Hotel Piccola Fenice

Location: San Marco 3614, Venice, it

Star Rating: 3 Stars

Property Type: Hotels

About this Property

Important Information

Policies

Check-in: 03:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Check-out: 11:00 AM

Amenities & Facilities

• Non-smoking rooms
• Air conditioning
• Family rooms
• Lift / Elevator
• Luggage storage
• Safety deposit box
• Fax/photocopying
• Non-smoking throughout
• Staff adhere to local safety protocols
• Guest rooms disinfected between stays
• Cleaning standards that are effective against Coronavirus
• Physical distancing rules followed
• Hand sanitizer in guest room and key areas
• Cashless payment available
• Fire extinguishers
• First aid kit available
• Contactless check-in/check-out
• Invoice provided
• Guests can opt-out any cleaning services during stay
• Shared stationery like menus, pens are removed
• Property cleaned by professional cleaning companies
• Key access
• CCTV outside property
• Process in place to check health of guests
• Access to health care professionals
• Screens / Barriers between staff and guests for safety
• Face masks for guests available
• Thermometers for guests provided by property
• Television in common areas
• Free wired internet
• Internet access
• Japanese garden

Rooms Available

• Superior Double Room

  Featuring a large living area, free Wi-Fi, coffee maker and fridge.

  Max Occupancy: 3 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Safety deposit box
  • TV
  • Telephone
  • Air conditioning
  • Hair dryer
  • Refrigerator
  • Desk
  • Toilet
  • Microwave
  • Private bathroom
  • Heating
  • Sofa
  • Hardwood or parquet floors
  • Electric kettle
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Bidet
  • Coffee machine
  • Linen
  • Dining table
  • Upper floors accessible by elevator
  • Toilet paper
  • Emergency cord in bathroom
  • Trash cans
  • Cots
  • Body soap
  • Socket near the bed
  • Accessible by lift
  • Smoke alarm
  • Key access
  • Single-room air conditioning for guest accommodation

• Family Room

  This unit is composed of a double room and seating area. Free WiFi is also available.

  Max Occupancy: 4 (4 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Safety deposit box
  • TV
  • Telephone
  • Air conditioning
  • Hair dryer
  • Refrigerator
  • Desk
  • Seating Area
  • Toilet
  • Microwave
  • Private bathroom
  • Heating
  • Sofa
  • Hardwood or parquet floors
  • Dining area
  • Electric kettle
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Bidet
  • Coffee machine
  • Linen
  • Dining table
  • Upper floors accessible by elevator
  • Toilet paper
  • Sofa bed
  • Emergency cord in bathroom
  • Trash cans
  • Cots
  • Body soap
  • Socket near the bed
  • Accessible by lift
  • Smoke alarm
  • Key access
  • Single-room air conditioning for guest accommodation

• Family Junior Suite

  Featuring free toiletries, this family room includes a private bathroom with a bath, a bidet and a hairdryer. This family room is air-conditioned and has a seating area with a flat-screen TV, a tea and coffee maker, a dining area, a wardrobe, as well as a safe deposit box. The unit has 2 beds.

  Max Occupancy: 4 (3 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Safety deposit box
  • TV
  • Telephone
  • Air conditioning
  • Hair dryer
  • Refrigerator
  • Desk
  • Seating Area
  • Toilet
  • Microwave
  • Private bathroom
  • Heating
  • Sofa
  • Hardwood or parquet floors
  • Dining area
  • Electric kettle
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Bidet
  • Coffee machine
  • Linen
  • Dining table
  • Upper floors accessible by elevator
  • Toilet paper
  • Sofa bed
  • Emergency cord in bathroom
  • Trash cans
  • Body soap
  • Socket near the bed
  • Accessible by lift
  • Smoke alarm
  • Key access
  • Single-room air conditioning for guest accommodation

• Suite with Terrace

  This suite comes with 1 living room, 2 separate bedrooms and 1 bathroom with a bath and free toiletries. Boasting a terrace with city views, this suite also features air conditioning and a flat-screen TV. The unit has 4 beds.

