Venice Cruise Terminal Hotels

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ABOVE: The Hotel San Sebastiano Garden is a short walk from the San Basilio pier.

Hotels near San Basilio

The San Basilio quay and terminal building are at the foot of the Fondamente delle Zattere, a pedestrian promenade that extends all the way from the S. Basilio vaporetto stop to the tip of Dorsoduro where the Grand Canal and Giudecca Canal meet at St. Mark's Basin. (See a photo in our Dogana di Mare article.) Consider yourself lucky if your ship is moored here, because the historic center is just across a small wooden footbridge from San Basilio.

For proximity to the San Basilio terminal, there's no better choice than the Hotel San Sebastiano Garden (4 stars). The 16-room hotel is on the Fondamenta San Sebastiano, across a canal from the Church of San Sebastiano and only about five minutes from the pier. It has a private garden where you can enjoy breakfast or drinks outdoors in good weather, and accommodations range from double rooms to junior suites. Here's how to reach the hotel:

• From the San Basilio cruise terminal, walk over a small bridge at the eastern end of the pier, immediately turn left by the vaporetto station, and continue walking the short distance to the Hotel San Sebastiano Garden, which occupies a 16th Century building facing the canal. (You'll reach the hotel just after crossing a small square, the Campo San Basegio.)

• From Venice Marco Polo Airport, take the Alilaguna  Blue Line boat to the Zattere stop, turn left as you exit the boat platform, and walk along the waterfront. You'll cross one bridge on your way to the San Basilio vaporetto station, where you'll turn inland, cross the Campo San Basegio, and walk a few steps along a canal to the hotel.

Two other hotels are fairly close to the San Basilio terminal:

Antica Locanda Montin (2 stars) is a 12-room pension above the historic restaurant of the same name. The restaurant is a bit pricey; the Locanda's rates are more reasonable, although some rooms lack private facilities. Reserve far in advance if you want to stay at this simple but celebrated establishment.

Hotel Pausania (3 stars) occupies an atmospheric 14th Century Gothic palace near the Campo San Barnaba, where you'll find small restaurants, bars, shops, and the city's famous vegetable barge. The Campo Santa Margherita--one of Venice's liveliest squares--is also close by.

If you have rolling suitcases, it may be easier to walk along the Zattere to a hotel in the eastern part of Dorsoduro. The distance may be a little greater than heading inland, but you'll encounter fewer bridges and are less likely to get lost. These hotels are also convenient to the Zattere stop of the Alilaguna airport boat's Blue Line:

Ca' San Trovaso (2-star equivalent) is just inland from the Zattere. Singles, doubles, and triples are available, and rates are a bargain by Venice standards even during high season.

Hotel La Calcina (3 stars) is the inn where John Ruskin stayed in 1876. Ruskin picked it for the same reason that today's tourists do: A site directly on the Zattere, overlooking the Giudecca Canal and the ships that pass by. If you're spending more than a few days in Venice, consider booking a self-catering suite or mini-flat at the hotel's La Calcina Suites nearby.

Pensione Seguso (2 stars) is also on the Zattere, where it offers traditionally-furnished single and double rooms (most with bathrooms in the hall).

Other hotel tips for San Basilio:

• If you don't mind wrestling your suitcases aboard a crowded public waterbus, you can stay at any hotel near the No. 2 vaporetto line and take the boat to the San Basilio stop, which is at the base of the Zattere next to the port. For example, you could stay at one of the Piazzale Roma hotels in this article (which are convenient to the ATVO airport bus) or near the San Zaccaria vaporetto stop above the Piazza San Marco. Both locations served by the No. 2 vaporetto line.

• If you do have quite a bit of luggage, it may be easier to stay near the Piazzale Roma and get a taxi to the pier. (Again, see our page of Piazzale Roma hotels.)

• Finally, the Molino Stucky Hilton is considering if you don't mind a boat ride across the Giudecca Canal and have money or Hilton loyalty points to burn. (The Molino Stucky is almost directly opposite the San Basilio pier. From the hotel, a free shuttle boat runs to the Zattere, where you can turn left and follow the waterfront promenade to the cruise terminal with one bridge along the way.)

Next page: Hotels near San Marco-Vallaresso

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Hotel tip: Location can be important when choosing a hotel in Venice or on the mainland. Before booking, read our No. 1 Warning and Venice Hotel Recommendations by Area.

From our Venice Travel Blog:

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Venice Railroad Station: a vaporetto view
Free boat trips to Murano
A warning about water taxis
Long lines at Venice Airport
Need to pee? Prepare to pay
The perils of overpacking
Flood warning: the sound of sirens
Venetian daily life

From Maggie in Venice:

A dog's life in Venice
A Beagle boards a water bus

Venice cruise review:

• MSC Eastern Mediterranean Cruise

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