Venice is open for business, people! Don't believe the doom and gloom news the media loves to put…read moreout! We just spent 4 glorious days in Venice on a family vacation. While we were hesitant to visit initially based on media reports of extensive flooding, repeated reassurances by the hotel staff persuaded us to go ahead with our visit. So glad we did!!
The hotel's location is fantastic, as with almost all buildings in the city, the hotel is located alongside a busy canal in the Cannaregio district - very central to all points of interest and boat taxi stations. The hotel itself is clean and welcoming, although infrastructure struggles to keep up with demand at times. The highlight of our stay was the staff - Fabio, Diego, Sorina and others were simply fantastic!! Very friendly and solicitous/helpful...they made our stay all the more memorable!!
Weather was superb, cold but clear and sunny, the city was very clean given the 30-million visitors it receives annually (54,000 Venetians constantly bombarded by hordes of tourists). December is a fantastic time to visit as crowds are thinner (heard that summers can be unbearable due to heat and overcrowding) and all sights are readily accessible. No sign of flooding anywhere!!
The hotel rooms were comfortable and clean, complimentary bottled water was a huge bonus. Breakfast was adequate (Continental) but not overly impressive - coffees/hot chocolate/juices etc on demand were most welcome.
All in all...had a superb time walking the miles of beautiful alleyways, visiting the islands of Murano and Burano (the latter a fantastically colorful fishermen's village) and ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the glorious sights the city and environs have to offer.
So, ignore the news media...do visit and help the hotel staff earn a living (negative media coverage resulted in mass cancellations, jeopardizing local livelihoods) ...in turn, they will take excellent care of you!
Thank you, lovely staff of Ca Gottardi!!