  Max Occupancy: 5 (4 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Safety deposit box
  • TV
  • Telephone
  • Air conditioning
  • Hair dryer
  • Refrigerator
  • Desk
  • Seating Area
  • Toilet
  • Microwave
  • Private bathroom
  • Heating
  • Sofa
  • Hardwood or parquet floors
  • Dining area
  • Electric kettle
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Stovetop
  • Toaster
  • Bidet
  • Coffee machine
  • Terrace
  • Linen
  • Dining table
  • Outdoor dining area
  • Upper floors accessible by elevator
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
  • Toilet paper
  • Sofa bed
  • Emergency cord in bathroom
  • Trash cans
  • Body soap
  • Socket near the bed
  • Smoke alarm
  • Key access
  • Single-room air conditioning for guest accommodation

Guest Reviews

• Maria (9/5): -
• samo (8/5): -
• pedro alejandro (10/5): -
• Allers (8/5): - Die Lage ist sehr gut, sehr geräumig. Sehr alt.
• William (8/5): Not the best not the worst - Location, big room Seems as if while many places in Europe advertise AC, having it working is a different topic. Not real happy that the price was $80/night cheaper when we got there.
• Justyna (8/5): Good value for money - We stayed in room nr 3. Actually it was much better than on photos. Room was big, well equipped and quiet. We were pleased with kitchen facilities. Supermarket is in 5 minute distance. In room there is a map with direction to it. The room is on second floor and street is so narrow that it is quite dark inside. Bur there are a lot of lamps. Bathroom is decorated in 90s style but it is very clean. General good impression is made by wood floor and beautiful wood ceiling. Anyway, the room would be cozier if fabrics are changed. Bedcover and table cloths spoil the finał impression. Anyway, our finał score is 8 as it was really good stay and the hotel is perfectly situated. The staff is supportive and provides detailed instructions how to get to the hotel (which is really easy when you follow the instructions from staff). Thank you for the fantastic vacations inVenice. Changing fabrics would reault in making the room cozy.
• Gorghe (8/5): -
• alberto (8/5): -
• ЮПИ (10/5): - В отеле есть лифт! В номере есть холодильник, чайник, микроволновка, касульная кофеварка, посуда. Чай, кофе, сахар берите с собой (купить негде). Кровать огромная, удобная. Персонал - очень милые приветливые люди. (Если будете заселяться ночью - на двери есть схема основного отеля, который находится за углом, где вам дадут конверт с ключами и инструкцией, код от входных дверей написан на конверте). Очень довольны гостиницей. Перед номером красивая зона, где можно пофотографироваться.
• Heraldo (10/5): - Quarto espaçoso e confortável. Excelente localização
• Pedro Antonio (10/5): -
• Anastasia (10/5): - Location superb, large room and host let us keep the room until late next day as they did not have next day booking. Only thing that could be improved could be the furniture
• Daria (10/5): - the mattress was very old and sunken, definitely beeds replacement, otherwise the room was great and i was very comfortable, the heat worked well and there are great restaurants and shopping nearby
• Alex (10/5): -
• CLARA (8/5): - Posizione ottima, struttura datata ma accogliente, ampia con letto matrimoniale grande più letto singolo Chiarirei che l accoglienza in certe fasce orarie non è presso la stessa struttura
• Ibtisame (10/5): -
• Vesna (8/5): -
• Carmen (8/5): Eine gute Unterkunft für eine Woche Venedig - Die Lage ist super, man ist direkt im Zentrum, es war ruhig in der Nacht. Das Hotel bot ein geräumiges Appartement mit Küchenzeile und Bad. Wir konnten unser Frühstück machen und in der Microwelle Essen erwärmen, das war praktisch. Der Aufzug hat uns erfreut. Etwas Kaffee, Salz oder Öl sollte da sein, das hat gefehlt.
• Tiffany (9/5): -
• Tiziana (10/5): -
• sabrina (10/5): Sicuramente da ritornarci veramente eccezionale - Il confort Il check-in poco intuitivo
• Delfino (10/5): - Tamaño de la habitación con sus instalaciones, ubicacion
• Olga (10/5): -
• Cathy (3/5): Very disappointed and over priced - Walking distance of the town centre The property was dark and gloomy. The poor sister of the main hotel, the Cinderella without the slipper. Not even a bottle of water left when arrived, never mind a sachet of tea or coffee. Very difficult to find with poor directions from the main hotel. The cleaning lady was the only saving grace, she was very helpful with local information.
• CHIARA (10/5): -
• Aleksander (10/5): -
• Marius Daniel (10/5): Weekend minunat - A fost curat și plăcut Totul a fost OK
• Antonio (7/5): Bueno - Tenía una cocinita y un pequeño comedor El colchón muy duro
• almir (10/5): - Localizaçao, higiene, tamanho, utensílios de cozinha como apoio
• LYDIE (7/5): Bon rapport qualité prix avec cet emplacement parfait. - L emplacement est parfait pour tout faire à pied et très calme. L accueil et la dame du ménage sont très accueillantes. Un peu sombre.
