Venice Cruise Terminal Hotels

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ABOVE: The three-star Hotel San Moisé is a five-minute walk from the Vallaresso boat pier. (This photo was taken from the window of room 107.)

Hotels near the Piazza San Marco

If your cruise line offers a free shuttle between the Piazza San Marco and the ship, a hotel just west of Piazza San Marco is worth considering. Rates tend to be considerably higher in San Marco than in other districts of Venice, but the major sights and shops are close by, and both the Red and Blue Lines of the Alilaguna airport boats stop at San Marco Giardinetti.

Several upmarket hotels are quite close to the Alilaguna stop (although anyone staying at these four- and five-star hotels can easily afford a water taxi):

The Luna Hotel Baglioni (5 stars) is friendlier and more intimate than many luxury hotels, with a very helpful concierge. (See my review.) The Luna Baglioni is Venice's oldest hotel (the Knights of Templar slept on the site in 1118), it's featured on Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List, and its ballroom-like breakfast room is a sight to behold.

Europa & Regina (4 stars) is a highly regarded Westin property that occupies five buildings along the Grand Canal. The more expensive double rooms have partial canal views.

Il Palazzo at the Bauer (5 stars) is the grander half of the former Bauer-Grünwald & Grand Hotel; it occupies an historic palazzo on the Grand Canal. Just behind is a modern wing, the Hotel Bauer (5 stars), which is more popular with well-heeled American guests than with historical preservationists.

Gritti Palace (5 stars) was built in 1525 as a Doge's residence and has been one of Venice's most celebrated (and expensive) hotels since the end of the 19th Century. Guests have included John Ruskin, Ernest Hemingway, Queen Elizabeth II, and countless generalissimos of industry.

Monaco and Grand Canal (4 stars) is just a short walk from the Alilaguna airport boat's pier. The hotel, which was renovated in 2005, occupies a magnificent site where the Grand Canal feeds into St. Mark's Basin. (Note: The location on the linked page's map is incorrect; the hotel is on the waterfront west of the former Royal Gardens.)

Moving down in price, we come to the Anastasia (3 stars), which has single and double rooms for prices that are quite reasonable for this part of town. The Casanova (photo at left), the Torino, and the Firenze (all 3-star hotels) are also convenient to the airport boat and the Piazza San Marco. The very reasonably priced Mercurio (2 stars) is just west of the square.

Two personal favorites are slightly inland and within easy walking distance:

The San Moisé (3 stars, photo at right) is about five minutes from the boat platform, on a quiet street near the Hotel Kette (3 stars). I've stayed in both hotels and can recommend either, although the San Moisé might be a better choice during the warm months because it has a courtyard with tables for guests. (See my Hotel San Moisé review.)

Other three-star hotels close by include the Violino d'Oro, the Lisbona, the Bel Sito & Berlino, the Flora, and La Fenice et des Artistes. The Saturnia & International (4 stars, photo at left), the very popular Ala (3 stars), and the Locanda Fiorita (1 star) are also reasonably convenient.

If you're willing to roll your bags a longer distance, you can stay north of the Piazza San Marco (see hotel map) and walk to the Alilaguna airport-boat pier.

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