Hotel Centrale

I was told «this is Italy.» I didn’t make the reservation, my expat friend did when I came to visit and we made the train trip to Venice. The staff were very nice and the rooms were very clean. It is also quite close to the bus stops that take you to Venice. However, we requested two queens and got essentially three twin beds… two pushed together to make a large bed. The breakfast was decent, but very busy and they were often out of cups and silverware. The biggest downfall for me was that it cost money for wifi. My phone and iPad are pretty much useless without it… but I managed for three days and did find a restaurant in Venice that offered free wifi, so I could catch up. Basically, if you are looking for just a night to sleep with easy public transport to Venice, this was perfect. We did take the train into town, and were told it was walkable. However, with a child and luggage, we decided to take a taxi for about € 10. Found the bus to take us back to the train station when we left.

My god! What a reprieve from all of the hostels I had been stuck in across the whole of Europe. Mind you, I have no problem with hostels but after a month of cramming into a tiny bed in a room full of random snoring people, having a room to yourself for a cheap price is hard to beat. As the name indicates, Hotel Centrale is actually a hotel. You get a private bathroom, a nice/​big/​clean bed, and a clean room to yourself. Located in Mestre (just outside of Venice) this is a great alternative to staying at more expensive spots in the city. The only downside is that Hotel Centrale is pretty far from the train station. If you have a giant backpack and it is a hot summer day, you might get as frustrated as I did trying to locate the hotel. While this may be an annoyance at first, it turns out to bonus in the end. The hotel is a few blocks away from the city’s main plaza filled with restaurants and shops. Mestre is where real Italians live and it is nice to have a break from the tourist mecca that is Venice.