Spent four nights in June/July 09 based on a deal from Lastminute for £303pp although we upgraded to a superior room for an extra £40 each. The room itself was fair enough (not big) although I didn’t feel it to be “superior” but then we couldn’t compare it to any others. The room looked out onto a small overgrown jungle-like area, but we kept the windows and curtains closed because of the air conditioning which was really needed in the heat. The bathroom was lovely and clean and I think newly installed.

We found the staff to be pleasant and helpful. We also were recommended the restaurant of 40 Ladrone by them but on arrival were not impressed by it so did not actually have a meal there. Basically restaurants not on the main road will probably offer better value. A nice pizzeria is Al Faro in Ghetto Vecchio. I had a mushroom pizza with all different types of mushrooms – yum!

Breakfast is more than adequate and the staff are efficient at making the small area run smoothly through the sittings. Various fruit juices, cereals, cheese and hams, croissants, yoghurts will set you up for the day and I can highly recommend the delicious fresh fruit salad.

Guests have been divided about the location of the hotel, but we preferred to be away from the hustle and bustle and yet it is still only about 10 minutes away from the main thoroughfares of Lista di Spagna and Strada Nova. It still is, however, a good 30 minutes’ (slow) walk to St Mark’s Square and the vaporetto will take 45 minutes. On the other hand, the hotel is well located for a trip to the island of Murano (a must for glassware shopping – although you will be ‘glassy-eyed’ by the end of it all), with the nearest vaporetto stop being Orto, five minutes’ walk from the hotel (once you’ve negotiated the meandering roads and know where you are heading). Check the hotel website for directions.

Generally, had a lovely time in Venice – pizza, pasta and ice cream every day – came back with fewer euros and more 'pounds' ;-) ...

My wife and I spent two nights at AI Mori d'Oriente after finding it well reviewed on Tripadvisor. The hotel was as promised. Very well appointed and although not inexpensive, not bad by Venice standards. It is well located with respect to the train station (about a 20 minute walk) but not easy to find and not near a vaporetto stop (S. Alvise is the closest but a complicated walk and few people to guide you). This hotel is off the beaten track and, as such, it takes some effort to get to the attractions. Not much going on at night, however, the local restaurants are mostly frequented by locals and are not touristy. If you like to walk, this is the place for you. My one concern was the poor advice we received from the staff. They recommended a local restaurant (40 Ladrone) which was one of the worst dining experiences we had in all of Italy. 40 Ladrone translates as 40 Thieves (really!) and it couldn't be named any better. The waiter was completely inattentive, the food was poorly presented and not hot. The waiter never even asked whether everything was OK. He failed to bring cheese or oil and ignored us for the entire meal. When we paid, they had added a comperto of almost 6 euro (most other restaurants add 1 or 2) and overcharged us (which we were able to easily correct). I think it was intentional and they expected we wouldn't notice or wouldn't challenge them in a language other than our own. In addition, the AI Mori staff gave us thoughtless advice re: the vaporetto. They suggested that we go to the nearest stop (S. Alvise) and though there isn't a ticket office, they assured us we would be able to buy the twelve hour ticket "on the boat". Well, you can't, They force you to buy a one hour ticket (6.5 euro) and then you have to buy the 12 hour ticket at a stop that has a ticket office. This ended up costing us an extra 13 euro. I feel the staff should have known this and paid closer attention to what I was asking. That aside, they were otherwise very nice and helpful.

We stayed here for four nights it was a really nice hotel, room we had was quite large very nice decor, Hotel staff very friendly, breakfast not bad, 10 min walk away from lots of shops,bars,restaurants ideal location for city break would stay here again.

we stayed here for 4 nights, having booked it through easyjet hotels website. Location perfect, get the orange waterbus from Marco Polo airport and get off at the Madonna d'Orto (1st stop). Costs 13 Euros each. Walk to hotel is 5 mins, good map and instructions on the hotel website.

The hotel was fantastic, staff very pleasant and helpful. Very stylish hotel, room was a good size, very clean and great showers with plenty of hot water. Breakfasts plentiful (breads, cheeses, ham, croissants, cereal, juices) but you could buy a cooked breakfast if desired. Lovely 15th century building on a quiet canal away from the hustle of St. Marks Square. Feels like you are in the 'real' Venice. Less than 5 min walk to the main shopping/restaurant area of Canneregio and 20 mins walk to St. Marks Square (fantastic but pricey).

Had the nicest pizza ever at Campo St. Margarita in Dorsoduro district - Restaurant al Sportivi, bit of a walk to it but its just lovely wandering the streets. Buy a decent map!!

The one thing that we wish we had have done is to ask the price of 2 small beers (half pint size) at a corner snack bar off the beaten track......18 EUROS! we did seek out the price list after getting stung for that but it didn't spoil such a fantastic holiday. Yes, Venice was quite expensive because of the exchange rate but as long as you are prepared not to get bargains galore that's fine. Having said that most shops have sales on because of fall in custom. Staying just that bit further away from San Marco means you get more for your money in our opinion.

If you want to see the real Venice, walk everywhere, there is always a fantastic view around the next corner.

An amazing holiday in a gem of a hotel, perfect for relaxing, celebrating the big 4-0 and seeing the real Italy but not too far from the hustle and bustle! Highly recommend it. Will definitely return to Venice and stay here again!