Of the three hotels in which I stayed in Italy, the
Ai Mori d’Oriente (four stars) was the most luxurious, most friendly, and my favorite.
The location of the hotel is as good as you could get in Venice. Located near the northern edge of the island, it’s about a 5-10 minute walk from the Madonna Dell’Orto vaperetto stop, about a 5-10 minute walk to the Grand Canal, and it was about a 15-minute walk to the train station. As far as proximity to the "tourist" attractions, it’s a good distance walk (30 minutes) to St. Mark’s Square, 25 minutes to the Accadamia Bridge and 15 minutes to the Rialto Bridge. However, once you get to the Grand Canal, you can vaperetto your way anywhere down the Canal, and, one of the best ways to see Venice is to get your feet moving down those confusing cobblestone streets.
The room was small, but very regal. It’s themed around the oriental silk trade – so everything looks Asian-inspired, but with the Venetian flair. The two twin beds had been put together to make one large bed, so we pulled them apart, but there was still ample room to move about. The bathroom was almost as big as the room itself, with a shower, a bathtub, a large sink and vanity, the toilet and a bidet.
The thing I found the most odd is how you get to your room. First, check in at the front desk, then walk back outside, around to an alley, down the alley a piece, buzz the front desk to let you through the wooden door – open another door and walk into a stone room, go up the stairs, unlock the hallway door, and then you’ll find yourself (finally) at your room. It took about three tries before we were comfortable with finding our way, and we didn’t get lost. Part of the charm, I guess.
The staff was most helpful. Our luggage had managed to stay in the States while we had gone on to Italy. Marco, one of the front-desk staff, took all our information and called multiple times while we were out taking in the city. On the second day, just as we were preparing to leave the next morning for Florence, he gleefully informed us that our bags were waiting for us in our room. He also gave us very good advice and directions, and even looked up an Italian pharmacy for us that was open on the weekend, and told us how we could find it. We left him a thank you note upon departure, which garnered him much teasing from his fellow front-desk staff.
We got this room as part of a package deal, but it ended up being about 125 € per night, with a continental breakfast included. The atmosphere, service, and comfort were top notch, so I’d certainly recommend this hotel to anyone staying in Venice.