Guest House Al Milion

The room was clean, and the staff were friendly. It’s a great location, very close to the Rialto Bridge. Just be aware there’s no lift. That might be fine on the first floor, but we were on the third and top floor. The room had air-conditioning, but it was still too hot in summer, probably because we were at the top and the unit was old.

The bathroom was very nice and clean, and breakfast was okay. The staff were kind and helpful. Still, I didn’t like the room. It was small, and there was no view at all. We had to carry our suitcases up four floors because the guest house has no elevator. It’s kind of cheap for being next to rialto bridge, but it wasn’t what I expected.

Born in Venice, Marco learned the mercantile trade from his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, who traveled through Asia and met Kublai Khan. They returned to Venice in 1269, where they met Marco for the first time, then the three set out together on an epic journey along the Silk Road, reaching Cathay (China). The royal court welcomed them, and Kublai Khan was impressed by Marco’s intelligence and humility. Marco became the Khan’s foreign emissary, traveling on diplomatic missions around the empire and Southeast Asia, including present-day Burma, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. He also spent 17 years traveling within China, living in the emperor’s lands and seeing many things Europeans had not known about before. Around 1291, the Polos offered to accompany the Mongol princess Kököchin to Persia, arriving around 1293. After leaving her, they traveled overland to Constantinople and then returned to Venice, 24 years after setting out. Venice was at war with Genoa, and Marco was imprisoned. He dictated his stories to fellow prisoner Rustichello da Pisa. Released in 1299, he became a wealthy merchant, married and had three children. He died in 1324 and was buried at the church of San Lorenzo in Venice.

It’s a nice place, close to Rialto bridge. It would help if it were made clear that reception is shared with Hotel Maribran. You can check in at the Hotel Maribran reception.