Ahhh Venice! For the solo traveler, just thinking about this magical destination breeds wanderlust. Visions of floating down the Grand Canal in a gondola, enjoying heavenly gelato daily or wandering through the ally ways of this Old World city makes me want to "just pick up and go" to experience this unique city's many splendid sites and culture.
While Venice is a "must do" on most solo traveler's bucket list, it is often overlooked because Venice is expensive.
Tourism is the city's biggest economic driver and consequently, the hotel, food, transportation and shopping costs are on the high side. You have to plan and budget properly in order not to waste oodles of money when visiting the "Queen of the Adriatic."
Finding an Affordable Luxury Hotel is a Challenge in Venice
First and foremost, the hotels tend to be extremely overpriced. Not quite as expensive as Paris, London, New York or Tokyo, but costly enough to make finding a wonderful place to stay at a reasonable price a challenge. Most of the luxury lodging options which are near the major sites are the worse in terms of cost. Many are out-of-this world beautiful but in my opinion, not worth the expense.
Before visiting this exotic city, I did an extensive hotel search. My lodging requirements were the following:
Four or five star rating, $225 and under
Excellent consumer reviews
Conveniently located near a vaporetto (water bus) stop
Upscale Venetian style interiors
Guest room with a tub-shower combination
Comfortable bar or exterior common areas for enjoying an evening glass of wine
Full service concierge
Unique and memorable ambiance
Bottomline, I wanted a hotel that offered luxury at an affordable price located in a safe, strategic location.
The Best Neighborhood to Stay in Venice
I narrowed my search down to two choices, the Hotel Ai Mori D'Oriente and the Carnival Palace in the Cannaregio district which is where the most of the resident Venetians reside. Unfortunately, a large part of the population who work in Venice now live outside the city on the mainland for monetary reasons. Cannaregio is the best area to get the feel of Old World Venice that is away from the maddening overflow of tourists that plague the city. Cannaregio is still walkable or, via Vaparetto, convenient to everything you would want to do or see.
Hotel Ai Mori D'Oriente - Venice, Italy
The Hotel Ai Mori D'Oriente
The friendly concierge
The Hotel Ai Mori D'Oriente ended up being my choice after an in depth comparison. It was slightly more affordable, the interiors were more refined and overall, it had a comfortable feel vs the glitzy essence of the Carnival Palace. The most basic standard room price per night including a buffet style breakfast costs between $115 - $445 depending whether you are traveling in the low or high season. I was there in the shoulder season and paid $228 per night.
Booking online can be deceptive and a bit scary
You can never tell if what you're seeing and reading to make your hotel decision is accurate, especially the reviews. There are websites like oyster.com that try to help reveal what a hotel is like sans marketing magic, but hotel booking is still an iffy process. I'm always relieved when my first impression as I enter the lobby of my chosen hotel is a good one; plus, when I enter my room I know this place suits "my fancy." The Hotel Ai Mori D' Oriente was great from the moment I checked in till I left to catch my flight back home. Upon check in, the friendly desk staff explained the hotel's amenities and shared they were available 24 hours a day to satisfy whatever needs or demands I had.
My initial reaction to my room was WOW!
The elegant Moorish appointed bed adorned with Venetian silk fabric on the headboard and canopy, the exotic light fixtures and the beautiful antique furnishings made me feel a bit regal. I immediately opened the windows, something I love to do in Europe when the weather is cool, and heard church bells ringing. "Yes, this is heavenly Venice," entered my thoughts.
The Satisfaction of Knowing You’re in the Right Place
After unpacking and putting my valuables in the room's safe, I headed canal side to have a light lunch after a long journey from Louisiana. The accommodating bartender prepared a delicious prosciutto, melon and cheese and bread plate for me. He recommended a glass of light, white wine from the Veneto region as my beverage, but I declined and ordered a "good ole" Coke instead since I wanted to stay up to fight my jet lag.
As I enjoyed my first meal in Venice, I watched the gondolas and water taxis pass going about their regular day. I felt so lucky to be in Venice and that I had chosen such a special hotel to spend my time in this gorgeous city.
After a restful first night, I headed to breakfast and was pleased with the wonderful buffet of cold and hot food selections. The coffee served was hot and strong, just like I like it. Another delightful surprise was you could eat outside in the hotel's intimate courtyard, a great place to start your day.
If you are considering traveling to Venice and want to stay in a former 15th century Moorish palazzo, I highly recommend the four star, boutique Hotel Ai Mori D'Oriente. It's comfortable, luxurious and affordable.
Enjoy this short video showcasing this gem of a hotel. Likewise, if you have any questions about Venice, this hotel or any other solo travel related questions, please share them in the comment section. As always, I love to hear from my readers and will promptly respond to your comments and inquiries.
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Author: Astrid Clements
Astrid Solo Travel Advisor CEO and founder, Astrid, has spent over 40 years traveling around the world. She is passionate about embracing the world’s diverse cultures and sharing with others the global need and personal benefit of cultural literacy. Her focus is on affordable luxury travel that is both substantive and fun! To read more about her and each one of our Solo Travel Advisors, head over to the About page!
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