Al Redentore di Venezia Hotel – Oasis in Venice
I read somewhere that Travel is an intrinsically optimistic thing. The world appears all shiny and new when seeing a place for the first time. Food tastes better, the sun shines brighter and the stars seem close enough to touch. However, once you’ve been on the road for a while you start to miss home. And once you visit Venice, Italy in the peak of summer along with thousands of other tourists, not only does the pendulum swing toward pessimism; you begin to question your sanity. At least that’s what happened to us this previous August.
We spent our first three nights in Venice sharing an Airbnb place not far from San Marcos Square with some dear friends of ours. The days found us on overcrowded water buses and stumbling along sweaty and hot through narrow streets full of people, only to go back to a rental without air conditioning. Don’t get me wrong, there were fabulous meals and fantastic memories made despite the heat and crowds. We even saw an Opera! But this article is about a hotel we stumbled upon.
Our friends had a flight home two days earlier than we did, and we had to move to a hotel for our final two nights. We crossed to a smaller island called Giudecca and found ourselves in a peaceful setting away from the hustle and bustle of the Venice summer crowds. The Al Redentore di Venezia hotel was a slice of heaven! My husband found it on booking.com and saw that it had good reviews, actually near perfect reviews! We found the same story when we checked on Trip Advisor. It was an incredible deal, a luxury apartment at approximately 140 USD per night! And above all else it had central air!
We were greeted at Al Redentore di Venezia Hotel by a very sweet woman at the front desk who held onto our bags until we could check in. Upon check in we found a beautifully decorated apartment, complete with kitchen, three beds and two baths. We even had a lovely view of the quiet canal out front.
We spent nearly an entire day just relaxing and soaking up the cool air. It was absolutely silent and perfect after the previous hustle-bustle days.
We didn’t feel the need to travel back to the main island of Venice and fight the crowds, but if you were to stay here it is within easy reach of all the major Venice attractions. Plus, from the island of Giudecca you are treated a gorgeous view of some of these attractions, Piazza San Marco, the Palazzo Ducale, the island of San Giorgio and the historic Punta della Dogana.
If you ever find yourself in Venice, Italy, especially during a high tourist time, I highly recommend staying at the Al Redentore di Venezia Hotel. Also note there are excellent restaurants nearby.
Happy Travels!
-Hollin