• gharbi (10/5): -
• Skye (9/5): -
• Lieselotte (10/5): -
• Barbara (6/5): - Camera spaziosa, pulita In base al prezzo (177€ a notte) mi sarei aspettata di avere la colazione ma soprattutto di trovare almeno una bottiglietta d'acqua in camera
• Ekaterina (9/5): -
• Dymek (8/5): -
• Michel (8/5): - L’accueil et l’emplacement La poussière sur l’étagère de la tête de lit
• Aysan (7/5): -
• Samuel (4/5): Disappointing - Everything was perfect except for an infestation of mosquitos which led to a near sleepless painful night. The mosquitos were a nightmare in the room.
• Nikos (7/5): Good -
• Manuela (9/5): Superb - Really nice lady at the reception, who took care of us. Perfect for traveling with children. Kitchen is nice, but there are many breakfast and other restaurants in this area.
• Harsita (9/5): Superb - Great location, nice rooms, quiet area, friendly and helpful staff -
• Andrew (9/5): gorgeous location at a beautiful inn. very good food. peaceful. - gorgeous location and views. lovely, large room. no iron. easy to hear hallway noise
• Paddy (6/5): Totally good but not great! - Hotel Piccola is in fact a number of sort of self catering apartments about 100 metres from Hotel la Fernice (where you check in and out). There is someone on reception in Piccola just from 9 to 1. Having said that all staff in both hotels could not have been nicer. Room itself was fine but nothing special. No views but great location, just a short walk from accademia bridge (best views in Venice and far better than Rialto bridge. Overall the property was good, but not great. Dated room
• Martin (8/5): Very good -
• Nicolas (7/5): Good - I no sleep for three days!!!
• Taehyun (8/5): Very good -
• Dr. (10/5): Exceptional - Great location. Very calm place. Big and comfortable room. The room is very big. Beautiful furniture. Great staff.
• Razvan (7/5): Good - location is perfect furniture is old
• Fiona (10/5): Great place to stay - Great location, clean and very comfortable, really good size.
• 954JohnK (8/5): Very good - The Apartement was good giving own independence to plan trip at ease. Locat max 10mins walk from St. Marks Square and many of the great attractions. Also easy access from the watervbus to/from Marco Polo Airport, a different experience in itself. Waterbus weekly ticket worth it as gave on & off access as well as access to Murano & Burano.
• John (7/5): Good -
• Oleksandr (10/5): I seldom write reviews, but our experience here was so positive that I feel compelled to share it. - I seldom write reviews, but our experience here was so positive that I feel compelled to share it. The location was ideal, situated in the heart of Venice, close to everything within walking distance yet in a quiet area, allowing for a noise-free evening and restful sleep. The apartment was charming, decorated in a vintage Venetian style with two bedrooms, a small kitchenette, and a walk-in wardrobe (really!). The hotel was perfectly located—central yet quiet. Room service and cleanliness were commendable, and the staff was friendly and helpful. Overall, we had a fantastic experience. We loved the place and would definitely consider returning. Remember, this place is centuries old, so don’t expect modern facilities. If you prefer that, consider other places instead (Dubai or whatever:) I don't understand why some people complain about this when they choose to visit Venice. :)
• Natalie (8/5): Very good - Location Room a good size and comfortable Quiet at night Staff helpful Nothing
• Paola (8/5): excellent value for money, considering the size of the apartment and the location! - Super close to Theatre la Fenice, which is wonderful, it deserves a visit! and super-close to the boat-staton "Sant'Angelo which is served by main Venetian bus boats and also by the airport transfer Alilaguna. It could be a bit more clean (mostly dust) + a Topper on the double bed would make it certainly more comfortable.
• Maksim (10/5): Exceptional - Amazing location in the heart of Venice, spacious room with very high ceilings. Loved it.
• Laura (9/5): Superb -
• Aristotelis (8/5): Very good -
• White (5/5): Passable -
• Manus (10/5): We felt like living at home, not hotel room. - It's located near St Mark's Square but situated in a small alley where locals live. It's short walking distance to many places. The room is very clean especially the hardwood floor. We just walked bare foot in the room. Nothing.
• Neil (8/5): Very good -
• Estes (10/5): Exceptional -
• Liwen (8/5): Impressive apartment - Very traditional Venice apartment with lift. Clean and warm family space. Big enough for three or four people. Stairs in the room. Not good to carry many big luggages.
