Hotel San Samuele

Hotel San Samuele is a traditional Venetian townhouse with a selection of spotlessly clean rooms, some with shared and some with private bathrooms.||My partner and I stayed in a small room with a private bathroom. The bed was very comfortable and the shower worked well. A fan was provided which was a welcome addition and the WiFi was excellent at all times. ||The location is relatively quiet but very close to St Marks Square and all the other key attractions are an easy walking distance. ||I would definitely return to San Samuele if we return to Venice.

Ok, it's not all bad, the hotel is clean, tidy and in a great location... BUT... I think previous reviews vary massively depending on which room the reviewer has stayed in. We, unfortunately, stayed in Room 7 which, and this is no exaggeration, if it were a garage you would not have been able to park a Mini in it! This room is classed as their "economy" room, something I was aware of when booking because it was the only one left. What I wasn't aware of, nor did the hotel promo photos demonstrate clearly, was that there is no ensuit bathroom or shower facilities included. You have to share the small bathroom and shower down the corridor with about five other rooms. Further, you can hear everything in the hotel, I mean EVERYTHING as if there were no doors or walls at all. The couples either side were having very normal, quiet private conversations but it was as if we were there in their room with them. As such we spent the entire time whispering when inside without sleeping due to other guests moving around throughout the night. There's no tea or coffee making facilities in the room nor is there a restaurant within the hotel and, not that you really want it in Venice, but there's no TV etc either. All in all we were very disappointed because, even out of season, this "economy" room wasn't exactly what I would consider to be cheap either. I've read the other reviews saying similar and noted the replies from the hotel claiming it's an old building you won't find cheaper in Venice blah blah blah and that may well be the case but what you may find is a lot more for the same money instead. This is my honest and personal opinion based on our recent experience and, for me, the photos and descriptions prior to booking seem to be intentionally misleading so be careful when booking. I'm sure there are nicer rooms because other reviews appear to be positive but be careful to establish what is, and what isn't, included before you book.

Upsides are decent location and pleasant staff. The cleaning team are good. Wi-Fi is ok but temperamental. ||Downsides: no breakfast or areas to sort stuff out yourself. We need decaf tea and coffee so provisions were a non starter. I’m unconvinced by the communal fridge too. There was no wardrobe only 2 large wooden hooks, no balcony it’s just a windowsill, bathroom (which we asked for based on other reviews) tiny and in desperate need of a refurb. No air conditioning (a large fan instead). No safe, tho there was supposed to be one. Also amenities list a seating area (erm the two single beds) and sofa (ditto two beds pushed together). Only two working plug sockets so tricky charging your gear. ||It’s essentially a ‘taking in turns room’ ie only one of you can do anything at one time as there just isn’t sufficient space - the photos on the sites are best described as artful some may say deceitful. Other reviewers have said it depends what room you’re in - so add room 2 to avoid if having read this you still decide to come here. ||In other words, for ‘authentic’ read rough. We’re lucky to have been to Venice a fair few times and like to stay in different areas to experience the city. This is a very poor hotel at high prices.

The worst hotel experience I've ever had. Went in July in peak heat. There is no AC in the room, just a small and pretty weak fan. The pictures on wherever you are booking do not match what you get. ||This room looked like it was from a 3rd world country. Mosquitoes smashed into the wall, no decoration whatsoever. Basic wooden chair and table. Really really bad. The room was expensive for what you get too. I think we paid over 100$ per night. ||The heat at night was brutal and a swarm of mosquitoes had free entry into our room because there is only a curtain on the window. No screen. So it was absolutely miserable. Worst I've ever had.||The host, an Indian man was pretty rude, and not friendly at all. The next day there was a lady at the front desk who was much better.||We ended up leaving a day early booking a hotel down the street for 250$/night. Let me tell you the difference was night and day. It was ridiculous how much we were scammed at hotel San Samuele.||Never stay here.

The hotel was in a lovely location. Many of Venice’s glorious attractions were within easy walking distance and close to friendly restaurants serving authentic cuisine.||The hotel itself was clean and comfortable and could have been considered excellent value. HOWEVER, there was a big problem with heating. The room was cold on arrival and water had to be run for ages before it had any warmth at all. At no time of the day would it have been possible to have a good hot shower. In all our four day stay we each had only one tepid shower, Management made excuses about the size of the boiler and other guests having showers at the same time, but we did not find this acceptable.||Howard and Alix Haslett

Disappointing stay. There is no AC which in the summer is unmanageable. There is fans but with three of us in the room they barely touched the surface. The real issue for us was the shower. The water pressure was non-existent unless the temperature was freezing cold. We couldn’t wash our hair for 3 days due to this. We did mention this to the hotel and were told this would be because too many people were showering at once when there was only one boiler however the issue persisted for the whole 3 days. The room was clean and hotel is in a good location but can’t say many more positives than that.

