Good location – only 20 minutes walking to SanMarco square. We were staying with a 8-month baby: baby-bed were already waiting us when we stepped in. Some small things can be improved: shampoo was given only once, so I had to ask desk manager to give me more, on the next day I had bought bottle of my own.

We (my mom and I) stayed at San Sebastiano this past October. I had been to Venice before but my mom had not. I wanted to experience the authentic side of venice while still being close to all of the top sights. This hotel was perfect. The staff were very helpful and sweet. Breakfast was wonderful and we even had a few meals in the garden which was just lovely. The neighborhood is filled with wonderful restaurants , great little shops, a market, water bus stop, churches, etc. Highly recommend.

We were really pleased with the San Sebastiano Garden. We had a room overlooking the lovely little garden - it was away from the canal so the only noise we could hear was the bell chiming from the nearby church. It was very peaceful, we slept with the window open each night, the beds were really comfortable so we felt really rested each morning. The bedroom was large by Venetian standards, with an even larger bathroom, spotlessly clean too. The breakfast was excellent: decent coffee, juice, selection of breads, pastries, eggs and freshly sliced meats. The hotel was also a perfect base, quiet but not off the beaten track, and a short walk to good restaurants, galleries, churches and the many little shops in the Dorsoduro area. The hotel is also very accessible from the airport - if you arrive by vaporetto or boat there are no bridges to cross which is a real bonus if you have luggage! There is a vaporetto stop, San Basilio, no more than 5 minutes away from the hotel and we were able to pre-book a shared water transfer (max 8 people) from the airport with Aliguna which dropped us off at San Basilio. To get to Piazzale Roma and the airport bus/taxi you can either get vaporetto lines 2 or 6 from San Basilio which drop you right at the Piazzale (no steps if you get line 6!). San Sebastiano is a really good bet for a simple, clean, quiet and well located place to stay in Venice.

Our trip was to celebrate my birthday and our anniversary and we stayed for 5 nights at the beginning of November. We'd asked for a room overlooking the canal - room 21 on the first floor - nicely furnished, if a little small. The bed was rather hard for our taste so our sleep quality wasn't great, but that might have suited others so not really a criticism. The only criticism on the room was that they advertise satellite TV with international channels but the only English channel was CNN. We had hoped to watch the odd late film but that wasn't possible. Breakfast was fine - typical continental - and the staff very friendly and attentive. We had a quick look at the garden on our first morning. It did look a bit neglected but could imagine it being lovely in the summer and a real bonus in Venice. The main reasons I think the Hotel should only be 3 star is that it has only a very small lounge/bar area in the reception area so very limited space to relax in if you don't want to be confined to your room after a long day sightseeing (though of course in the summer there is the garden), and there is no restaurant, just a breakfast room, so facilities are limited. This is a great time of year to visit Venice. We were really lucky with the weather, bright sunny days and not too crowded. We walked miles through all 6 'sestieri', booked the 'Venice in a Day' tour - 4 parts, but actually spread them over 2 days - gondola ride, motor launch trip along the Grand Canal with lovely American guide who explained Venice's fascinating history and architecture, and guided tours of both the Bascilica and the Doges Palace. We took the Vaporetti over to San Giorgio - amazing church and best view of Venice from the top of the bell tower. We went to a Vivaldi Concert in San Vidal, the Accademie, the Museo Correr in Piazza San Marco. We found a restaurant quite close to the hotel that had such a fantastic menu that we went back 2 more times (their seafood was incredible, especially paella that was well worth the half hour wait while it was cooked fresh - and the 30 Euros each for the dish!!). We had a ball! I would certainly recommend the San Sebastiano Garden Hotel to friends - as others have said, it was nice to come back to in the evening. One tip worth mentioning. To get to the Hotel on arrival we took the Alilaguna boat (turn left immediately out of the airport and walk 10 minutes along canopied path to the ferry - buy your ticket in the airport before coming out - 15 Euros), but it took over an hour and was dark by the time we got there, taking the magic out of arriving in Venice from the sea. The day we were leaving we simply walked the 10 minutes or so to Piazza Roma and took the bus - only 5 Euros - back to the airport. That way meant crossing about 5 bridges so only really suitable if you've smallish suitcases on wheels. All in all, a great trip. Expensive, but worth it because there simply is nowhere else in the world like it.