• Jason (8/5): Wonderful, great view and whatnot - There were 2 bedrooms one with double bed and the other with 2 single beds nightstands for everyone. There was a private patio with the apartment Theres an elevator all the way to the second floor However once inside the apartment there are additional stairs. There was air conditioner in the room but i had nonidea how to turn it on and woth the wind in venice we didnt really need it anywah so i didnt bother asking Wanted to wash the dishes but there was no soap 😅 But otherwise nothing bad to say
• Carlos (4/5): Too much money for the service given. - Location The check in the afternoon, the facility was closed so you need to walk to another fenice hotel to do the check in. Also, all the bath soap were broken. Very disappointed.
• Magathan (8/5): Very good -
• Gary (8/5): Very pleased and enjoyable - Location comfy beds lovely and quite comfy beds very nice stay All good
• Riya (7/5): Good - Location, helpful staff. Old building, had mosquitoes, little distant from main hotel. We booked a canal view but didn't get a room with the view.
• Catherine (9/5): great location, has everything you need to make Venice enjoyable - close to water taxi and very close by the piazza San Marco, also Rialto Bridge! plenty of towels provided too! coffee machine was a great thing to have too nothing really!
• Tejas (6/5): Pleasant -
• Amini (8/5): Great location - Great location, clean property No staff on-site in the afternoon.
• Devon (10/5): Perfect for our stay in Venice! - Location was amazing. It felt like we were staying at a favorite aunt's apartment. The receptionist was very helpful with finding me an iron for my Carnival costume and explaining luggage storage. Comfortable, well lived in, clean- we greatly enjoyed staying here! The bed was a bit hard, but we were so tired from touring all day that I still slept like a rock. Pillows were perfect and sheets smelled super fresh that it also made up for the bed being less cushy.
• Bledar (10/5): Exceptional -
• Roger (8/5): Very good -
• Abby (9/5): Superb -
• Jasmin (9/5): Superb -
• Marco (7/5): Good -
• Jennifer (9/5): Superb -
• Rikke (8/5): Very good -
• Robert (10/5): Wonderful appartment in deadpan centre Venice. Larger than the pictures suggest. - Host was wonderful, she picked us up from a campo when we couldn't find the exact spot. Which happens in Venice.
• klorofill (10/5): Correct silent place in center - Equal distance from St Angello water station, Academia, Rialto and St Mark place. Very silent place no retaurant and other near, that make night nose. Wifi and net work well! Small kitchen small refridgerator two coffe maker and water kettle. The hetating work well!
• 817virginijam (10/5): greatl location, clean, comfortable and safe. - we were incredibly close to any number of major places to visit - San Marco, Realto, Academy Galeries to name a few. The place felt safe for female travelers - a few steps from a large square with multiple restaurants and round a corner from a very busy shopping street. Lots of inexpensive and higher-end eating and shopping options. Very close to a public transportation stop. Tons of places to chill and to enjoy. The hotel was very small, did not offer breakfast, but it was very convenient and clean; extra beds and blankets available for more guests to join, and a kitchenette for those who wanted to eat at home.
• hollyl274 (10/5): A little quite gem in the heart of Venice - We have been returning to Piccola Fenice’s suites for four years every Easter and it’s such a special place. The suites are part of an old palazzo on a quiet side street off S Angelo square in the heart of Venice. Wooden floors, high ceilings, Murano glass lamps... Just beautiful. The cleaner comes every day, everything is immaculate. There’s a super basic kitchenette to heat stuff up and have some basic meals, but I doubt many people would go to Venice to cook... The vaporetto is 2 minutes away and you can walk to San Marco’s square in less than 15 minutes.
• schristog (10/5): Excellent - Everything was perfect. Service, Cleanliness, Value, Location and Room.Suggestions:Biennale, Guggenheim Museum, Danieli, Florian, Theatre La Fenice, Cannareggio, Burano, Saint George Church, Via Garibaldi.
• subodhd2019 (8/5): Good family stay - Very nice, tidy and spacious rooms. Good in-room facilities including microwave oven. Receptionist Rosa was very pleasant and hospitable. All excellent but 4 star because the lift was out of order and we had to walk 3 floors up (quite tiresome after all day visit) was just unfortunate. Rest all excellent, highly recommend.
• jiwei (8/5): Over my expectation - The room has a pentry that is well equipped: electric water boiler, espresso machine, microwave oven, a small refrigerator where you can store milk, dish sink, tee cups, glasses, dishes, knife and forks. There is a supermarket named Punto Simply nearby open to 8 pm. There is also a small store, closed very late, just a minute of walk from the hotel, where you can buy wine, mineral water and some simple food, with higher price of course. We got a big room, clean and quiet. The receptionist was quite warm. A fly in the ointment was that the reception was closed at night and on Sunday. So we had to check out at another hotel, which is 2 minutes of walk away. WIFI was slow.
