Hotel Pausania

My friend and I purchased a Groupon Getaway that included accommodations for Hotel Pausania for our two nights in Venice in December 2015. We upgraded to this hotel from one on the Venice mainland because we wanted to be on the island. Our train from Florence dropped us off at the station on the island of Venice where we learned a taxi car was unable to navigate to our hotel, and decided we would walk the half-​mile rather than pay the exorbitant fees for a water taxi.
Temperatures were only in the 40’s, which worked out well because we had to haul all of our luggage over 9 separate foot bridges en route to Hotel Pausania. Combine that with a couple of extra layers of clothes and I had broken a nice sweat. We arrived at the Hotel on one of Venice’s many canal-​facing islands, and were immediately offered access to our room on the third floor. Like all of the other hotels in Italy, the room temperature was out of our control and sweltering hot, but we were able to open a window to allow some fresh air in. The beds were two twins pushed together and not the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever slept on, but not the worst either.
The shower had no curtain making it impossible to wash up without leaving a pool of water on the bathroom floor — this was also standard practice throughout Italy and Barcelona, as was the noticeable lack of wash cloths. Bring your own if you’re coming to Europe because no hotels provide them. The hair dryer looked more like a vacuum cleaner and did a poor job of drying hair, which was a bummer because it was so cold outside. There was a refrigerator that we used to store some fruits we bought at a stand just outside of our hotel. Breakfast was a few selections of bread, cheese, fruit cocktail, cereal, yogurt, and café latte, which was also standard for hotels in Italy — not going to fill you up long. The hotel has free wifi, which is good enough for basic web surfing.
Venice is small and walkable if labyrinthian. We got lost several times trying to weave our way through its narrow passages, but eventually found where we were going. The hotel was within walking distance of all of the attractions we wanted to see including the Grand Canal, the Theatre of Venice, St. Mark’s Square, the Guggenheim Museum, and other notable points. The paths are dark at night so I wouldn’t recommend walking around alone or staying out too late.
According to the hotel receptionist, we could get a private taxi from the hotel all the way to the airport on the mainland for more than 100 euro, or one for 80 euro from another stop nearby. We walked to that stop at 7am and there were no taxis there so we ended up walking all the way back to the train station where we were able to hail one. It cost 40 euro to drive over to the airport on the mainland so we saved a bit by walking to the train station.
I would stay here again for the value and friendly service. It’s not luxurious, but sufficient to lay your head for a couple nights. If it were my honeymoon, I might opt for something a bit nicer in Venice, but if you’re with a friend, go the cheap route.

We loved the location of this hotel, not too far from the train & bus station (though you’d still have to cross 6 – 7 bridges — pack light!!!) and not too touristy. The area seems to be a hangout spot for students, it has a pretty cool vibe and very close to supermarket, quick food stops, bars and cafes and there’s even a gondola selling fresh vegetables and fruits right outside. The staff were helpful, we particularly liked Paolo, he was super informative and very willing to help with everything. The only concern we had was that the night desk staff were barely at the desk and guests would either have to wait or can easily grab their room keys unattended. We were told this isn’t a concern because they’re «Italians» combined with a dismissive shoulder shrug — an explanation we frequently got that frankly didn’t help make us feel at ease. Overall, we would recommend to a friend.

Great place! Great breakfast! Great customer service! I haven’t been happier in a hotel