Venice - Italy - page 286

pretensions. Last-minute deals are regularly offered on the website, but even the
regular rates are excellent for Venice, ranging between € 130 and € 193 for a dou-
ble room with private bathroom.
A Choice Bed & Breakfast
€€ (Fondamenta del Gaffaro, Dorsoduro 3515; % 041-

5242637) offers one of the best lodging deals in Dorsoduro, with three simple,
comfortable en suite guest rooms; they're themed according to color schemes;
rooms come in pink, blue, and green. Each room has a double bed or two singles,
as well as a day bed. The blue room has a private entrance off a small square, or
campiello. Owner Tiziana Magoni herself prepares breakfast for guests, and you
dine with views over the Gaffaro canal. A bonus here is Franco, who seems to take
infinite pleasure in guiding guests through the city and introducing them to off-
the-beaten-track experiences and sights.
ACCOMMODATIONS IN CASTELLO
Castello can be a fine place to stay in Venice; many of its hotels are close to
St. Mark's and yet feel miles away from the crowds. Rates are also considerably
better than in neighboring San Marco.

5

Casa Venexiana

€€ - €€€€ On bustling, lively Campo San Provolo is one of Castello's lovely
surprises: Hotel Fontana (Castello 4701; % 041-5220579; www.hotelfontana.it),
owned and operated by the Austro-Italian Stainer family since 1968. The best
rooms in the main hotel are on the third floor; these are spacious but spartan and
a little dark, but during the day, light streams in through the open windows from
which you have a lovely view of the street below. Rooms are furnished with some
Art Deco-type pieces, while walls are left stark white; bathrooms vary in size and
have tub-shower combos. You'll pay a little more for one of the rooms with a private
terrace, and you must specifically request one of these when booking. Downstairs,
there's a bar, lounge, and dining area with walls strewn with photographs—mostly
old blown-up images of Venice, circa 1970. Most rooms have an extra fold-out
bed, making them useful for small families. Double rooms cost 170—a

wide range that reflects the size of the rooms as well as seasonal fluctuations.
Diego, who operates the business, also offers guest rooms in a five-unit palace
across the campo; rates are slightly lower simply because you're not in the main
building.

€

85 to

€

€€ - €€€€ In terms of value and ambience, one of the most alluring lodging
choices in Venice is Hotel La Residenza

5

(Campo Bandiera e Moro, Castello
3608; % 041-5285315; www.venicelaresidenza.com), occupying the first floor of
the 15th-century Palazzo Gritti-Badoer. The large lobby-lounge-dining area is
filled with antiques, Oriental rugs, and Murano chandeliers; there's even a grand
piano and lovely terrace overlooking the square below. Guest rooms, which were
entirely renovated in 2001, aren't quite as spectacular as the public area, but
they're spacious and uncluttered; in fact, the Venetian antique styling really stands
out against the stark white walls, reminding you exactly which city you're in. All
rooms have en suite showers, and the usual amenities. Rates range from

€

80 to

€ 160 double.