Bauer Hotel

My wife and her family stayed there a few times in the early 90’s. We went there for our 20th anniversary. When we got there we were told we had been booked for the following week This had nothing to with the hotel. It was done by a travel agency. The management was so accommodating in getting us a room. The food was first rate. Enjoyed sitting outside having breakfast We stayed a week and everything was perfect. We had hoped to return but my wife had major surgery. Can’t wait to go back. Thanks to all the employees who made it so enjoyable

Spectacular hotel. It has it all. Location, luxury, service. The rooftop was superb and the view is one of the best you can get in all Venice. The chef experience was really good. The breakfast by the water is great. If any, we were disturbed by multiple bees attracted by the food. The Bauer is one of the top hotels in Venice. Loved it.

Beautiful hotel that is currently being renovated. Prior to the renovation the rooftop bar has excellent views of the Grand Canal. The breakfast choices are extensive and high quality. The dinner we had with two other couples was excellent.

My wife and I decided to go to Venice for our honeymoon. She dreamed for a long time and I made such a gift to her and myself. We arrived at the Bauer Palazzo Hotel. They put us in a cozy room. For the price by the way one of the cheapest 100 euros others were around 200 and up. We liked this one 5 floors like a mini palace. The staff did a good job and I have no complaints. Did not want to leave the beauty of Venice is mesmerizing. Of the minuses, only that the boatmen swim near the hotel itself and make a little noise. On the whole, we are satisfied with the trip. I recommend.

Hotel Bauer Palazzo is in an unbeatable location in Venice. It's easy to get to all of the highlights, wander the streets and the views of the Grand Canal are stunning. Breakfast overlooking the water is an experience to dream of. The service was fantastic, from check in to check out and everything in between, the front desk and hotel staff was excellent. The rooms and the hotel (hard product) are very dated. You can see that this was once a stunner from that perspective, and their upcoming overhaul will be amazing. This isn't uncommon in Venice due to the cost of renovation, so it's not surprising. The rooms are big, we had suites and there was more than enough room - especially by Venetian hotel standards! My room did not have black out shades (my friend's room did), however, the front desk immediately had curtains installed in my room to help. I look forward to seeing how this hotel evolves after the renovation. It was a great, historic spot on our trip.

Have been to Venice many times, but was celebrating a special birthday and decided to go to a grand hotel on the canal. This is not it. When we arrived, and started to check in, it was relatively easy. However, when we got to our room, we discovered that there was no key for the safe. When we called the front desk, they informed us they would bring up the key. 40 minutes later the key does not arrive, so we had to go back down to the front desk and they had to find the key. Also on the same day we had requested an extra pillow, that of course, did not arrive either until much much later. Our room was large but very, very tired and dark as it had zero view/natural light from any window. The hotel staff was pleasant although totally ineffective. When we ordered a water taxi to get to the mainland, they told us that it would be about a 10 min wait, and even gave us the water taxi number of the boat to be on the lookout when it arrive. It did arrive and they gave it away to someone else…it took a long time for us to get any water taxi, even though they were lined up at the hotel waiting for passengers. If you are looking for a special Venice hotel, skip this one. They seem to cater to small and medium size tourist groups and are not interested in the individual traveler. I would say it was not worth the money.

We have stayed many times and always had absolutely beautiful rooms. It is situated in the perfect location and the breakfast on the water is so delicious with a view to die for. We have had beautiful experiences at this hotel. Can’t wait to return. What an enchanted hotel.

A return to Venice after a many year absence. The hotel was clean and well maintained. The restaurants were very good. Service was prompt and professional. The canal-side terrace restaurant was quite memorable. The roof top bar was picturesque. We are already planning a return.

My wife and her family stayed there a few times in the early 90’s. We went there for our 20th anniversary. When we got there we were told we had been booked for the following week This had nothing to with the hotel. It was done by a travel agency. The management was so accommodating in getting us a room. The food was first rate. Enjoyed sitting outside having breakfast We stayed a week and everything was perfect. We had hoped to return but my wife had major surgery. Can’t wait to go back. Thanks to all the employees who made it so enjoyable

Spectacular hotel. It has it all. Location, luxury, service. The rooftop was superb and the view is one of the best you can get in all Venice. The chef experience was really good. The breakfast by the water is great. If any, we were disturbed by multiple bees attracted by the food. The Bauer is one of the top hotels in Venice. Loved it.

