Starhotel Splendid Suisse Hotel

The only thing going for this hotel is the location. We were shown to our room by the enigmatic Lurch who lumbered us down a dirty, scruffy and dimly-lit corridor. We believed that may be we were being taken somewhere else and this was an old annexe. Little did we know what was waiting for us behind room number 126. The room was small and really dismal, there was a funny kind of carpet hanging off the walls and the floor carpet was threadbare. This was definitely not what we were expecting for a 4-star hotel (never). After Lurch had left we decided that we were going to ask for a room change; Lurch then came back and showed us 2 other rooms - the first one was smaller and scruffier than ours and the third room had a huge fresh vomit stain between the twin beds - how romantic! Sometimes its better the devil you know. It wasn't until we spoke to other guests staying at the hotel that we realised that we were in the 'old' half of the hotel and that almost half of the remainder were finished 'new' rooms. When we spoke to reception, the desk manager spoke loudly in Italian and was very rude and arrogant - I mean how dare we question his hotel?? Our complaint was not graciously received and if we wanted a 'new' room we had to pay another 100 euros. Not likely. We decided to stay in our '2-star if you're lucky' doss house-style room for another night - apparently we had an 'old' room because we had booked our hotel on the internet (or so we were informed by Mr Arrogant Desk Manager). The restaurant and lobby weren't much better, these areas too were scruffy and shabby. Having now vented our spleen about this horrid place, please note that Venice is wonderful and a really beautiful place - just don't stay at the Scruffy and Not-so-Splendid Suisse hotel.

I have in the past used trip advisor and read some of the reviews with some scepticism. I won't be doing that again after staying here. I am at present in the hotel lobby and it smells musty and is dirty. Tatty would be an understatement and the reception staff are listening to terrible Italian rock music. Other guests who are currently complaining about their room are looking over my shoulder and wishing they had used Tripadvisor before they booked here! I will give the Hotel some credit. One side has been 'done up' and looks great...if only I had a room in there. Apparently Expedia (good old Expedia) book all the nasty rooms and pass them on to us at a higher price. Only the tricksy elite get a room in the posh bit and unfortunately my face didn't fit with the grumpy old troll on reception. For me, it' s the little things that make a hotel stay enjoyable. I used to work for a Hotel Chain so I know what to look for in a place. Believe me, this place is unloved and NOT 4*. From water stains on the ceilings, to layers of dust to chipped crockery in the restaurant. The furniture looks like the scratchy 1970's stuff your my parents bought from MFI. Tiles are cracked in the bathrooms, the heating controls look like they came off an original Boeing 747 (retro chic if they worked) and the bed was first used in circa 1900. The imprint of the last fat guest is still moulded into the cheap foam mattress. I am getting some faint satisfaction whilst I smile at the staff knowing that I am writing this under their noses but I guess they are smiling back at me smug in the knowledge that I am paying them £140 a night to stay in this terrible excuse for a hotel. If you are visiting Venice for the first time, don't worry like I did about getting a 'safe' bet hotel. There are so many small and cosy hotels that would show this one up in a hotel beauty pageant. This one should be entering a not-so-glamorous granny contest. Book small and book quirky but please don't be a fool and book the not-so-splendid-suisse.

The Splendid Suisse Hotel helped to create a romantic stay for our anniversary. Our room on the fifth floor was newly remodeled and overlooked a canal and the rooftops. The rooms had new hardwood floors, soft comfy beds, and marble bathrooms.The staff was friendly and helpful, especially when my husband left his suit there and they mailed it to us. The breakfast buffet offered a variety of foods both hot and cold. There was some remodeling going on but it didn't interfere with our stay and will make the hotel that much nicer to stay at when it's finished. The location was perfect - right in between the Rialto Bridge and San Marco. We would definately stay there again. Out of the three hotels that we stayed in in Italy, the Splendid Suisse was our favorite.

Hotel has a perfect location walking distance between the Plaza de San Marco and the Rialto bridge. Rooms and the hotel are very clean and you get a free buffet style breakfast each morning which has a great selection. Most of the hotels in Venice like this one are pretty small. If you want a nice clean room in a great central location with a helpful front-desk staff then look no further. Inside tip get off on the Rialto stop and it's a five minute walk to the hotel. Much closer then the San Marco stop.

