Hotel Vacation Venice

The room was spacious, but we had the worst hotel experience. The shower was in a corner of the bathroom with no stall or barrier, so water splashed all over the room after each shower. The closet had only two hangers; when we asked for a couple more, the front desk said that's what you get in an economy room. It was the same with towels. We could hear people talking outside through the walls, so it was noisy. I told the owner how disappointed I was, and he charged us twice. They didn't answer my emails asking for the extra charge back, so I had to get my bank to credit it.

We stayed in January, and it was very cold outside. Heating came only from the air conditioners, but turning one on tripped the circuit breaker. It then took about two hours before it gave even a little heat. The staff were very rude. For half an hour, one person tried to tell us the AC was working while we stood underneath it and could see it wasn't. We had to go downstairs and ask a second time before they gave us an extra blanket. After arguing about the AC, they brought a small heater, but it started sparking after we'd used it for half an hour.

We booked a room late at night through a Booking.com partner offer, and the reservation was confirmed. But when we arrived near Mestre Train station, the hotel door was locked and nobody was at reception to check us in. Lights in the hall were on, then went out as we knocked. We called the number from Booking.com and two others printed on the glass door, but nobody answered. After an hour waiting in the cold and dark, we had to look for another hotel. We were two women alone on the street in the middle of the night during Carnival in Venice, and understandably felt anxious. Everywhere was fully booked. We finally found a room at 2 AM, by luck, after a frightening ordeal. The exterior looked old, unwelcoming and unsafe. Booking.com refunded us, but that doesn't undo the panic and distress. They don't seem serious about customer service or safety. I strongly advise people to think twice, check and read Google reviews, and check the rating on tripadvisor.com. Save yourself the trouble and avoid it, even if it were free. It's a total scam. I also noticed the door said “Alloggi Vacation Venice,” which made me wonder if they were changing names to avoid bad reviews, or if this place isn't a hotel. In the owner's reply, they said “Alloggi” is Italian and suggested the accommodation type had been mistranslated into English, intentionally or not. But “hotel” is also a word in Italian. “Vacation Venice Hotel” should be “Hotel Vacanza Venezia” or “Albergo Vacanza Venezia.” “Alloggi” means accommodation, a place to stay, apartments, guesthouse, hostel, or even private homes that offer a room. It can't be translated as hotel. In response to the business reply: Dear Owner, thank you for your recommendation!

The hotel wasn't the one shown in the pictures. We were put in another one next door, with no notice or information ahead of time. Inside, there was a strange religious, spiritual or artificial smell, as if it came from cleaning products or had been sprayed everywhere. After a few minutes it got into your mouth, and the clothes and bedding picked it up too. I had to leave the balcony door wide open during the day because it was hard to breathe. The toilet leaked, so the floor stayed wet, and neither the hairdryer nor the towel warmer worked. There was mold in the shower. People outside were so loud right under the windows that we couldn't sleep through the night. The elevator is best avoided, and the stairs are a better choice.