Albergo San Marco Hotel

I stayed 2 nights at Best Western Albergo San Marco. The location is great (it is the first building in one of the exits of the San Marco Square). But be careful!! If you are walking, it is impossible to arrive at the hotel through San Marco Square when it is flooded (notice that it happens sometimes, especially at this time of the year - September). The rooms is OK, but the bathroom is minuscule (it was really difficult to reach my feet while showering). The biggest problem is that the noise was almost unbearable!! We heard high bar noise until 12 PM and people walking in the streets from 7 AM. The staff was quite rude (they wouldn’t even look at us while talking to us). I would never stay there again, even considering the reasonable price (for Venice standards, I may add, once we paid EUR 205 per night, which is not very cheap considering the quality of the hotel).

This hotel is linked with Best Western, but it is probably a link in name only. The location is fantastic - 2 minutes from St Marks' Square and about 10 minutes from the Rialto Bridge. The hotel was clean but we had to change rooms - air conditioning wasn't working, and there was a bar on the street below us, so we couldn't have windows open, and it was definitely noisy. Rooms are small but quite comfortable if you're out and about all day and literally using them as a place to sleep only. The staff had no issue with this and in fact showed us the new room to make sure we were happy with it before we packed up and moved. There are probably places just as good in Venice, and it certainly wasn't cheap (even by Italian standards) but if location is the key for you, this can't be beaten.

I have traveled all over the world and stayed in many types of hotels and I have never been more unhappy with a hotel. The lobby is a disgrace. It needs total refurbishing. The first room I had as a single required me to move my suitcase out of the way if I wanted to use the bathroom or it I wanted to open the door to the hall. The bed reached from wall to wall with no room to walk around it. It was springtime and the air conditioning units had not been delivered to the rooms yet and there was a heatwave. They opened the window on the canal and it made the room smell like a sewer. I was unable to sleep with it open because of the stink and when I closed it the room heat was intolerable. Two days later they were able to give me a different room on another floor which was very nice. It had lots of room, it was charming, it overlooked a small street and they brought in a portable air conditioner. This move to the second room was done only after many complaints. The staff working the front desk were the rudest I have ever encountered and the condition of the first room unaceppable. I would never stay there again.

We spent two nights here in February, 2005. The best feature of the hotel is its location on St. Mark's square. It was a bit of a struggle hauling our luggage from the water taxi station (up and down a few bridge steps). However, you'd probably have that issue with any hotel in Venice. Overall, the room was functional, and I felt we got our money's worth. The shower was basically a nozzle above a drain in the floor. It had a shower curtain all around it, and you have to walk through the shower area to get to the toilet. The king bed was two twin beds pushed together, but with king sheets. Our room was quiet, but our friends in another room complained about street noise (they were on the opposite side of the building). The breakfast is pretty good, and we loved the hotel bar.

We thought this place was heaven on earth! We paid 150 Euros a night for a triple, and they gave us two adjoining rooms that were nice! The air conditioning was effective on super hot days, and you can't beat the location. The breakfast in the morning was good, and the staff was nice except one guy at front desk, but whenever he was unhelpful, the manager would stick his head in and tell him to give us what we wanted. We found this to be such a pleasant refuge on one hot day that we stayed in for part of the day and enjoyed the room. I found this hotel to be fairly opulent for Italian hotels, and our room was large. Tip: book on either ratestogo or all-hotels to get a good rate. Don't miss feeding the birds in San Marco Plaza and DO take the elevator up (for a small fee) to the top of the tower in San Marco Square, especially at twilight. You can't beat this view! Another Venice tip: pack lightly. You will have to get a vaporetti (water bus) to the San Marco stop and drag your bags through the square unless you want to pay $75 for a porter. A shortcut at the bus stop is to go left off the dock and then immediately right through the alley. Go right at square, and the hotel is on the left side of square through an alley. If you can fit everything in one bag per person, that is the best in Venice. Also, get the one day or three day Venice Tourist pass which will give you unlimited water bus travel, passage to many museums and they won't charge you extra on the bus per bag (which they do if you're paying per trip -- we paid $24 extra dollars for one bus ride with all of our bags, almost the cost of a 3 day pass!)

We stayed at this hotel for 2 nights in August 04. It was a reasonable 3 star hotel by European standards, but overpriced. We paid 145 euro a night. The rooms were very small but comfortable. They were airconditioned and the breakfast was good. You really only stay here for the location - right on St. Mark's square. My tip is to stay a little further away from the square and save a lot of money. It is easy to walk around Venice or get a ferry. I would not stay here again.

We stayed a couple of night for the Venice Carnival. Great location, very close to the San Marco place but... first they couldn't find our reservation and wanted to send us to another hotel of the group... Rooms are very small and old-style. It definetely needs to be refurbished and... cleaned! We paid definitely too much (258? per night). The 3-stars are over-rated! I would only recommend this hotel if location matters.

September 2003This hotel has an excellent location just off st marks sqaure. The downside is the rooms are very small and our room was very noisy. The air conditioning advertised was a stand alone unit which was very noisy and so became unbearable at night but then without it ..it was too hot.I would say do not choose to stay near st marks square as all bars, cafes and restaurants in the area are very overpriced and in our experience the area although crowded during the day was empty at night and lacked any atmosphere.

My husband and I stayed at the San Marco last year. To be honest, I don't remember too much about the room. However, the location is fantastic. And I would certainly stay there again. I recommended it to friends who were just there in October and they were pleased with the accomodation, again, primarily because of the location. I didn't find the hotel staff very helpful. They made reservations for us at an overpriced and underserviced restaurant. So, ignore the hotel staff and find your own way.

My husband and I spent one night at the Best Western Albergo San Marco. The rooms were a gross flash back to the late 1960's, and the front desk staff was obnoxiously unhelpful. There is only one reason you stay in this place - location. It is litterally right off Piazza San Marco.We stayed there because my husband and I only had 1 night in Venice and wanted to be right in the middle by St. Mark's square. Looking back, you could have stayed anywhere on the Island and it would have been fine because everything is in walking distance.Retaurant tip - Trattoria Alla Madonna is pretty good. it is where all the gondaleers eat. All the retaurants on Venice are overpriced and not the best, but this one was ok.Gondola tip - Whatever price they quote you, offer to pay half!