Venice - Italy - page 280

will mean you'll end up paying too much. If you like watching gondolas, you'll
love the location; it's right at the edge of what can only be described as a busy gon-
dolier highway (it's right at the San Moisè gondola stop), and “Sole mio” can be
heard regularly in the early evening. The 26 guest rooms (all nonsmoking) are
white-glove clean, and done out in standard faux-Venetian antique style.

€€€€ Nearby, at Hotel Saturnia and International (Via XXII Marzo, San
Marco 2398; % 041-5208377; fax [phone]; www.spacehotels.it), the best (or
worst) part of one's stay is the free entertainment provided by musicians busking
on the street below your room. The hotel opened in 1908, and is still operated by
the Serandrei family; they've assembled a wide range of rooms, some with a decid-
edly dated ambience, and others given a bold Modernist makeover. Double rooms
start at € 153 per night.

€€€ - €€€€

Before moving on to San Marco's B&Bs, I must tell you about
one of the classiest lodging options in the vicinity of St. Mark's Square. Not only
is it an excellent blend of historic charm and genteel service, but also its sense of
intimacy makes the Metropole Hotel

555

(Riva Schiavoni, Castello 4149;
% 041-5205044; www.hotelmetropole.com) a standout among all of Venice's top
accommodations. Filled with antiques, the comfortable public areas are decorated
with shelves displaying unusual collections, laid out like an irreverent museum;
among the displays of fans, Belle Epoque evening bags, and corkscrews is a fine
collection of crucifixes. Every guest room is unique, combining elements that pre-
serve a strong sense of Venice as it might have been in its heyday, with modern
conveniences thrown into the mix. Best is room 403, with its own terrace look-
ing onto the lagoon; inside, it's all carved wood, velvet bedding, and Fortuny
lamps. The Metropole is expensive, and some rooms are smaller than you might
expect; doubles start at € 150, though they can go to € 495 when the city gets
crowded; add

100 for a lagoon view. The hotel's website occasionally offers
room upgrades and discounts, so surf there before booking.
Bed & Breakfasts
€ - €€

€

Not far from the Rialto bridge and vaporetto launches is the extremely
well-priced B&B Room in Venice (Calle San Antonio, San Marco 4114/a;
% 041-5229510; www.roominvenice.com). Claudette and Andrea rent out three
bedrooms in their apartment situated in a lovely neighborhood taken up mainly
by municipal offices. Rooms are bright, simple, and functional, with basic antique
furniture. There are no televisions or telephones, but accommodations are spot-
less, and represent great value. Claudette prepares breakfast for guests, and this is
served in your room. She and her husband are also a wonderful source for advice
and keep a small cabinet of books on Venice for their guests' use. Rates start at
€ 50 per night for a room with shared bathroom. The maximum charge for the
guest room with private bathroom facilities in high season is 95; you can ask for

a discount if you stay for several days. Note that the apartment is reached via sev-
eral sets of marble stairs, so it may not be practical for everyone.
€€ - €€€ Operated by Flats in Venice, Ca' Pozzo ( % 041-2413875; www.
flatsinvenice.net) is a recent addition to Venice's B&B lineup, favorably situated

€