La Dogaressa Guest House

Paying €8 per person in cash at the end was what upset us most. The website listed a €1 tax per person, then we got a message saying €4, and finally we were required to pay €8. The hotel isn’t the worst, but it isn’t the best either. Sharing one toilet among several rooms meant waiting in line in the morning, which was really inconvenient. The unclear extra fees felt like outright theft, not a simple misunderstanding.

The room was spacious and clean, with a fridge, coffee maker, TV, and plenty of outlets. The Wi-Fi was the biggest bonus, much faster than at the other places we stayed. I uploaded videos and photos from my Insta360 to the cloud in under two hours. The washroom was across the hall rather than attached to the room, but it was roomy, clean, and had lots of hot water. Our host at La Dogaressa Guest House was very kind and helpful. He suggested places to eat, warned us about pickpockets, and showed us pictures of them. There are switches by the front door and stairs for the lights, since it gets pretty dark in the evening, so you don’t need your phone flashlight. It’s walking distance to the Rialto Bridge and so distant St Marks square. The walk from the train station is 18 minutes, though it can take longer if you take a wrong turn following Google Maps or Apple Maps. There are steps to carry your luggage up, but we had a great stay and enjoyed the place’s charm.

The central location was perfect, with restaurants, bars, and shops right outside, and check-in went smoothly. Our hosts, Piero and Raffaella, made us feel so welcome. Piero carried our bags and recommended some lovely places to eat, and Raffaella patiently answered all our questions over chat. They also cared a lot about our safety. The room was clean, and the air conditioning worked well. Best of all, the bathroom was bigger than most I’ve had, so I could finally enjoy a proper hot shower. We’ll definitely stay here again if we return to Venice.

I want to be clear that I made the mistake of booking the wrong date. Still, I messaged within a minute of booking, with six months to go before the trip, and asked to change the month. They ignored all my messages. Instead of answering, the chat started sending me information about Venice tax. When they finally replied, they made no effort to sort it out amicably. They claimed it was impossible to change or cancel, even though the booking website said that was up to the hotel. I tried explaining that, but my follow-up messages were ignored too. I’ve rarely had worse customer service. Anyone trying to get a quick, accurate answer from this hotel may have a hard time. Once they have your money, they seem happy. It’s a blessing in disguise that I won’t have to stay there or deal with them in person.