USALouise
Google
My husband really wanted a view of the Grand Canal but such hotels were out of our price range. Then I stumbled upon the "1 star" Hotel Galleria...what a perfect choice! The location next to the Accademia Bridge and water bus can't be beat. We bought 7-day vaporetto pass at the airport and used it to arrive at the hotel and then used the pass many times during our stay from the convenient Accademia stop next to Hotel Galleria. ||Our hosts, Luciano and Lucio were very welcoming and helpful. We didn't meet them on our arrival day but they left very clear instructions on accessing the hotel keypads...no problem. The maid, Roberta, was very friendly too and showed us a couple rooms as all the rooms are different. She even ran up to us at the vaporetto stop after we checked out of the hotel to bring us a converter and charging cord that we forgot (most appreciated)!||We loved Room 10, which is the largest of the rooms and has wonderful views of the canal. The room has plenty of storage with antique furniture, hot water pot for coffee and tea, and hair dryer. The hotel has quite a selection of rooms for all budgets; one room has their bathroom down the hall. But ALL rooms have the wonderful location. Room 8 also appears to have great views. Room 5 (smaller) looked like a good choice, too; it's on the corner with two views and plenty of sunlight. I think you just need to understand the room you are booking; contact the owners for details and look at the online photos carefully.||The location on Dorsoduro was very nice, away from the crowds of San Marco and the Rialto Bridge. There were many restaurant and café choices for meals. We ate breakfast at Bar da Gino with the locals, lunch next door with a table on the Grand Canal, cicchetti at cafes along the smaller canal and watched the sunset at Zattere (southern end). Plus we took our 2 euro gondola ride at the traghetto stop Punta della Dogana, and watched gondola repairs in process at two different shops. ||I would highly recommend Hotel Galleria for all budget levels!
