we stayed here for two nights prior to a cruise,the hotel is a real gem,an amazing view over the lagoon from our room at the front, with a terrace on the roof where you can rest your weary feet after walking around venice, we had breakfast at the hotel,good selection continental breakfast, meals in venice are obviously expensive dependin on the location of the restaurant,but there are cheaper places to eat if you go away from the main tourist spots. we would certainly return here if we go back to venice.

I stayed 2 nights at the Gabrielli Sandwirth in April-08. I certainly wont be coming back... The hotel's main (and potentially only) strength is its location. You are located right on the lagoon and within easy walking distance of St Marks. The water ferry station is right out the front which meant you werent carrying your bags for ages to get to your hotel. While the location is excellent I would indicate that Venice is a small city and most hotel's would generally be in a good location in some capacity unless they were in a particularly remote spot. Most of the people I encountered in Venice said their hotel was "in a great location" for example... My check in experience (like most of the service I experienced) was less than impressive and the service could at best be described as indifferent. You are not made to feel welcome and staff often come across as surly or aloof. I dealt with a few different people across the time of my stay and did not encounter one person that I considered friendly or helpful. Venice can be a challenging experience to navigate if its your first time and asking for directions or tips at the front desk was pointless exercise as was asking for recommendations. I was fully expecting a small room as the building is claimed to be 13th century however it was tiny beyond expectations. The furniture was drab and in poor condition. My room was also extremely dark and noisy. My wardrobe door jammed on several occassions and the entire room felt very tired. My bed was by far the most uncomfortable I've ever encountered in a hotel before. The hotels website and promotional material dramatically mispresented the reality of the room that I stayed in. It was also confusing to discover my room was next door to the hotel's open-space offices which occupied a big portion of the floor I was on- seeing the hotel accounts people doing their work on the way to my room was hardly what I was expecting!! Breakfast wasnt anything special. The food was of generally poor quality and service was once again non-existent. The three waiting staff did not speak to either myself or the other three tables who were having breakfast themorning I was there and instead were involved in a fairly noisy discussion amongst themselves. Converting an building like the one Gabrielli Sandwirth occupies is understandably a difficult process and I wasnt expecting anything too amazing however in all areas the Gabrielli is a major disappointment. However poor room fittings and poor service made the whole experience extremely disappointing. This is absolutely not a 4-star experience...

I stayed in this hotel for 2 nights in April. I chose this hotel fascinated of its website but really don't believe it . The only positive things of this hotel are: 1. Its location is great. 5 min. or less to Piazza San Marco and it is on the sea so if you are lucky (and pay more) and you have the view on the sea it's really nice 2. Its restaurant and entrance decorations . It's a typical old venecian palace so great decrationa on the walls and roof (i'm talking of course about the main floor, reception, hall and restaurants area) 3. The breakfast is good and enough but here is coming the ther aspects: 1. really RUDE receptionists . i've seen 3 of them and all were so snob . it seemed i should PRAY them to look at my face and answer . I think they have forgotten what smiling to a customer is. 2. i'd reserved a single room ... oh my god it was a hole ! really ... there was a small bed (god thanks i am just 170cm) , a small table to put the baggage and a really small mini wardrobe . The bathroom was really funny, i practiced many yoga and stretching movements to stay in the bathroom ... Men we are talking about a four stars hotel not a hostel !!! 3. Well ... when you book a 4 star hotel , ok the room can be small but i expect some facilities in the room ... maybe a TV? maybe a refregerator? No !! nothing 4. i tried the room but the snob-frontdesker says they were full all the days. Maybe they culd be more helpful 5. The room was clean but from a 4star hotel i expect something special, maybe a good soap, a good shampoo , extra towels ? NO ! so ... i'm sorry but for my personal experience, my suggestion is ... in Venice there are many hotels !! maybe cheaper but with a better quality ! at least ... in cheaper hotels you say i've paid less so some less-services could be accepted but in a 4star hotel no!

The location is the main attraction, being a short walk from St Mark’s Square and 100m from the water bus stop which led right up the Grand Canal. The views over the lagoon are fantastic. The staff are generally very friendly and helpful. Nothing about this hotel warrants 4 stars. It is tired and jaded. The rooms need a complete refurbishment; they are tatty, small and soulless. The heating was oppressive and there didn’t seem to be any air conditioning. The buffet breakfast is boring and unimaginative and never changes. Being on the lagoon front, noise from the constant to and fro of boats and ferries is very disruptive, particularly in the morning. When we tried to book some trips we were given a brochure for a company that was not open during our stay (their opening dates were clearly displayed in the brochure). All in all, it’s totally over priced for what it delivers. There must be better hotels in Venice.

I was worried about some of the more negative reviews about the hotel, especially as I am a light sleeper and didn't want to pay the upgrade to a lagoon view. Fortunately, we got put in room 501 which although at the back of the hotel was on the fifth floor and had a wonderful roof top view complete with glimpse of the Campanile from the bathroom and the lagoon if you stuck your head out of the window! The noise from alleys below does resonate up into the buildings but this is to be expected and happened at another hotel I stayed in last time in Venice so now I always travel with ear plugs! The hotel staff were friendly enough, the breakfast quite comprehensive, decor typically Venetian and the position of the hotel is ideal. If you stay here check out the roof terrace too, very lovely at sunset.