Al Piave is a small and charming Venetian-style hotel in the less touristy district of Castello. My husband and I enjoyed six happy days here. Although it’s the most expensive hotel we’ve ever stayed in, it is fairly priced in a city of exorbitant prices. Our room, a standard double, was spacious enough for us, comfortable, well decorated, and most importantly, immaculate! I loved the wood and stone floors—there were no stale old carpets in this hotel! There was a heater that we could control ourselves and it was also nice when the radiator and the towel heating rack were on. The weather was chilly during our stay and so we did not have the windows open much; the view was of rooftops. We had everything we needed and the kind owners and clerks helped us in many ways—from sharing interesting little stories about life in Venice to finding train schedules for us and printing them. The owner even gave my husband a good map to help us find our way through the labyrinthine passageways. The hotel held our bags for us on our last day so that we could enjoy more of Venice before our late afternoon departure, and they were forgiving when we discovered we’d accidentally run off with the key after checking out that morning!
I was glad to have the breakfast. It looked impressive on our first morning, but did remain exactly the same all week and could use a little sprucing up: cereal, yogurt, rolls, apricot croissants, fatty deli meat slices and cheese, canned fruit. The scrambled eggs were disappointing because they were flavorless, watery, and weirdly textured—not like fresh eggs--I wondered if they could possibly have been frozen or reheated from the day before. We did see the same cake for the better part of a week. There was also juice, tea, and (instant?) coffee.
It is true that when you arrive, hauling your suitcases behind you over the cobblestones and up and down the steps to the several bridges—save your back, pack lightly--you may find it a little difficult to locate the hotel, but trust me, all of Venice is like this! If you get lost, just head for the main square of Santa Maria Formosa, face the bank and take the bridge to the right of it—yes, that narrow passage is Ruga Giuffa! Finding it becomes easy after the first day.
Although I think the breakfast needs a little improving, everything else was primo and you won’t find friendlier hotel staff anywhere else in Venice!
