Residenza Veneziana, Venice: my B&B/hotel review

Last month I stayed for one night at the Residenza Veneziana in Venice, a small not-quite-hotel with elegant B&B rooms near St Mark’s. I paid €98 for a double room in February just before the Carnival; one of the cheapest times to visit Venice. Prices will vary through the year; when I searched I found the very competitive room rate using the links on this page. I’d say the Residenza Veneziana was very good value and cheaper than most places to stay in Venice. Note that Venice’s city tax will be added for the first five nights of a stay.

Residenza Veneziana – check availability and book (my afffiliate booking link)

Residenza Veneziana: arrival

I’d spent a week in a cheap flat across Venice, and arrived in the late morning, having confirmed I could turn up and leave my suitcase. My room was already prepared. I’d booked a double room for two, and when I arrived alone, the friendly cleaner rushed to remove some romantic paraphernalia including red balloons; I was staying the night before Valentine’s Day.

My welcome was very friendly. Both the receptionist and cleaner were chatty and helpful, with ideas and suggestions. I know Venice too well to require sightseeing advice, but a list of suggested local restaurants, which the receptionist provided, is always a useful thing to have.

The Residenza Veneziana is situated near St Mark’s in the Castello district, on an attractive canal. The accommodation is up a flight of stairs on the first floor (no lift). My suitcase was carried up and down for me. Once through the front door on the first floor, the B&B consists of a small reception area (with a toilet, which was handy when I collected my luggage on departure) and a short corridor with the bedrooms opening off it. It’s a small place with a private and intimate feel. I found it very quiet, though I imagine that partly depends on other guests.

My bedroom at the Residenza Veneziana

I had chosen to treat myself to something a bit special for this last night in Venice, albeit at a very reasonable cost. And I wasn’t disappointed. Just like the promotional photos, my elegant bedroom was in lavish and traditional Venetian style. And while the Valentine’s balloons may have vanished, I was delighted to find a complimentary bottle of Prosecco and bag of Cipster (my favourite Italian crisps). There’s nothing like a little treat to make a stay feel special.

My room is lovely, decorated in pale yellow and cream in full-on Venetian style. Luxurious touches include gilding, a chandelier, drapes above the bed, a carpet, and silk covered walls.

International guests are made welcome with a kettle, tea and even milk packets (not the norm in Italy), as well as an iron with a mini ironing board, and a safe. There are sweets on the desk and mini-bar items with a price list in the fridge.

I didn’t have a good view, but hadn’t expected one, since the rooms are advertised with descriptions and priced according to their features – canal-view rooms at the Residenza Veneziana look fantastic, but were significantly more expensive. My three windows provide plenty of light and look out onto a flat rooftop and large buildings beyond.

The bedroom is equipped with an air-conditioning unit for hot and cold. There’s a table with two chairs by the windows, with a plate and cutlery which might have been useful if I’d wanted to eat in the room, and a little desk/vanity unit with a stool under the TV. I find a suitcase stand and coat hooks around a corner by my en-suite bathroom. 

My bathroom is a good size with an excellent shower and complimentary toiletries, including slippers. All the features of bathroom and bedroom, including wi-fi, are efficient and work well.

The room was very quiet at night, with no sound from outside. There aren’t many rooms in the property, which reduces the chance of noisy fellow guests.

Breakfast and check out

As the Residenza Veneziana doesn’t have public spaces like a hotel, breakfast is delivered to guests’ rooms. You arrange a time and any food preferences the day before. I booked my breakfast for 8am, explaining I was vegetarian and choosing my hot drink.

My breakfast was delivered punctually by the friendly local woman who does the cleaning: a choice of yoghurts, two croissants, two rolls with jams and honey etc., a choice of teas, that popular Italian orange ‘juice’ drink (to which I added a tiny bit of my Prosecco, having saved it specially), cheese, olives and fresh fruit. There’d have been salami or other cold meats if I weren’t vegetarian. I quite liked this breakfast arrangement, as it didn’t disrupt my morning work and packing as much as heading to a breakfast room would have done. I did feel under pressure to eat more than I would have at a buffet, but that’s entirely on me. 

When I checked out I left my case and collected it when the receptionist was still there, about 12.30. We had some chats about Venice, the Italian language and my experiences in Italy in general. It’s not always the case that hotel staff or owners are lifelong island Venetians as the receptionist here was, and this is a bonus for getting the best tips and insider advice.