• Storyteller395198 (10/5): Great location! - A bit hard to find (exact location is Calle de Madonna) just 5 minutes walk from vaporetto stop San Angelo. Our room was nice and clean, bedroom, small living area with a kitchenette and a bathroom. You get a key for the front door so it feels like having your own apartment in Venice.
• SuNWLondon (8/5): Fantastic little gem! - We were lucky to book this hotel a week from departure (3 August) as we lost our first booking with another hotel at the very last minute due to the co.going bankrupt. Travelling with 2 kids we booked a quad room and was given a room on the first floor. We were pleasantly surprised with the size of the room and it's lovely high wooden beam ceiling. The decor is not to everyone's taste, but the cleanliness of the room with extra lighting in the bathroom, good shower with hot water, good working air conditioning, a safe, free wifi and comfy beds make up for it not to mention it's kitchenette and fridge. Read manual for location of control switch incase of power cut in the room, this occurred once when we used our not so good adaptor to charge our iPad. The staff were all very nice and the email direction given to us from how to get to the hotel from the airport was so very useful as we would not of found it with google map esp as we arrive at midnight. It's location is superb, 5mins from S.Angelo vaporetto stop ( vaporetto approx €7 pp each trip)45mins from airport on the Alilaguna( cheaper if book in advance approx €15pp). It's also a short walk to S.Marco sq. & Rialto bridge. There are always some restaurants around the corner which ever path you take but be aware of some restaurants charging a cover charge which varies around €1-€3 pp on top of your bill. As mentioned in other reviews, it's not always manned so late check in/out is done at Hotel Fenice des artiste. This is a lovely hotel in a perfect location and we would definitely book again.
• Camila0506 (8/5): Comfortable suite, very nice staff, Fabulous location - The location was great in an old building near Piazza San Angelo. There were restaurants and stores within close walking distance and even a grocery store nearly. Small but well equipped kitchen. All of the staff was super nice. The only bad thing was the toilet broke and we had to take the cover off the wall to get it to work and it was tricky to get it to flush. They did not fix it for the 3 days we were there.
• Chook_1977 (6/5): Good location and apartment but ...... - Be aware that the reception for this hotel is rarely manned and you are required to use the reception of one of their other hotels. This other hotel reception is manned by one of the most arrogant and rude individuals I have come across over many years of travel. He acted like it was a huge inconvenience to book a water taxi for us and gave us the wrong pick up location twice. Additionally, he would not accept a 50 Euro note to pay a 14 Euro bill. Here's an idea - if you know people are checking out and need to pay hotel tax get some change! On arrival we were dropped off at the wrong jetty which was a nightmare but when we eventually arrived at the apartment and carried our suitcases up to the 4th floor (for some reason the porter didn't even show us the lift!). The apartment itself was fine and was well serviced. It is in easy walking distance to St Marks Square and the Rialto Bridge and unless you are in to museums there is not much else to do in Venice anyway. Trying to navigate throughout Venice without clearly signposted street names and in-accurate maps makes it a challenge to find anything, including the hotel.
• ilovetravel2106 (6/5): Average hotel - Stayed 2 nights in the hotel in end May 16. We arrived at the hotel at 11pm via a private boat (took about 50 mins from airport), hotel was very difficult to find and had to ask for directions. We checked in at Hotel La Fenice to collect the room keys. The hotel was dated, the room furnishing and bedding (as per the pictures) was old though the toilet is clean. We have 3 adults staying in the room, which was comfortable size for us. There is no air conditioning as it was spring, and opening the windows invited many mosquitoes into the room. The wifi was unstable and most of the time, we were unable to connect. The phone was not functioning so we gave up trying to contact the main office.
• LoisP572 (10/5): Small gem near San Marco! - We stayed at the Hotel Piccola Fenice for seven nights during our recent visit to Venice. The location is fabulous and the rooms are suites with a small living room and a compact well-supplied kitchens with microwave. (It was great for preparing a coffee or simple meals - rather than eating every meal out. And there is a wonderful supermarket nearby.) The women who work at the reception desk are extraordinarily helpful. Both Rosa and Marina were extremely welcoming and helpful with directions and recommendations. (They are only there during the day. Staying at the Piccola Fenice feels like you are living in an apartment in Venice since you are on your own at night.) This is an off-shoot of the beautiful Fenice Hotel and it worked out very well for us. The rooms are cleaned every day.