Beautiful hotel that is currently being renovated. Prior to the renovation the rooftop bar has excellent views of the Grand Canal. The breakfast choices are extensive and high quality. The dinner we had with two other couples was excellent.

My wife and I decided to go to Venice for our honeymoon. She dreamed for a long time and I made such a gift to her and myself. We arrived at the Bauer Palazzo Hotel. They put us in a cozy room. For the price by the way one of the cheapest 100 euros others were around 200 and up. We liked this one 5 floors like a mini palace. The staff did a good job and I have no complaints. Did not want to leave the beauty of Venice is mesmerizing. Of the minuses, only that the boatmen swim near the hotel itself and make a little noise. On the whole, we are satisfied with the trip. I recommend.

Hotel Bauer Palazzo is in an unbeatable location in Venice. It's easy to get to all of the highlights, wander the streets and the views of the Grand Canal are stunning. Breakfast overlooking the water is an experience to dream of. The service was fantastic, from check in to check out and everything in between, the front desk and hotel staff was excellent. The rooms and the hotel (hard product) are very dated. You can see that this was once a stunner from that perspective, and their upcoming overhaul will be amazing. This isn't uncommon in Venice due to the cost of renovation, so it's not surprising. The rooms are big, we had suites and there was more than enough room - especially by Venetian hotel standards! My room did not have black out shades (my friend's room did), however, the front desk immediately had curtains installed in my room to help. I look forward to seeing how this hotel evolves after the renovation. It was a great, historic spot on our trip.

Have been to Venice many times, but was celebrating a special birthday and decided to go to a grand hotel on the canal. This is not it. When we arrived, and started to check in, it was relatively easy. However, when we got to our room, we discovered that there was no key for the safe. When we called the front desk, they informed us they would bring up the key. 40 minutes later the key does not arrive, so we had to go back down to the front desk and they had to find the key. Also on the same day we had requested an extra pillow, that of course, did not arrive either until much much later. Our room was large but very, very tired and dark as it had zero view/natural light from any window. The hotel staff was pleasant although totally ineffective. When we ordered a water taxi to get to the mainland, they told us that it would be about a 10 min wait, and even gave us the water taxi number of the boat to be on the lookout when it arrive. It did arrive and they gave it away to someone else…it took a long time for us to get any water taxi, even though they were lined up at the hotel waiting for passengers. If you are looking for a special Venice hotel, skip this one. They seem to cater to small and medium size tourist groups and are not interested in the individual traveler. I would say it was not worth the money.

We have stayed many times and always had absolutely beautiful rooms. It is situated in the perfect location and the breakfast on the water is so delicious with a view to die for. We have had beautiful experiences at this hotel. Can’t wait to return. What an enchanted hotel.

A return to Venice after a many year absence. The hotel was clean and well maintained. The restaurants were very good. Service was prompt and professional. The canal-side terrace restaurant was quite memorable. The roof top bar was picturesque. We are already planning a return.

FOOD: 5 SERVICE: 5 AMBIANCE: 5 VALUE: 5 How do you select a hotel out of literally hundreds in the City of Venice? The price range also reflect the diversities of the hotels, ranging from under $100 to $1,000+ per night. Well, for our first stay, we chose the Bauer I'll Palazzo, based on location and our affordability. We wanted a luxury hotel, in the heart of things. And I mean literally right there! The hotel is on the Grand Canal. There's a gondola station right in front. The main shopping avenue is right in front with all the high end boutiques within a 5 minute walk. Then St. Mark's Square is also within a 5 minute walk. We stayed in a Deluxe room with partial canal view. The room was decorated in traditional Venetian style with antique furniture and marble bathroom. Luxurious, decadent, comfortable and functional. Our room also included breakfast buffet and tea time (on rooftop terrace). Breakfast on the patio on the Grand Canal is the best way to start any day, and the buffet is excellent. But sipping a cup of cappuccino, looking at the Grand Canal is a memory I will always treasure. Tea time on the roof terrace is so relaxing, I have dozed off a few times to the sounds of the city. They serve a selection of sliced meats, cheeses and fruits with teas, coffees or soft drinks. The Concierge service was outstanding! They helped us get around, find places to eat, arranged transportation and even arrange for a tour to Murano! Wonderful place to stay, so much so that we cancelled the other 5 star hotel we booked for the end of our cruise and returned here!

