Palazzo Selvadego

We stayed in a Twin room on 3rd June 2017. The location was hard to beat, just meters from St Marks square and the vaporetto stop. Check-in was at Hotel Monaco nearby, where reception gave us a very friendly welcome, and a porter took our luggage to the room. The room was spacious, modern, elegantly decorated and very clean, with all the amenities we could want. There were coffee facilities and even a mini kitchen tucked in a cupboard. The marble-tiled bathroom had plenty of hot water, and the beds were super comfortable. We asked for another pillow and it arrived within minutes. All in all, a five-star experience. Thanks, Palazzo Selvadego.

Getting to the hotel from the airport was easy, and it’s only minutes from the water drop-off. The location also made it simple to reach all the districts. The room was clean and comfortable. Breakfast is served hot buffet style on the deck of the monoco, with a perfect view. Still, I’d skip buying breakfast and go to a local spot instead.

The location was handy, near the docks and just off St. Mark's Square, but finding the hotel was harder than it should have been. There was only a small plaque by the entrance. We walked past it the first time and had to ask locals where it was. We booked two rooms for four people. At first they seemed impressive, with good-sized rooms, tasteful furnishings and updated bathrooms, but the problems started quickly. We arrived at 3 pm and left at 6 am the next morning, on the final day of a ten-day Italy trip and our shortest stay of three hotels. This ended up being the most stressful part of the vacation. The toilet in one room didn’t work properly. A maintenance man made a temporary fix without really solving it. We couldn’t charge our phones or computers in either room, the TV shorted out, and the coffee maker in one room wouldn’t turn on, which mattered with a 6 am checkout. We asked to move one room because of all the issues, but staff said nothing else was available. That was hard to believe since it was part of two hotels. For a very early departure, guests had to check out at the main hotel, Hotel Monaco, the ritzier mother hotel. The men behind the counter there came across as ritzy and snobbish, and weren’t customer-friendly. The young woman who helped us was nice, though. Our room in Selvadego was on the first floor, and I couldn’t fall asleep because the people above us kept dropping things. I could also hear their luggage wheels whenever they dragged bags across the room. So no, I’m not recommending this hotel to friends. I’ve also told my travel agent not to book her other clients here.

I’ve spent three nights at Palazzo Selvadego and check out in the morning. The location is fantastic, with Saint Mark's Square just minutes away and HardRock Cafe about 65 steps from the hotel. Our room, 622, is quite spacious, very clean and has everything we need. I can’t fault it. There’s a small reception area at Palazzo Selvedego, where the staff are friendly and helpful. Check-in and checkout have to be done at Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal, which looked fantastic. I’ve enjoyed every minute of our stay. It may not quite be a five-star hotel, but it’s a very good four-star.