• DHaddleton (8/5): Large room - Excellent Location - Found it relatively easily from San Angelo Vaporetto stop. Superb location - couldn't be closer to La Fenice and within easy walking distance of St. Mark's Square, the Rialto Bridge and the wooden Accademia Bridge, accessing the lovely Dorsoduro area of the City. Building very Italian and a little olde worlde (not for lovers of ultra modern hotels). Room was very large with nice sitting/kitchen area. Large walk in closet and spacious spotless bathroom. English speaking staff who were very friendly! Would stay again!
• KennyL78 (6/5): Excellent Location - Let me premise this review by suggesting to all travelers to Venice to pack lightly as possible as there are bridges to climb with heavy bags otherwise. Couple that fact with a hotel extremely difficult to locate, you may be sentencing yourself to a two hour ordeal/search like we had. Be sure to get off at the Angelo water bus stop which is just a five minute walk (once acclimated) to the hotel. Also, by early afternoon check-in must be made at the Hotel La Fenice Des Artists which is a short walk around the corner. (Although we were not told at booking or check-in, guests at the Piccola Fenice are entitled to a lovely complimentary breakfast at the La Fenice.) If you survive the search for the hotel, and can ignore your first impression when you walk down the alley to the hotel, you will be pleasantly surprised to find a very clean, nice room situated about a 10 minute walk to St. Marks Square. We also found our room to be very quiet at night.
• andywC7563VQ (8/5): Hotel Piccola Fenice - We arrived at the hotel mid morning we did have to ask directions as it was on a very small street the room itself was in fact a suite and a lot larger than we imagined which was pleasantly surprising. the room was very clean and had towels, soap, shampoo and a TV. The staff were very friendly and location could not have been better 5mins from Piazza St Marco. Overall a very good hotel worth the money. Please also be aware of the city tax when you check out for 2 people it was 14 euro this is dependant on the starage of the hotel and the time of year you go (High season more expensive)
• Niiskutin (8/5): Good location - Piccola Fenice has a quiet location on a narrow alley and is a bit tricky to find. Still, there are shops and restaurants nearby and the San Marco square is only a few minutes' walk away. We were happy with the room, but the extra bed we had was uncomfortable.
• artygrl (8/5): Very satisfied with Piccola Fenice - Even though this hotel is not as fancy as its big brother, La Fenice des Artists, we were very happy with it. It was indeed on a small street, but was quiet, clean, and the room was more than adequate for a couple. We thought it was quite large, and it also had a small refrigerator, a microwave, dishware, etc. It's not a "luxury" property, but for the price it was a great deal, close to San Marco, and the desk people were very nice, and helpful.
• johnpD418AO (6/5): Reaching above its station - Piccola Fenice portrays itself as an annex to the elegant and expensive Hotel La Fenice. However, although guests may use La Fenice for breakfast (excellent and at a reasonable price) the two buildings are not connected and the service levels differ considerably. La Fenice is on a pleasant piazza but Piccolo Fenice is tucked away in a narrow dark alley a hundred yards away through a foul-smelling tunnel. The facade of the building had been recently rendered but the rear showed the same crumbling walls you see all over this city. We had a suite which may have been large by Venice standards but was about 500 sq ft. Contrary to what we had been led to believe over the phone there was absolutely no Internet service. The receptionist only worked weekday mornings which meant on arrival we had to go to La Fenice to check in. On arrival we noticed a strong mildew smell in the bathroom but had to wait until the following day to get something done. To be fair, the shower curtains were then promptly changed and the problem went away. By Venice standards the room rate was reasonable for the space, particularly since the hotel is very centrally situated in Piazza San Angelo in the San Marco district. If we had known Venice better we would have gone for one of the outer districts and taken the vaporetto public water bus for getting around, because the streets and piazzas seem more spacious once you get away from San Marco.

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