I was recommended this hotel when trying to make a reservation at the eleventh hour for carnival 2005. All the boutique hotels that venice is so famous for were full, suspiciously the Splendid Suisse had no problems fitting us in, although at the time I was told they were one of the larger hotels in central venice, with over 200 rooms. Needless to say, reasons for its emptiness at one of the busiest times of the year were immediately apparent. For one, the place is a building site. Having read some reviews on the web, I notice that these works have now been going on for many years, but they seem to be making no progress whatsoever. We were shown to the third floor, along a plush carpeted corridoor, and then, in what seemed like walking ‘off set’, rounded a corner with bare walls, wires hanging out, and a makeshift door leading to a saffolding balcony. That end of the hotel was essentially open to the elements, and as it was below freezing that week, so it was indoors aswell. Works started at 8am precisely, and on the second day we were told that the water would be cut off for three hours in the afternoon. That evening the water ran cold and cloudy in our bathroom. At a seemingly extortionate 120 euros per night, the room itself was tiny, grey, decorated like a panic room, and in desperate need of renovation. A huge damp stain on the ceiling, mould around the bathroom skirting, and missing ceiling tiles. The airconditioning (and heating) system was too loud to leave on at night, so we had to make do with the extra blanket provided. Part of the package at the Splendid Suisse was the complimentary ‘American Style’ buffet breakfast. They must really HATE Americans. Served in the dining room downstairs with a ‘small supplement’ of 3 euros per person to have it brought to your room, it was completely inedible. Plates of flavourless cheese curling at the edges, boiled greasy sausage and tepid, underdone scrambled eggs, stale cereal and pastries, rock hard mini rolls, generic yoghurt. The coffee? Forget it. Occasionally the head waiter would go round and try to entice the guests wth the hotel dinner menu, but how on earth he could expect anyone to eat there in the evenings after a breakfast like that is beyond me. In my six days there, I only noticed three brave diners in the hotel restaurant at night. The Splendid Suisse is one of several Starhotels in Italy, a chain of supposedly business and family friendly quality hotels. In our room was a fancy brochure showing giant conference rooms, colour TVs in the bathrooms, beautiful marbled lobbys, gym facilities and state-of-the-art technology at your fingertips. If this is the standard they are aiming for as a company, they need to seriously reconsider the Splendid Suisse as it must be drastically compromising the overall quality of the Starhotel chain with its indifferent service, disgraceful overall standards and total lack of value for money. With hundreds of hotels to choose from in Venice, a city renowned for its welcoming service and hospitality, I do not forsee a future for such a second rate hotel.

We stayed here for one night as part of our tour. The hotel is centrally located, a few mintues walk to the St. Mark's Square. We got a corner room with lots of windows with a view of the canal and a queen size (more like a full size) bed. The room and bathroom was small, the shower area was very small. There's free internet access at the main lobby. Not bad if you can get a good price to stay here.

We stayed at the Splendid Suisse for three nights last month on our honeymoon. The hotel is a GEM, very centrally located in Venice, a few blocks from both the Ponte Rialto and Piazza San Marco. The hotel staff was extremely friendly and helpful to us, giving us suggestions on how to avoid the crowds in San Marco and see other, off the beaten path areas in Venice. The hotel staff all spoke very good English and was more than happy to help with everything from changing money, to giving us water taxi and bus suggestions, to checking train times for us. Our room was a beautiful, hardwood floor with high ceilings delight on the 5th floor. completely refurbished, with marble bath. It was a little small, but that is the only complaint I have. If you do go, I suggest trying to book a room on the 5th floor. The rest of the hotel is in the process of being remodeled. There was little noise, and the windows were for the most part soundproofed. Only the loud bell of San Marco woke us up in the morning. breakfast was good - not just croissants. Eggs and sausage or bacon, too. Overall, we LOVED it and will definitely stay there again in the future!

Stayed at this hotel in August, 2004. Changed rooms 3 times because the air conditioning didn't work in the first two rooms. The maids came in and re-stocked the mini-refrigerator when we moved into our final room--the items had been used by the previous tenant. But we were charged for them at check-out. The desk clerk was unmoved by our protest and we finally paid for them just to be done with it. The breakfast buffet was very good and well-organized. The dining room has windows overlooking the canal and we watched the gondoliers at work while we ate breakfast. Nevertheless, I don't recommend this hotel. It's over-priced and in fairly poor condition. The staff seemed mediocre at best. The location is decent--only a short walk to the Rialto Bridge or Piazza San Marco, but you should be able to find a better value for your money.

This hotel was truly horrible. The lobby and hallways were run down (stained and torn carpets) in maroon and gray colors. We got two rooms and the room my daughters were in smelled like a dead animal. Our room had a multi-stained rug. Our daughters were moved to a room down the hall from us which was a little nicer except that when they closed their door, the lock broke and locked them in from the outside. I have to say that the management did respond to both problems fairly quickly, I think they were quite embarrassed. One person at the hotel said that they are just renovating the hotel now. That is something which Expedia failed to mention in their listing. Beware of the Expedia listings that are advertised as "great deals" --if that means that you will be staying in a place like the Star Hotel Splendid Swiss, you would rather pay more --or stay in a (clean) hostel !

Overall this hotel was fine and we enjoyed our stay. The skyview bar and terrace was closed which was very disapointing but that side of the hotel is still being renovated. Don't worry about the workmen waking you at 8am on the dot, the bells of Venice will have already done that at 7am! The location is amazing, five minutes from Rialto, ten from St Marks and surrounded by shops and cafes. The rooms are clean, no you don't have a fantasic view because every building there is only a few feet apart but it doesn't matter, the staff are friendly, efficient and non-invasive and I would certainly stay here again.