Location in detail

The location is on a canalside called Fondamenta de l’Osmarin, near the beginning of the walk Castello Contrasts in my Venice guidebook. This spot lies right on the invisible boundary where the crowded area around St Mark’s, thronged in summer, gives way to the quieter canalsides of the picturesque but lower-key Castello district. I took advantage of this to visit the quiet tourist-free church of San Martino to the east near the Arsenale and then to go and queue at St Mark’s Basilica, around five minutes away in the other direction. If you are a fan of Donna Leon’s Brunetti mysteries, you’ll be pleased to know you’re very close to the detective’s police station and favourite bar. It’s also a handy spot if you want to nip out before breakfast to take dawn photographs at St Mark’s.

The nearest ferry stop to the Residenza Veneziana is San Zaccaria, although be aware that there are several different jetties which serve the many different vaporetto services which stop here, spread along the shore. The jetties are identified by letters; and there’s a ticket office at the largest.

The easiest way to travel to and from the airport is by the Alilaguna ferry service.The Alilaguna Blu line is a long but scenic boat ride via Murano and the Lido and stops at San Zaccaria. An alternative is to take an airport bus to Piazzale Roma (20-30 minutes) and then a waterbus onwards to San Zaccaria (20-40 minutes away depending on which service you catch).

The walk between the ferry stops at San Zaccaria and the hotel takes only about five minutes (directions below) and you don’t even need to cross any bridges.

The good boat connections from San Zaccaria make the Residenza Veneziana a good base for exploring the Lido or visiting the beach, along with shorter trips to other islands south of Venice, including the Giudecca (I headed there from the Residenza Veneziana to eat lunch in the picturesque monastery gardens of the Redentore church), San Servolo (a ‘lunatic asylum’ museum, green spaces and an excellent restaurant), and San Giorgio Maggiore (views over Venice from its bell tower).

Directions between San Zaccaria and the Residenza Veneziana

From Riva degli Schiavoni, the waterfront by the ferry jetties, head through Sotoportego San Zaccaria, a covered passageway next to the Hotel Savoia & Jolanda. A yellow sign above the entrance points to the Chiesa San Zaccaria. You’ll come out in the square in front of the church of San Zaccaria. Head for the far left-hand corner and turn left, walk through an archway and then take the next right along the narrow Campo San Provolo. Continue along the lane at the end, and you’ll come out onto the canalside Riva de l’Osmarin. The Residenza Veneziana is a few doors along on your right.

In conclusion

I was extremely pleased with my choice and I’d recommend the Residenza Veneziana very highly. I’ve stayed at a LOT of hotels and B&Bs in Venice. There’s a big choice of high-standard accommodation as well as an unsurprising number of places to avoid. I’d rate this among the top Venice places I’ve stayed in, especially given the price, which was cheap for the standards on offer. If there had been two of us sharing the room, the price per person, at less than €50 for bed and breakfast, would have been remarkable value for Venice.

If you are happy to stay without full hotel services, and don’t mind a flight of stairs to the accommodation, this B&B is a very comfortable and polished place to stay. Although not present 24 hours a day, the receptionist would be a great source of advice, information and assistance, and someone always seemed to be available by phone, WhatsApp or the doorbell communication system.

The location makes it ideal for first-time visitors to Venice who want to tour the principal big-name sights: St Mark’s Square and Basilica, the Ducal Palace. Although it’s on the edge of the busiest touristy area (expect crowded lanes and canalsides in summer) it’s also good for exploring into the quieter end of the Castello district, and handy for catching the vaporetto towards other parts of the city and the seaside.

The owners have made every effort to provide visitors with their dream stay in Venice, from the elegant rooms to the practical details and friendly staff. For a first taste of the city, and a romantic stay (perhaps a honeymoon?) without breaking the bank, this is a pretty perfect option.

The B&B only has a few rooms so I’d recommend checking availability and booking well ahead of a trip to Venice. There are different room types; mine was the cheapest double room category; other categories include a triple room with canal views.

Residenza Veneziana – check availability and prices through my booking link. Any bookings made through the affiliate link will help support this website. I paid in full for my stay at the accommodation, and didn’t tell anyone I was planning a review.