Hotel Abbazia

Located in a building dating back to 1879, the Hotel Abbazia cultivates an old fashioned air. Guests enter under a white awning past a peach-colored plaster exterior that's flaking in parts. The lobby has a high, wood-beamed ceiling with wooden arches and an oak paneled reception desk. The bar is a spacious, high-ceilinged room with an oak pulpit; this space was used for prayer when the property was a Carmelite monastery. Today, red and purple sofas in satin and flocked fabrics sit before low tables under a chandelier, and there's a dark oak paneled bar. A large, formal breakfast room sits under a skylight, and it's surrounded with windows covered in sheers and gold drapes with valences that match the walls and table linens. The highlight of the property is its courtyard garden with a grassy lawn, shrubbery, trees, and terra-cotta potted plants. Here, guests can take shade under huge white umbrellas or get some sun on contemporary woven chairs. 

The Hotel Abbazia is in a bustling area, right by Venice's Santa Lucia train station and a five-minute walk from the Piazzale Roma, a large square for airport buses and taxis. Scalzi Bridge, which spans the Grand Canal, is a two-minute walk away, while Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, a Franciscan church in the San Polo district, is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. The iconic Piazza San Marco, Venice's main square, and St. Mark's Basilica can be reached in about 20 minutes by water taxi. The famed Rialto Bridge is about 15 minutes by water taxi or a 20-minute walk. Other nearby attractions include the historic opera house Teatro La Fenice, the Doge's Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs, all of which can be reached in about 20 minutes by water taxi. Venice's Marco Polo Airport is a 15- to 20-minute drive or about 40 minutes by vaporetto.

Rooms at the Hotel Abbazia have an old-fashioned appearance that will feel timeless to some and dated to others: Decor includes sheers and heavy drapes on the windows, classic bedspreads, and Murano glass chandeliers. The rooms are average in size with high ceilings and tile or glossy wood floors. Many rooms have satin or flocked tufted headboards in jewel tones like ruby, sapphire, and topaz, colors that are echoed in the carpets and upholstered armchairs or sofas. Dark wood furniture includes armoires, desks, and nightstands. One complaint from guests are the limited or lack of views in some rooms; guests who desire a view should make their preferences known during booking. 

The rooms have climate control, but some guests have complained that the second-floor rooms, reached by stairs, are not cool enough in Venice's hot summers. All rooms have minibars, free Wi-Fi, safes, flat-screen TVs, and coffee- and tea-making facilities. Some bathrooms have been updated to include roomy glass door showers, dark wood plank-style paneling, and light wood vanities with good lighting and hairdryers. The original bathrooms have pale blue tiles, dim, fluorescent lighting, smaller showers or tubs with curtains, older fixtures, and wall-mounted hairdryers. All bathrooms include bidets and colorful toiletries in refillable plastic pump bottles. 

Hotel Abbazia may be missing a full-service restaurant, but it does a good job of providing other mid-range features. A free buffet breakfast that includes a range of pastries, pancakes, and various fruit preserves is included in room rates. There is also free Wi-Fi and newspapers in the lobby. The front desk is open 24/7 and includes a multilingual staff who provide concierge service and luggage storage. The property has a large lounge with bar service and a spacious outdoor terrace with plantings and umbrellas. Children two and under stay free in existing beds, though the hotel can provide cribs. The property includes some handicapped accessible rooms. Pets are welcome here.