NOT AS ADVERTISED. This SMALL hotel has 63 pictures posted on their website and not one picture was posted of my room and it’s clear why. To make this short, I was really really disappointed by this place. Both doors didn’t open to get into the room (room 10). I sat on the bed when we arrived and the bed immediately broke (I’m by no means overweight; 26years old). It was very clear this was an ongoing issue as the panels under neath the bed were covered in masking tape. The paint was peeling off the walls above our bed & the sink was clogged upon arrival. They did come and attempt to fix it shortly after we notified them although this caused the sink to leak onto the floor the rest of our stay. The walls are thin so you will hear people coming & leaving throughout the night. The rooms cleanliness is passable but the room is quite old. When checking out, this man stopped us on the stairs and just said “come upstairs” to which only upon going upstairs did he disclose that he worked there. He wasn’t over friendly or professional. We also woke up with weird bites on our arms, ankles, and face. No idea what from? I wasn’t expecting much for a 1 star but the reviews made me give it a shot. Don’t make the same mistake as me!

Warning - avoid Hotel San Samuele at all costs, unless you wish to subject yourself to misleading advertisements, poor facilities, and an utter lack of customer care. -- Latest response to the hoStel reply - 25-Jul-23 Your dismissive and defensive reply to my legitimate grievances only further confirms the unprofessional and deceptive nature of your establishment. Your attempt to shift the blame onto me, the customer, is utterly appalling and speaks volumes about the lack of accountability and integrity at Hotel San Samuele. Let me address your so-called "clarifications": Firstly, I made numerous attempts to contact your hotel through the phone number provided by Expedia, which was, as I already stated, incorrect. Your claim that you have always been reachable is a blatant lie. The ordeal of trying to contact someone through the incorrect phone numbers provided by your establishment was time-consuming. It is absurd that even when we did manage to reach someone, they were clueless about our booking and directed us to find check-in instructions in an envelope. Refusing to provide essential information about the facilities until much later through a text message was both unprofessional and neglectful. Secondly, while I may have mistakenly booked a double room with shared bathroom facilities, it in no way excuses the false advertising and lack of transparency on your part. As a customer, I expect that a hotel would not offer rooms with shared bathrooms, and it is beyond disappointing to discover that your establishment operates in such a deceptive manner. Instead of acknowledging your responsibility for misrepresenting the room options, you shamelessly attempted to take advantage of my oversight to make a profit. This predatory and exploitative approach to business is both unethical and unacceptable. As a purported hotel, you should prioritize honesty and integrity in your dealings with customers. As a paying customer, I have every right to expect the services and facilities that were advertised and paid for. Your hostel, masquerading as a hotel, failed to meet even the most basic standards for accommodating a family with a baby. Your lack of personnel for check-in and information further exemplifies the gross lack of professionalism at your establishment. Furthermore, during my stay, the absence of air conditioning was particularly distressing, especially when we experienced a heatwave with temperatures soaring to 40 degrees Celsius for several days. It is utterly unacceptable for a hospitality establishment to provide no means of relief during such extreme weather conditions. Adding to the extensive list of shortcomings, you do not have a front desk, as there was never anyone present to assist guests physically. Given the numerous failures and deceptions we experienced during our interaction with Hotel San Samuele, I reiterate my demand for an immediate and full refund of the 130,91 euros that your deceitful establishment has taken from me. Your unethical practices, false advertising, and lack of proper facilities have caused immense inconvenience and financial strain. Rest assured, I will not rest until this matter is resolved satisfactorily. If you continue to ignore my rightful request, I will not hesitate to take this matter further and make sure that potential guests are well aware of the deceptive and subpar standards at Hotel San Samuele. -- Original posting - 22-Jul-23 This is not a Hotel, this is a hoStel. The facilities were incompatible for a family with a baby. There was no one to give information or do the check-in. The phone was incorrect on Expedia. We took a long and valuable time trying to contact someone. We had to book another property (a real hotel) on the last minute. We asked for the cancellation of the hoStel booking and to be refunded. However, the person we could contact on the phone just ignored us. We lost 130,91 euros + time. I want my money back!

This is a great boutique hotel in a neighborhood away from a lot of the tourists. We stayed here for two nights and it was a great experience. We had a room with a shared bathroom. There was two full restrooms for 5 people to share so we never had an issue with sharing. The neighborhood was very quiet during the day and very safe. It was a little loud outside our window the first night, but Venice is a tourist city so it's always going to be a little loud. We sleep very well the second night. I did find a few ants in the bed one night but I blame that on my boyfriend who was eating chocolate on the bed. I saw them clean out the rooms between visitors and it was very thorough. I would stay here again if we ever came back to Venice.

Hotel San Samuele is a great little hotel. It has a great location, within walking distance of Rialto Bridge in one direction, and St Mark's Square in the other, with Academia close by. Almost all of Venice's greatest sights are nearby. The hotel is well maintained, and its small rooms (with ensuite bathrooms) are comfortable, cozy and clean. The owners and staff are friendly and welcoming. You can't go wrong here.