My hubby and I spent three nights at Starhotels Splendid Venice the beginning of July 2008 and highly recommend it. First of all, pre-communication with Angelica was very helpful. She made our stay special with an upgraded room with a canal view. It was our anniversary and we were greeted with snacks and a cold bottle of Champagne. Perfect! The location could not be more perfect. You're located very close to St Mark's Square in one direction and the Rialto Bridge in the other direction. Our room was modern; linens were high quality with a selection of pillows; breakfast was good; etc. We didn't use the hotel to book any tours like the gondola because their rates were high. We loved the little restaurant right next to the hotel (even though the hotel doesn't "work" with them or recommend them). I had the best calamari here with a lovely canal window table. The wait staff borders on being rude at times, so don't expect to be greeted warmly, but do expect a good meal at a decent price with what may be the most quaint canal view in all of Venice. I believe the name of the restaurant is La Sempiore. You can't miss it.....go outside the main lobby to the bridge and it's right there with the flower boxes. You can sit and watch the gondolas float by. We did ride a gondola from this location, but I wouldn't do that again. It was overpriced compared to other locations/times we've taken gondola rides. But, you're in a gondola in Venice......hard to top that! To arrive to the hotel we took the Alilaguna from Marco Polo airport to San Marco square. We made our way through the masses of tourists under the clock tower. When you run into the Ferrari store, you turn right, then an immediate left. You'll think you're lost, but you're not. You go down an alley that turns left then right. You'll see no signs down the alley, but at the end of the alley if you enter the doors in the building on the right side, that is the check-in area. Then, the doors across the alley in the other building are where you enter the hotel lobby. You'll soon learn other ways around the alley's and discover great shopping on the next street over (just walk thru the hotel check-in area and out the other door) and turn right for everything from Cartier to Perle my fave shop to string your own Murano jewlery. If you turn left and go over the bridge you'll find more shopping along the way to the Rialto. I would stay here again in a heartbeat. We've stayed on the Grand Canal, but I much preferred this more intimate setting in the heart of Venice. I've read old reviews about renovations and I didn't see anything going on and believe the entire hotel has now been renovated and it's lovely. Perfecto!

I have just come back from a holiday in Venice where we stayed at the Starhotel Splendid Hotel and we thought this hotel was wonderful. It was my 2nd time to Venice so I knew I wanted to be in a good location and this was perfect. A short distance to the Rialto Bridge and St Marks Square and a lovely area to wander around in the evenings. The hotel was modern and clean and the facilities and staff were all excellent. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Venice. The rooms are not enormous, but I dont think any are in Venice, however the rooms offer a little bit of luxury at a very affordable price. Only thing to remember is if you are taking the Alilaguna from the airport, you will need to disembark at St Marks Square and walk for about 5-10 minutes. Although the walk is short it is extremely busy - but that cant be helped. Great hotel bar too!

We stayed at the Splendid for a long weekend in July with our two teenage sons. Our rooms were spacious (especially their twin, which had a canal view) and very well equipped. The beds were especially comfortable. Everything was spotlessly clean and fresh towels were provided daily. Breakfasts were a huge buffet - a choice that included cooked meats, eggs, rolls, croissants, cereals, yogurt, fresh fruit, pies and tarts. All the staff were professional, friendly and welcoming, and all spoke English. The whole place had the feel of being well run, with attention to detail. We chose it for the central location - between St Mark's and the Rialto - but even so, it was beautifully quiet at night. The air conditioning was silent and effective as well. We'd recommend it unreservedly.

Great location, nice rooms. My negative comments would be that I felt that the hotel could have been a little more efficient. One of our rooms had a taped broken mirror in the entry. My suite's hair dryer and coffee pot didn't work, nor was there bedding on our pull out sofa. Rooms here run rather expensive, so I expected a little more attention to detail. We had several tour groups staying there when we arrived. However, I loved the location and enjoyed my room and free breakfast even with these minor inconveniences.