Venetian decor? Check. Friendly staff? Check. Great location? Check. Peace and quiet? Check aaaaand check. Locanda Vivaldi is a gem through-and-through, and hands-down my top choice for accommodations in La Serenissima. The only drawback can be price – well, dispiace but isn’t that always the case? Fork out just this once – I did and it was worth every penny of the money I don’t have.
Locanda Vivaldi gets its name from, you guessed it, the famous composer of the same name who once called this charming building on the Riva degli Schiavoni home. Vivaldi is small and unassuming, best found by walking down the Riva and noting the blue script on the wall just a bridge or two down from the Danieli; it’s less than 10 minutes from St. Mark’s Basilica. The “lobby” is more like a Victorian drawing room, with a reception desk that is really just an office desk a computer and a registration book.
When I checked in – a lone female traveler who’d been up for 24 hours – I was greeted warmly and notified clearly of all hotel procedures, breakfast time, check-out and billing – information many hotels neglect to offer, assuming you’ll know. A bellman carried all my bags down a narrow hallway and out onto a small, shady patio, up a short flight of cement steps and into a back building covered with flowers. My room – spacious for one person and very cozy with sconces, brocade wallcovering, 2 windows and an antique desk – was perfect. The bathrooms have recently been completely renovated, and are huge, with whirlpool tubs (very relaxing after a transatlantic flight!) and plenty of counterspace. My windows opened into the little courtyard, which offers a quiet haven from the noise of the Riva foot traffic, and if I leaned out I could see a narrow canal off to the right, which the occasional small boat happens down. And the bed – soooo comfortable. It was a chilly night but the room stayed temperated and the blankets on the bed were layered enough to keep me plenty warm.
Major highlight: the breakfast buffet, which is more than generous and served in a couple winsome rooms in the main building off aforementioned narrow hallway. The food is excellent, plentiful and appetizingly laid out. Take advantage – you’ll need the sustenance to walk this city. The “American” coffee – not so good. Go for a cappuccino or an espresso – they’ll bring one to you.
espresso on the Riva
After noon checkout I timidly asked the desk to hold my luggage for the rest of the day because I didn’t have a train out of Venice until 7pm. They were more than happy to accommodate, and stored everything for me in a locked closet until that evening. Such service! And I point this out because a lot of larger hotels have expressed either dismay or outright refusal to do this. I also stupidly stored my electronic room keys next to my mobile in my purse, which promptely de-magnetized them. The front desk not only had a new set made but sent the porter to my room with me to double-check that they worked.
But what I think I will remember most about the Vivaldi, aside from the kindness I was shown and the inn’s quaint beauty, is that I woke up each morning to the soft peals of the tower bells at St. Mark’s Basilica – not to shouts, clanging, boat horns or anything else. Just the one sound managed to drift into the shady courtyard through my open window, and it was quintessential Venice from there on out.
a room with a view
TIPS
- check the hotel offers on the website before making your reservation – often in low season they offer respectable winter discounts that are better than some of their neighboring hotels. Winter is a great time to be in Venice if you don’t mind a chill – you’ll escape the tourists and see the town as the natives do, of which there aren’t many left. Mind Carnivale season though! Rates will inevitably go up.
- ask for a lagoon view if you want, but don’t feel like it will matter much – the Riva noise will wash away some of the serenity that makes this hotel charming
- if you take the Vaporetto/Alilaguna Blue Line from the airport, the hotel website will tell you to exit at San Marco, which you can, but I recommend getting off before then, at San Zaccaria – it’s actually closer to the hotel and will save you from climbing over an extra bridge, a cumbersome exercise with roll-aboard luggage
- I didn’t eat on the Terraza rooftop restaurant, but you should if you can because it provides a great view and is only available for hotel guests which means blissful privacy!
Rooms: 27
Rate$: from EUR 150 in low season, from EUR 220 in high season; rates include breakfast
Website: http://www.locandavivaldi.it
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