Good old Sofitel

Everything you could expect from a 4 stars Hotel from the French chain.

Top service, large rooms with everything you want, tasteful decoration, .....without the charm (and perhaps some of the inconvenient) of a 400 years old building. No surprise (neither good nor bad).

Very convenient if you park at Pizza Roma or arrive by train. 20' walk to San Marco.

I paid 200$ instead of 400$. At that price it is a very good deal (by Venice standards) and I would definitively recommend the place. If you can spend 400$+, i would advise to go for a big name of the grand canal.

Another piece of advise: Venice is small, everything is walking distance or vaporetto. Do not stay near San Marco !!!!

Excellent Hotel !

We stayed in this hotel about 3 weeks ago for 3 nights break as part of our Honeymoon and it restored my faith in italians after some of the other places we stayed in !

The staff were excellent, the room was great a little small but definately fit for purpose. Excellent location and all the little extra touches in the rooms were greatly appreciated indeed.

Can't really say enough good things about it really, but it made our stay in Venice, comfortable and very enjoyable indeed.

Excellent Sofitel.

Just stayed at the Sofitel in Venice. Excellent location if you are arriving by train. Very pleasant walk of about 20 mins through the mazes of little streets and piazzas to St Marks and even closer to the Rialto.

The girl at check in was a bit miserable, which was the last thing we needed after a long journey up from Florence. However, we never saw her again during our 3 night stay, so perhaps she, or the hotel realised a career in customer service wasn't for her. The rest of the staff were extremely friendly and always helpful.

The room was very nice, although try and get one on the front, with a canal view. The bar and reception area are first class and perfect for a cocktail or glass of wine before you go out for the evening. We ate in the restaurant one evening and the food was excellent and the service very good.

Overall a very good hotel.

Convenient and Restful

I chose this hotel based on location and the other reviews on trip advisor. We had an early flight out of Venice (6:15 am) and needed to be at the airport very early. I knew that the airport buses did not start until 5:00 am and did not want to spend many euros on a water taxi. So, after some research, I learned that the Sofitel was very near Pizzale Roma, where land taxis can be obtained 24/7. This was the major plus of the hotel. We literally walked about 5 minutes and picked up a taxi at 4:00 am and were at the airport in a half an hour for 33 Euros. While I originally chose Sofitel for that reason, I was soon impressed with it for other reasons. My boyfriend and I found that we really liked that it was on a quiet, small canal and was only a block from the Grand Canal. The area was less touristy and more "real" Italy. In the morning, you could look out of the window and see Venetians on their way to work. The rooms were small, but clean--the maids came twice a day to give you towels. The bathrooms were well furnished, with hair dryers and french toiletries. The breakfast in the morning was great--there was tons of variety. The walk to St. Mark's was about 20-30 minutes, which some may not like. However, we were happy with it because we got to explore the smaller canals, bridges and buildings along the way. It's a great walk. We had some wonderful meals in restaurants closer to the Sofitel--family run places where the children pitched in right along with the adults. It gave us a true taste of Italy in so many ways. While the Sofitel is in a quieter area, I never felt unsafe or concerned. The area is fine to walk around both in the daytime or the night. In fact, the Grand Canal area near the hotel is very busy because it is near the train station, which is bustling, even late. And, while in some cities, the areas near train stations can be dicey, we did not find that in Venice. While the Sofitel rooms were not decorated in a style that we liked (a little fussy), they were well kept and fine for sleeping (we really didn't spend much time in them anyway since we were always out exploring Venice!). The hotel staff was friendly and helpful--they gave us a great map of Venice when we asked directions. It was a map that cost 5 Euros at the tourist stands and they gave it to us free. I have stayed at other Sofitel properties in France and in Canada and have found their quality to be consistent. The Venice property is no exception. How I wish we were still there, strolling the Grand Canal......

Great Hotel

This is a great hotel. Location was great especially for arriving/departing by train because it is so close to the train station. Of course it was with in walking distance to everything (everything in Venice is. The breakfast was good and the rooms were excellent. My only complaint is that the room we were in had carpet that had been worn down pretty bad and once section had a hole in it. It could be just that room, but I was a little bothered by that. Other than that, Great.

Perfect hotel lived up to our expectations in every way.

Stayed 3 nights at the Sofitel just before Easter 2005. We booked a de luxe room for a lttle extra. It was a good size, very comfortable, attractive and clean. The room had a double aspect over a quiet canal and a tiny balcony on which to stand and watch the world go by. The bed was huge, the shower fantastic and fluffy bathrobes were included. The very good buffet breakfast was served in a pretty conservatory covered in vines. The staff were courteous and helpful. It is at least 15 minutes walk to the Rialto and another 10mins to St Marks or 20 minutes by vaporetto from near the hotel. However, this enabled us to see more of Venice than we would otherwise have done. We thorougly enjoyed walking and travelling on the grand canal and liked the fact that the hotel was away from the main tourists in a picturesque location. The journey from the airport was a really cheap bus ride which stopped very near the hotel which was easy to find, so we didn't have to struggle with cases very far. Thoroughly recommended, we would stay here again as it suited our needs perfectly.

Delicious Taste of Italy

Stayed at Sofitel for one night during the summer with my wife. I can tell you this hotel was the best that we experienced during our vacation in Italy. The room was large, new, and luxurious. Very clean and a comfortable bed. Although off the canal, I did not find this to be a problem. A short walk takes you the the canal boats. Would not hesitate to try another Sofitel property.

First class

My husband and I just returned from a 3 night stay in Venice at the Sofitel. The hotel is fantastic, the service impeccable, and the food delicious. The winter garden restaurant is beautiful, and the canal side setting of the hotel is very picturesque and quiet. The hotel has a boat which you can rent for 70 euros an hour - ideal for a romantic evening cruise as it works out at about £20 each.

We were lucky enough to get upgraded to a suite for some reason and it was perfect. The toiletries are first class and you get toothbrushes and toothpaste too!

One tip for visiting Venice, go to St Marks the minute it opens otherwise you will get stuck with coachloads of tourists who have no respect that St Marks is a church. My husband got swept up with a load of Japanese who simply marched round St Marks without stopping.

Great Hotel, excellent location

We loved the location of this hotel, 20 mins from the airport by bus took us 100 yds from the hotel, which is the cheaper and quicker option from Marco Polo. It is situated behind the park, yards from the Grand Canal, but on it's own quieter waterway. San Marco, Rialto are all within reach by waterbus or 15 mins on foot. Room was lovely with a balcony and a nice view (not all rooms have this so ask!). Most importantly the plumbing was quiet as was the air conditioning - and the windows were double glazed. Staff were helpful and the breakfast is served in a nice setting. A turndown service was also provided - sometimes with chocolates! Highly recommended - and we are very particular!

The best

Excellent, beautiful rooms. very classy hotel with the most relaxing breakfast room. Very helpful management and great service.

I will recommend this hotel always and I will stay there every time I go to Venice.