“A Brief but Wonderful Visit”
I was recently on an all-too-brief trip to Venice after a business meeting in Milan. The Gabrielli Sandwirth was an Expedia pick, and after much deliberation about it's distance from the train station, I decided to book it.
I was delighted with the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. My single room (although small) was very comfortable and with a very nice bathroom. I was very grateful for the air conditioning as this was in hot days in June. The hotel restaurant was very nice, the quality of the food very good and at reasonable prices (for Venice). The continental breakfast was very good. The inner courtyard and gardens were delightful, and the rooftop patio provided a breathtaking vista of the Grand Canal and the harbour.
The only downside was the wireless internet was very slow and coverage spotty inside this historic building, and as this was an extension of a business trip, created some challenges for me. Internet access at the computer supplied just off the lobby was very fast, but I was unable to connect my laptop there.
I HIGHLY recommend this hotel, it was a delightful experience.
Getting there
I arrived in Venice from Milan using the FrecceBianca train. A second class ticket was very reasonable, and the train was clean and reasonably comfortable for the 2.5 hour trip.
This was my first visit to Venice, and I was very unsure of how difficult it would be to reach the hotel, which was clearly too far to walk with luggage, with significant risk of getting lost. A little more research on the Vaporetti (water-bus) routes and schedule, as well as on the ferry ride to the airport the morning of my departure put me at ease.
I recommend purchasing your Vaporetti ticket from the magazine shop on the right (there are other sellers). If not, you may find yourself standing in line for an extended period of time on the canal (in the hot sun). Also, please note that the actual water-bus pick up points are mostly not located at the ticket booth on the canal. Look carefully for signs that point to the pickup and dropoff point for your route, and then be careful to find the one that will take you to your destination directly. In my case it was the number 1, and this pick-up was about 80 metres to the right of the ticket booth on the canal. Remember to validate your ticket by waving it in front of the machine at the wharf. The dropoff point for the Gabrielli hotel is Arsenale, the second stop beyond San Marco.
Departing I had an early flight out of Marco Polo, and .took the Allilaguna Blu line from Arsenale to the airport, about 50 minutes at that 4 in the morning (!).
Getting around
The hotel is very conveniently located near Piazza San Marco and served as an excellent base for my exploration over 2 days. The only down side is that many of the tour boats for this part of the city use the wharf directly in front of the hotel, and this lead to a constant stream of visitors arriving and departing, which I found a bit overwhelming at times.
If you don’t like crowds, I would recommend staying away from the waterfront from about 10 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon. Use that time to explore the many areas north and east of the hotel. Mornings and evenings on the waterfront are delightful. In order to avoid the heavy crowds, I spent some time at the Arsenale, as well as in the parks to the east of the hotel. In the evenings I spend time in San Marco and other main areas (although too late for the museums).
If I had more time, I would have used my Vaporetti ticket to go around grand canal on routes 41 or 42 and disembarked when the mood struck me, and then resumed my tour. It is a very good idea to print the Vaporetti schedules, as some routes stop serving some locations after about 8 in the evening.