A lovely place to have an aperitif before heading out to dinner or an after dinner drink. The views are lovely and the place is very comfortable.

This was originally a bad review of the Bauer room service pizza. My wife called to complain saying that the thing was a frozen inedible pizza. They explained that they don't have a pizza oven and would not charge us for the abomination. Good on you Bauer Palazzo! Still my favorite hotel in Venezia.

Absolutely not a five star hotel. It's beat up. The elevators are tiny and will slam you. The hallways are old and dingy. The rooms are dingy. The mattresses are hard. No way this is a five star. I moved next door to the St Regis and that is a real five star. Don't even consider Bauer if you want a real five star. Only thing that Bauer has is it's cheap and somehow they got a five star online. I have no idea how.

It's just a fabulous location and a fabulous rooftop bar. Don't worry about the prices just enjoy yourself it's a once in a lifetime trip for most so you might as well make it memorable

This is a review of the bar in Hotel Bauer (not the rooms). We sat on the outdoor patio overlooking the canal. It was in the evening so we had a beautiful view and could hear the gondola singers as they rode by. Incredibly romantic place. We had some drinks and a cheese plate - our drinks and food were fantastic. My only complaint is that service is a little slow and that it's a bit pricey (it's a super expensive hotel and you're clearly paying for the hotel and the view). Overall I'd definitely stop by again for drinks and light appetizers.

This is one of the nicest hotels we have stayed at in a long while. I cannot speak to the issue of trying to stay here on an online discount, as we actually used airline miles to book our room. That being said, everything about our stay was wonderful. The hotel is right on the canal very close to St. Mark's square, so it is the heart of action in Venice. The hotel itself is a historical building, built in the 800's as the Bauer family home, and later turned into a hotel. Lots of beautiful marble, some spiral staircases, Venetian glass light fixtures. Marble bathtubs and turndown service. They even put a little mat next to the bed with your slippers on it as part of turndown service. It was also much larger than our hotel in Rome. They have room service and a spa if you're into that. The only thing that wasn't quite to our liking was that the beds were harder than we prefer. We requested that they put a mattress topper on it, and that fixed the problem nicely. There is a very nice in-hotel restaurant. They stayed open later for us so we could have dinner on our anniversary after arriving later than expected on the train from Rome. The same restaurant provides the free breakfast buffet. No sign of moldy bread, as one reviewer commented. Personally, I stuck to the fresh fruit, cheeses, eggs, and coffee.

I had the same experience as others have mentioned here. I booked through a 3rd party and had a reservation at the Bauer Hotel. "Cool" I thought. I couldn't care less about it since I didn't know anything about it other than that it was a 5 star hotel at the St Marco vicinity. Get there and the lobby looks super nice and voilà, we are sent to an annex called the Bauer Casa Nova. (Please read other reviews about this weird set up). The room was clean and well appointed but not 5 star status. The Bauer has 2 breakfast terraces, both with great views but if you stayed at the Casa Nova you couldn't eat at the terrace on the 7th floor. You wonder... "different menus"? No, same food, same standard of service, which wasn't spectacular so I didn't get it. If you book in this hotel make sure you know the difference between the 2 places.

