I stayed here the week before Easter with my family. We chose the hotel because it was inexpensive, had a car park and was within easy reach of Venice. We were not disappointed. Our room was clean and comfortable, with a small, modern bathroom with shower. We had three beds and a cot in the room and it was a bit cramped, but it would be a decent size for a double room. Anyway, if you're visiting Venice you aren't going to spend much time at the hotel! A word of warning about the car park though - it is too small for the size of the hotel, and you may have to park on the street overnight and move into the car park when guests leave the following day.

The breakfast was pretty standard - fruit juice, tea, coffee, croissants, bread rolls, ham, cheese, salami, cereal, eggs, biscuits - and sufficient, with enough choice for fussy eaters. The reception staff deserve a special mention - the four we met were all very helpful and friendly, and very knowledgeable about Mestre, Venice, and the surrounding area. They can book tours, visits and they also sell the tickets that you will need to travel around Venice. Adriano in particular helped to make our holiday run smoothly. All of the day reception staff speak good English.

The hotel is a five minute walk from the bus stop where buses run every 10 minutes to Venice. The bus journey takes about 15 minutes and the bus station is right by a boat stop on the Grand Canal where you can catch the water buses that run around Venice. The ticket system in Venice has recently been simplified, and now you can get a ticket which allows you to travel on the buses, the water buses, and the boats to Murano, and is available as a 24, 48 or 72 hour ticket. You can get these at the hotel at the regular price. Children from age 6 also need a ticket too, and there is no discount :-(

The hotel is a 10 minute walk from a shopping mall in Mestre, and there is a supermarket (Pam) in the basement of the mall. Just past the mall you reach a pleasant piazza, which is reasonably lively with shops and restaurants. If you don't fancy staying out in Venice all day, or paying Venice prices, then there are plenty of restaurants in Mestre which are much better value.

It isn't a luxury hotel at all - if you're looking for something special or romantic then stay in a smart hotel in Venice itself - but the San Carlo is a good option for visitors who want a clean, comfortable place to stay when visiting Venice on a budget. In particular, if you are arriving by car consider staying in Mestre - the car park in Venice is VERY expensive and you still have to get yourself and your luggage across Venice.