First of all, anyone who goes to Venice and spends most of their time in their hotel room is insane. GET OUT and enjoy one of the most beautiful places on Earth! That said, location is extremely important when visiting Venice - it's a city on water, full of twists and turns, and extremely easy to get lost! Hotel Casanova is in the middle of EVERYTHING! It's right off the area where the vaporetto drops you off (if you're traveling by train that's very helpful!) It's exactly where you'd want to start your walking tour. It's a block from San Marco Square which is the heart of the entire city. The cathedral is there, Harry's Bar is a short walk away... and the doge's palace isn't far either. The hotel isn't fancy - it's old and there's isn't air conditioning except during the hottest nights. Our shower was tiny and the room was a bit dusty, but we didn't care as we were only there to sleep. Our breakfast of a croissant with marmalade, Nutella, and fruit was lovely. Great coffee, too.

This hotel is located on a quiet street in a peaceful residential neighborhood, just a few blocks from the vaporetto stop. The owners were gracious and friendly; our room was clean and comfortable. What stands about the Hotel Casanova, for our tastes, is its location on the Lido. As others have mentioned, the 15-20 minute boat ride between Venice and the Lido was a pleasant way to unwind from the touring activity and crowds in Venice. One of the highlights of our stay in Venice was attending the Vivaldi concert in a beautiful historic church, San Vitale, at the north end of the Accademia bridge. We learned of the concert from literature in the lobby of the Casanova Hotel. Venice was crowded in September, but we managed quite easily to escape the crowds. For instance, we spent a leisurely and quiet afternoon exploring the small island where the San Giorgio Maggior church is located, going up in the bell tower for wonderful views, and sitting in the piazza in front of the church at water's edge, sketching the view of St. Mark's across the canal. Yes, we gave up seeing some important interiors and art, as the price for enjoying the beauty and magic of Venice at a comfortable pace.

This hotel was dirty. In one corner of our room the build up of dirt and dust was disgusting. The noise level from the street/ally behind us was unbearable until 2 am. We did not sleep either of the 2 nights spent here. The night desk person was ok but the day guy could not be bothered. The breakfast was barely average ( I could eat the yogurt.) I was furious at my travel agent for booking us here. It made Venice a not pleasant experience after staying in nice hotels in Rome and Florence. Do not stay here. It is also dark and depressing.

We had a couple of setbacks before arriving at our hotel. I must admit that Roberto was an excellant host and showed much concern when we arrived somewhat late (due to incorrect directions from the railway station ). We were shown to our room which was a welcome site. It was very clean, modern and pleasant. Little additions such as the welcome Champaigne was a great touch. The breakfast was in the little cafe adjacent to the hotel and this again was very good - simple breakfast but adequate although maybe a choice of juices etc., could be made. Roberto was also very keen to see how we perceived everything and wasn't afraid to take some constructive criticism. One point that we didn't mention to Roberto, the room we stayed in although very good wasn't very 'soundproofed' and we could hear some conversations from adjoining rooms. If this can be remedied, this would have to be one of the best hotels we stayed in during our stay in Italy. Good on you Roberto and your lovely wife who we only met on the last day. We will recommend your hotel to our friends who wish to travel to Venice.