Before I go into the review, I hope your reading Tripadvisor before your booking. For those of us who reside in the USA, many are prone to book hotels through third party sites like Hotwire.com, Hotels.com, Priceline.com, Expedia.com, and etc. Be very careful on the offer and the price. I'll explain why below. For us, we booked through Hotwire.com. Specifically through a feature of the site "Hot Specials." This means that Hotwire offers you a special price (i.e $3xx - $4xx) and gives you a "hint" of which hotel you will get. The special that we saw was int he $3xx range and the hint was "last 3 people booked got Bauer Hotel". Our quick glance was that the hotel was 5 stars. We check the pictures on their website and it was very luxurious. Location was prime. So, what did we do? We booked it. Yes, we did receive the 5 star hotel called Bauer Hotel. This is where things get tricky and ughhh! We emailed the hotel to make sure our booking was confirmed. We also messaged them to tell them we have 3 people. Wanted to confirm that there was at least 2 doubles + a sofa. A few days later, we recieved a message from the hotel. They confirmed that we did get a room for 3 people and there will be 2 beds + a sofa bed to accomodate us. I messaged quick to ask if we can have something that has a view. This is when they told us we're located in a building called "Bauer CasaNova" residence. WHAT? "Bauer Casa Nova" is not the "Bauer Hotel". It is not the same 5 star location. It's an annex to the hotel, located in a small back door alleyway. What to expect: - The Casa Nova does not have a lobby. - " " " does not have bellman. - " " " does not have any security or staff. - " " " is dark, almost a haunted feeling because we never saw anyone else besides ourselves. - " " " does not have wifi. - " " " does not have a coffee machine or water kettle in room. - " " " has broken elevators. Yes, we asked why we aren't in the main building. The staff said all bookings through your travel gets put in this building. They didn't care to listen to us at all. 5 star service is bogus in this booking. The second day to our stay, we went shopping at Moncler, which was literally 100 ft away from our hotel. I went back to grab something in the room, and it started to rain. I was pouring and lighting was shattering the sky. I needed to return as my family was waiting for me at the store. As rain started to slow, I rain to the store. The first thing the store sales asked was where I was staying. I told her I was in the Bauer. She said, "they don't give customers an umbrella when it's raining?" I stood there like an idiot. I said, "uhh... they don't have servie." She said, "really?". I said, "they put us in the building next door called Bauer Casa Nova, they don't have a front desk or service staff". She said, "they have another building?". I said, uhhh... She said, "wow, that's good service". =( What else did I find? This 5 star hotel serves old food from previous day. We wake up everyday at 6:30 and go downstairs for first seating at 7am. Being there first, we sat at the same table everyday. We found that the fruits were from previous day. There were watermelons already removed from the plate and not placed neatly. There were pinapples that were missing a few slices because customers took it the previous day. There's no way that other people already taken food since we're pretty much the first ones. OH, and they serve spoiled food. The cakes had mold on it. I took pictures of the mold, confronted the staff. You will see pictures on tripadvisor to prove a point. I don't BS any of this. Yup, you got that right... 5 star service... In America, 5 stars means you get amenities. You get a business center, a gym, a lobby, a conceirge, and lots more. These things justify when a hotel is 5 stars. An annex to the building will be 5 stars if you have all the above. But you don't get that. Yes it's under Bauer, but it's not marketed as the same. I travel around 20-30 times a yr. We are Gold members of many hotel groups. This by far isn't 5 star. Don't get fooled, it's a joke. I plan to hear a long response from Bauer Hotel Group. You are lying to your customers and falsely advertising your rooms. And, you have imprinted a bad impression for us as tourist. Tripadvisor should re-evaluate their certificate to this group. They do not qualify!

The staff was so fantastic & helpful that we were upgraded to the Honeymoon suite! The room & hotel is jaw dropping and worth the experience. The complimentary breakfast they served us was delicious! If you decide to sit outside on the rooftop, you may be bugged by the seagulls & pigeons. The hotel staff hands you a hilarious looking "bird fighting stick." My favorite aspect about this hotel is the location. It's right along the grand canal, so your water taxi can drop you directly to the hotel (which is so unlike most hotels where we've seen people having to walk quite a bit with their luggage). Everything is so close, you're literally a few feet away from the luxury stores like Versace, Louis Vuitton, etc. You can hop onto the Gondola from there as well. The Piazzo San Marco was a 30 second walk from the place too! I cannot rave enough about our hotel. I would definitely recommend people to stay here, and we would stay here again if we get a chance to return to Venice.

