We had a lovely stay at Hotel al sole. Our room was basic, simple but very clean. The Hotel is located in a traditional Venician building and it's full of character. The location is perfect - near Piazzale Roma and waterbus links, plus close to many delicious osterias and patisserie. The staff was very kind and helpfull. Good value for money. Only minor let down was breakfast, that although good, could be better considering all the delicious sweet and savoury options Venice's coffee shops have to offer.

Myself and my family, party of 6 of varying ages, stayed in this hotel in December 2011. We had superior canal rooms. The rooms were not huge but adequate and although a little noisey on the first floor I would deffinate recommend canal views as you see local life going by.
Reception and breakfast room very nice given the age of the building and looks exactly like the photographs on the website. Breakfast nice but have had better.
Great location walking distance to main arrival square bus and train station and to the local water taxis.
Great staff, we would visit again.

We stayed here on the final leg of our Italy honeymoon. On arrival the location is very good being close to the station and also in an idyllic spot. The reception was nice however we were disappointed with our room. It was a large room but very dated and in need of repair. We know that most hotels in Venice are dated but this one felt unhealthy and smelt unpleasant. When we spoke to reception they explained that this was normal for Venice however we did not feel comfortable in room so they eventually moved us and what a difference. The room we were moved to was smaller and still dated inside but was so much cleaner and fresher. No paint coming off the walls and no damp smell!. We felt much more comfortable in this room. We enjoyed our stay here and were comfortable although compared to the other hotels we stayed in during our trip this was by far not the best but maybe thats the norm in Venice. We also felt their wasn't much of a choice at breakfast but there are so many cafes close by that we preferred eating out in the morning. Again, great location though doubt if I would stay again

I booked this hotel, because it was close to the station, easy to find - and looked nice. I paid 200 euros per night for a superior room for 31st December 2011 and 1st Jan 2012. The reception area looks lovely - just like the pictures on the website. My bedroom though, was very dark, plain beige emulsioned walls (20 years ago), with a depressing print on the wall, as the only decoration and heavy brocade curtains. It was large enough, but felt like a prison cell it was so depressing. The tiny bathroom was very dated - probabaly late 60s mottled green and white ceramic tiles. The shower was wide but not very deep. The shower mechanism was in the middle of the shower. It had a handle that pulled outwards for temperature and flow. As you turned to wash, you either pushed it off, or towards the hot or cold - giving you quite a shock. The shower head was on a bar, which kept slipping down to chest height. To have a shower,you had to huddle into a corner, but the flow and temperature once adjusted and not knocked was fine.

I went down to reception before unpacking, to ask if I could have a nicer room - I was paying 200 euros a night ! I was told very firmly that this was a 500 year old Palazzo, not an American hotel, I was in a Superior room, there was nothing better. They obviously thought the hotel was perfect and I was just a miserable complainer that knew no better ! There was nothing inside the building 500 years old, and my room was definitely no older - nor newer - than the 1980s !

I was in Venice - where you do not expect good value anyway. Breakfast ! The worst I have had in any hotel in Italy. This is the first hotel, where I have not been greeted to breakfast, nor offered a coffee or Cappucino. There was an 'office' style machine, to help yourself. The coffee was not what you expect in Italy. Catering brown stuff, is the only way I can describe it. It was undrinkable. I tried the hot chocolate, but that was as bad. There were Cona carafes, but they had 'brown stuff' in as well. No selection of local breads, only some small white, soft, flavourless catering rolls. There were croissants, both filled and unfilled and some bruised and rough looking fruit. Meats ? Nothing local and certainly not from a charcuterie. A small amount of pink salami and soft ham. Nothing local, nothing superior - all supermarket produce. I left hungry and very unimpressed. I have stayed in much cheaper hotels, who have made the effort to offer a wonderful breakfast. Here, they just could not be bothered and it shows.

Venice itself ? I have been going to Venice for the past 40 years. It used to be a living city. It's faded grandeur - it's charm. It was always a mecca for tourists, but maintained a nice balance. That is no longer the case. It has been cleaned up and is now 100% tourism. There are no ordinary shops. Only glitzy mardi gras masks, or cheap Swarovski crystal jewellery / paintings from the Far East that you can buy on Ebay, for a few pounds. There are some Murano / expensive china shops, but they only contain tourist souveniers. Nearer the Piazza San Marco, you have the Bond Street stores. The Doges palace and San Marks is always worth a visit, but I won't be going back. They have cleaned up the buildings and instead of painting them traditionally, with a stucco washed effect, they are now painted with modern exterior paints, so they are clean, bland and glaring - just like anywhere else. Food and drink is good and not much more expensive than the rest of Italy. Venice though - such a shame.