Residenza Goldoni

We picked this place as a budget option and didn’t expect much from the room. It was small but okay for a short stay, though for the price we still felt a little underwhelmed. I know Venice can be expensive. The hot water wasn’t working the morning after we checked in, which was already inconvenient. What really soured the stay was checkout. We were a little behind at the 10 a.m. checkout time and politely asked for another 20 minutes to finish packing. The staff refused rudely. Soon after, I got a WhatsApp message listing late fees: 30 euros after 10 a.m., 50 euros after 10:30, and so on. Those charges weren’t mentioned in the booking terms. At 10:15, while we were still packing, staff knocked on our door again very aggressively. It felt unnecessary and disrespectful. A bit of kindness and patience would have made a big difference. Hospitality should include treating guests courteously, as well as following rules. There was also an Italian man at the desk, not sure if he was the owner, who was complaining and unfriendly. That added to an unpleasant checkout at 10:30, just 30 minutes late. The staff’s behavior left us disappointed. I hope management reviews how guests are spoken to and treated.

Our reservation at Residenza Goldoni was canceled the day before our trip, and we were so upset. We had booked a double room for two nights at the end of January 2026, during the first weekend of carnival. We were excited to come because we love Italy. When I contacted booking.com, they told me the booking had been canceled on my behalf. I hadn’t done that. I was working all morning and didn’t have my phone with me. If you want to avoid having to find another place just hours before your trip, I’d avoid booking here.

We stayed one night with my 12-year-old son, and we both liked the room’s vintage style. It had its own atmosphere, and we really enjoyed it. The room was smaller than in modern hotels, but in Venice every inch counts on an island, so we didn’t mind. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and the windows kept out the noise from the narrow street below. Breakfast was small and mostly sweet. We ate on the tiny balcony, where there were three tables, which I thought was very cute.

The room itself was relatively clean and comfortable, and for the price it was fine. The staff’s behavior was the problem. During our stay, the owners and other staff seemed friendly and helpful at first. At checkout, we asked if we could leave our bags at reception for an hour while waiting for our train. The receptionist said we could only leave them if we wrote a good review right then. I didn’t want to do that because I prefer to take time over reviews, and I think that practice is unethical. Keep it in mind when reading this hotel’s reviews, since some may have been pressured. When I said we’d take our bags instead, she didn’t seem pleased. At the train station I noticed on the Booking.com app that our reservation had been “cancelled,” even though we had just stayed two nights. I called to explain, but she wasn’t willing to help and hung up. I tried again and sent messages, with no response. It was extremely unprofessional. I assume they did this to stop us leaving a review. I had proof of our stay, including the city tax payment eftpos receipt and photos from the room. Booking.com believed me after I raised the issue and corrected it on my end. It’s disappointing that staff would pressure guests to leave positive reviews and give Booking.com false information to prevent a review. The hotel itself is fine, nothing special but what you pay for. The staff seemed extremely unprofessional and unethical, as some other reviewers have also said. Avoid!