This classic hotel remains one of the top choices in Venice, and the reviews on here is one of the reason we chose it. Very spacious and well appointed rooms. Sound proof walls give you peace from other travelers. The all marble bathrooms are large with marble tub, and a marble shower. It's everywhere. The desk staff is stellar. If you have a problem with anything regarding your stay they will be like a honey badger until your result is achieved. We had missing train tickets, and they stayed on the agent until they showed up. Impeccable food and wait staff. Centrally located right on the lagoon. Simply beautiful. You arrive right to the door via water taxi.

Stayed at the Bauer Casa Nova while in Venice and loved it! *Note: Bauer Casa Nova is separate from Hotel Bauer but is still considered one of their buildings. It felt like your own apartment rather than a hotel, which I surprisingly loved! They offered their terrace or a water-front balcony for breakfast which I loved since I'm a huge breakfast person. The receptionists and concierge were extremely kind and helpful!

I was not impressed with The Bauer. Yes, it's location is great but being so close to St Marks square also brings the masses and I found the West side of town much more pleasant and low keyed. After all, you can walk to most of Venice in a matter of minutes. Upon arrival, the desk clerk took a break and left us standing. Really? A porter type person noticed this and brought it to the attention of the Concierge and another desk clerk that were just chatting away. They just waved him off and continued to ignore us. About the time hubby was going to address the issue, another man came out from the back and took care of us. Our room was very clean and well appointed. Beautiful bath; also well appointed. Not what I consider a nice historic room. The furnishings were old and unkept. Not the lovely antiques as some describe. The comfort of the bed was horrible. Europe in general have "firm" beds which are fine. This bed was a spring mattress that was hard and miserable. The foam pillows were way below sub par. Although our room attendant was sweet and did a beautiful job, the font desk people were rude and snooty. I usually don't post totally negative reviews but thought this one deserving. In closing, overpriced hotel with rude staff. Mediocre food and uncomfortable rooms.

Main Channel Venetian classic Old World Charm full service hotel with lots of marble, clean well managed facility, Complementary five star ***** breakfast Buffett on the water front terrace. Take The water taxi from the airport directly to The Bauer. Boats and Gondollas pull right up to the Bauer lobby. Arrive at night, and your arrival from the airport in itself will resemble a scene from a romance novel / James Bond movie. The hotel location overlooks the water, gondollas, water traffic, Dorsuduro, Basilica di Santa Maria Della Salute, and Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore. The Bauer location is picture perfect, and Centrally located. 2 minute walk to St. Marks Plaza, St. Marks Basilica, Bridge of sighs, Dogez Palace. The neighborhood is the Venices eqivalent of Rodeo drive, with Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Giorgio Armani to name a few right outside the hotel steps. I Love Venice, and staying at the Bauer added to that experience.

The view is magical and staff is delightful. Enjoy a good bottle and watch out 4 birds

This is a great hotel in Venice. Good location close to San Marco but not too close. Excellent proximity to the high end shops in Venice too. Great service, cool rooftop breakfast buffet and was our best meal at the main restaurant by the canal

When our water taxi dropped us, the staff were already waiting for us to help us off the boat and get our baggage. Upon arrival, we found a nice bottle of champagne waiting for us with a very sweet message. The concierge was also very helpful and eager to make suggestions. I loved the fact that it was centrally located with the gondolas, Gucci, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo only steps away. Its a beautiful hotel with lots of murano glass chandeliers to complement what Venice is so famous for. The only thing that I wasn't impressed with was the breakfast buffet. For that, they get a star off unfortunately.

What a hotel. This place is amazing. Our room was unbelievably gorgeous with a spectacular view of the canals. The lobby is cavernous and nicely appointed. There is no stale water smell as in other Venice hotels as they have had the entire underbelly of the hotel waterproofed so even in flood season this hotel is high and dry. The personal water taxi brings you directly to the side door of the hotel where the staff greet you warmly and whisk your baggage away. The gondolier launch is also right out the door. The rood top lounge/bar is the best in Venice. The gorgeous views and wonderful staff. We spent every late night atop the roof enjoying. Although not a cheap hotel it has every amenity you could need. The staff are so friendly and the recommendations are impeccable. Treat yourself with the Hotel Bauer worth every cent!!!!!

