellent for staying in Venice, and I'd definitely recommend it.

The entrance opens into a lovely enclosed space, and once inside the lobby I felt like I was in a castle. The hotel is beautiful, and its prime spot in the district gives you a quieter, more authentic stay, with plenty of local Venetian restaurants and shops. Make this your next stay in Venezia, VE, IT!

My fiancé and I toured Europe, and this was the only hotel that offered a free minibar fridge. The woman working there was very welcoming and did her best to help. The room was surprisingly large and the bathroom clean. For the price, it was great. It's no Ritz, but we enjoyed our stay for what we paid. Getting there was fairly easy, close to the metro. Venice is small, and any tourist spot can be reached within a 30-minute walk, so I wouldn't judge hotels by how close they are to a photo shoot location.

The room was clean and the location was excellent, but let's call this what it is: a decent B&B, not a hotel and definitely not luxury. There was no reception or concierge, and none of the usual hotel polish. If all you need for a few nights in Venice is a clean room in a great spot, that may be enough. Getting in at 11:30pm was a bit of a nail-biter. We had to depend on the “night porter” to let us in, which wasn't a smooth welcome after travelling. The real low point was the shower tray, which didn't drain at all. After a couple of minutes on the first night, water had flooded the bathroom and part of the bedroom. After that we had to use the shower in one-minute bursts between lathering. It was almost comical, but completely impractical. At night it was blissfully quiet, and you'd hardly know you were in the city, though I suspect that's fairly common in Venice. Step outside and there are great bars, shops, and restaurants all around. It's on the edge of a more local stretch of the district, with more authentic places to eat and drink, and it's a great spot if Murano is on your list.