Grand tour elegance on the Grand Canal (Bellini Hotel)

Member Name: mizmir

Product:	Bellini Hotel
Date:	03/01/09 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good service, well positioned, gay friendly

Disadvantages: Pricey - but check the offer sites for deals

My OH and myself stayed here for a "significant" birthday celebration in May. We booked via lastminute.com (and got cashback via quidco!) - and got a good deal of about £110 a night for a double room - that may not still be available - but this is a hotel that uses sites such as lastminute and hotels.com so it is worth checking.

It is quite a small hotel - in terms of the public areas - but has a rather "Grand Tour" air of chic - with the most amazing Murano glass chandeliers and marble everywhere. We had a lovely room overlooking the Grand Canal - with air conditioning, fridge/mini bar and all the services you would expect of a good hotel. It also felt very safe with a secure reception being permanently staffed. Service was excellent and respectful at all times. When we arrived we were initially put in a poorer standard room (without a bath) but we asked to be moved and were without any problem (the description had mentioned a room with a bath not a shower).

The hotel is very well positioned. It is immediately next door to the railway station (though not noisy from that) and is opposite a water bus stop which served the Grand Canal - about 35 minutes by the leisurely canal bus to Saint Mark's Square. You will need the water bus - apart from by foot it is the only sensible way to travel in Venice - water taxis and gondolas are extortionate! We were there for 6 days so bought a Venice card which gave us free travel on the water bus (including from the airport) and entry or reduced entry into many of the sites - well worth it. The water bus goes down the Grand Canal, round the perimeter of Venice and out to the islands (Murano etc). We spent one day simply using them as tour boats to see the sights - try and get the seats out the back if it is a sunny day and it is lovely!

Anyway back to the hotel. It is on a busy shopping street - take a left out of the door and go more or less in a straight line and you can reach the main shopping streets of Venice. Take the boat to places like the Rialto markets, the museums and Murano.

We didn't eat anything but breakfast (which was fine) at the hotel - though there was a restaurant - there are so many lovely restaurants - just wander the same way in an evening and see what takes your fancy. Venice is not cheap but doesn't have to be extortionate if you choose the less touristy places - and this end of town is better in that respect that St Mark's.

One final note - we are a same sex couple (female) and noone at the hotel batted an eyelid - so I would say gay friendly - or at least staff with equality awareness training! This shouldn't be taken for granted in Italy.

Summary: An ideal place for a special holiday