Pros
- Canal-side setting five minutes' walk from St. Mark's Square
- Set on small courtyard with busy gondola stop
- Typically elaborate classical Venetian interiors
- Many rooms overlook canal and passing gondolas
- Free breakfast with alfresco and in-room dining options
- Free Wi-Fi throughout
- Small bar for cocktails
Cons
- Annex rooms sub-par
- Some bathrooms are tiny
- Some rooms overlook a wall
- Gondola noise and odors
Bottom Line
The Hotel Violino d'Oro is a pretty typical mid-range Venice hotel complete with the classical Venetian interiors and canal-side setting. However, its location is superb -- set in the touristic center of the city, a five-minute walk from St. Mark's Square. The steady stream of gondolas outside its door (and some rooms' windows) is picturesque but might get a bit much at times. Also Annex rooms, although generally cheaper, might disappoint. Otherwise, guest rooms are classically decorated with tasseled drapes and floral wallpaper, and have flat-screen TVs and minibars. The free breakfast buffet includes pastries and other cold items. Overall, rates are certainly competitive, and the setting is perfect for that unashamed tourist experience.
Hotel & Amenities Photos
Amenities
- Cribs
- Internet
Oyster Awards
Scene
Typically extravagant Venetian interiors
There's nothing of this hotel to particularly impress from the outside -- housed in an unassuming 18th-century canal-side palazzo with simple white stucco frontage, a red awning, and some potted shrubbery marking the entrance. Inside, the aesthetic is immediately less modest, with a handsome marble-topped and wood- and mirror-paneled reception desk accompanied by ornate, classically styled furnishings and Murano glass sconce lighting. Throughout the hotel, the opulent 18th-century Venetian styling continues with gilt-framed oil paintings, elegant glass chandeliers, and intricately patterned carpeting. Although interiors are very typical of most Venice hotels, there are few that can also deliver the sight of a gondolier drifting by the lobby window, occasionally in full voice and providing that picture-postcard Venetian moment.
Location
Right next to busy gondola stop, five minutes' walk from St. Mark's Square
The hotel is set in a small canal-side square in one of the most elegant areas of the city and right in the touristic center, with plenty of designer boutiques in the vicinity. Gondoliers queue up at the busy San Moisè Canal gondola stop right outside the hotel, while St. Mark's Square and its famous open-air cafes is about five minutes' walk away. The hotel's location means almost all of Venice's tourist attractions are well within walking distance, and while the nearest vaporetto stop, San Marco/Vallaresso, is just a five-minute walk away, this can prove awkward with heavy luggage. The hotel, however, can arrange transport to and from the airport or station (for a fee).
Rooms
Typical classical Venetian style room, many overlooking the canal
The hotel has 26 rooms, all of which follow typical classical Venetian styling. Think: damask wallpaper, gilt-edged antique-styled furnishings, and tasseled drapery. Rooms have individual climate control as well as free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, and minibars. Bathrooms are perfectly well-equipped with stall showers, though some are small and, typical of Venice, there's danger of "canal smell." Also, although many rooms do overlook the canal and constant stream of gondolas, some have slightly less appealing views of walls. Some rooms are also in the annex in a separate building, and are only accessible via stairs. Junior Suites have private terraces with sun-loungers overlooking the canals and San Moisè Church.
Features
Free breakfast in dining room, canal-side terrace, or in-room
The hotel serves a buffet breakfast of pastries and cold items in the slightly more contemporary surrounds of the dining room. Breakfast is included in the rate and can also be enjoyed on a small terrace overlooking the canal -- it can also be ordered to the room for a fee. There is a small bar on-site serving drinks and snacks, though there isn't a full restaurant at the hotel for lunch and dinner. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout. The hotel can also organize airport and station transportation as well as arrange excursions -- including a free trip to Murano Island.
Related Hotels
Scene
Typically extravagant Venetian interiors
There's nothing of this hotel to particularly impress from the outside -- housed in an unassuming 18th-century canal-side palazzo with simple white stucco frontage, a red awning, and some potted shrubbery marking the entrance. Inside, the aesthetic is immediately less modest, with a handsome marble-topped and wood- and mirror-paneled reception desk accompanied by ornate, classically styled furnishings and Murano glass sconce lighting. Throughout the hotel, the opulent 18th-century Venetian styling continues with gilt-framed oil paintings, elegant glass chandeliers, and intricately patterned carpeting. Although interiors are very typical of most Venice hotels, there are few that can also deliver the sight of a gondolier drifting by the lobby window, occasionally in full voice and providing that picture-postcard Venetian moment.
Location
Right next to busy gondola stop, five minutes' walk from St. Mark's Square
The hotel is set in a small canal-side square in one of the most elegant areas of the city and right in the touristic center, with plenty of designer boutiques in the vicinity. Gondoliers queue up at the busy San Moisè Canal gondola stop right outside the hotel, while St. Mark's Square and its famous open-air cafes is about five minutes' walk away. The hotel's location means almost all of Venice's tourist attractions are well within walking distance, and while the nearest vaporetto stop, San Marco/Vallaresso, is just a five-minute walk away, this can prove awkward with heavy luggage. The hotel, however, can arrange transport to and from the airport or station (for a fee).
Rooms
Typical classical Venetian style room, many overlooking the canal
The hotel has 26 rooms, all of which follow typical classical Venetian styling. Think: damask wallpaper, gilt-edged antique-styled furnishings, and tasseled drapery. Rooms have individual climate control as well as free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, and minibars. Bathrooms are perfectly well-equipped with stall showers, though some are small and, typical of Venice, there's danger of "canal smell." Also, although many rooms do overlook the canal and constant stream of gondolas, some have slightly less appealing views of walls. Some rooms are also in the annex in a separate building, and are only accessible via stairs. Junior Suites have private terraces with sun-loungers overlooking the canals and San Moisè Church.
Features
Free breakfast in dining room, canal-side terrace, or in-room
The hotel serves a buffet breakfast of pastries and cold items in the slightly more contemporary surrounds of the dining room. Breakfast is included in the rate and can also be enjoyed on a small terrace overlooking the canal -- it can also be ordered to the room for a fee. There is a small bar on-site serving drinks and snacks, though there isn't a full restaurant at the hotel for lunch and dinner. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout. The hotel can also organize airport and station transportation as well as arrange excursions -- including a free trip to Murano Island.
Hotel & Amenities Photos
Best Rates
Amenities
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Air Conditioner
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Basic Television
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Cable
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Cribs
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Free Breakfast
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Internet
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Kids Allowed
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Laundry
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Room Service
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Swim-Up Bar
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