Wonderful Hotel along the Grand Canal. Super location for accessing so much in Venice. Room - Suite, amazing size for an European hotel. 2 bathrooms made for nice pep time, and yes, there was a bidet! Staff, attempted to be friendly, but some had a bit of stiffness to them. Did not go to the lounge, but it always looked like a good time was to be had! The breakfast buffet was scrumptious and offered so many choices. The day we left, we asked for a to go breakfast, we were not disappointed. We stayed 2 overnights, and I am looking forward to visiting again!

Beautiful! Hotel is gorgeous. Amazing rooftop bar. Serene breakfasts and dinners on the grand canal. Staff is very accommodating. Location is phenomenal! Cannot say enough good things!

We had the most beautiful room in the Bauer. The service was fantastic. We came in January so it was nice and not full of tourists. We still had a wonderful time. Getting lost walking around Venice was very fun.

We had the same experience as others - I wish I would have checked Yelp before booking but instead relied on Trivago ratings and the fact that this is supposed to be a five star hotel. Completely deceptive - prepare yourself for a dark basement-like room with furniture that is falling apart. By far my worst hotel experience anywhere.

If I could give a 0 star I would! Worst experience ever in a 5 star hotel. We were stolen money out of our belongings $500 to be exact. We were out all day the second day of our stay and came back just to shower and go out to dinner. We had left bags and luggage in our room and personal bag were we had our passports and some the money, we did not consider to put the money I. The safe since we are in a five star hotel and the money was inside the bag in a side pocket hidden. We did not realize the money had disappeared until the next morning as we were preparing to leave. I did not touch that bag until the moment we were getting ready to go, as we realizes in the morning when we were getting ready to go for breakfast I realized the $500 dollars were not there anymore. We searched all room and our belongings and we did not find it, we approached the front desk and explain the incident. They seem not to know what to do, they told us to wait for the manager, we met withe Elena Santiago Ruiz front desk office manager. She seem concerned but not very helpful with our problem, very incapable on her decisions and how to handle the problem, she told us to go to the police station ourselves and declare what had happened, we were very upset that she was not empathized we were stolen $500 dollars in our room. In a 5 star hotel, she arranged for us to be taken to the police station. We did our declaration and open a case about the incident. We came back to pick up the luggage and met with her again I was very upset the way she handle the issue she never offered any compensation to make the situation less frustrated for us. I know that I will never retuve that money, but more than the money I will never forget the horrible experience and the feeling of impotence of being stolen and not believed. I had stay in different places in the world and never found such as incompetent manager and customer service. She seemed more in hurry for us to go, so she ordered us a taxi to the train station, never offered anything to make it right. Please be careful in this place, make sure you put your valuables and money in safe. The five stars of this hotel are only because of their location, not customer service at all.

We had such a great time at this hotel. Paid for a Deluxe with view and were upgraded to a suite right on the canal on the side of the building (this may have been because we booked through Amex Travel with our Platinum card). From our windows you could watch the gondolas pass by. Sometimes with singers or accordion players. So beautiful. Our room was probably the quietest rooms my wife and I have ever stayed in. And we've been to some very nice hotels many places around the world. The room was beautifully appointed and I was especially impressed with the bathroom fixtures. The linens were very nice too. We had a separate sitting room with a couch and we also had our own terrace with a nice sized table in which to sit. You do have to lean over the railing to see the canal, however. But still really nice. The queen sized bed was actually two beds pushed together with one mattress drooping in the middle and one perfectly straight. This would be the only gripe I had about our experience at the Bauer. I should have informed the front desk of this but just dealt with it and informed them when we checked out. If you are looking to watch TV at the end of the day, bring your Ipad because there were only two English language channels. Didn't bother us much as we spent very little time with the tv on. The staff was excellent all the way around. Chiara at check-in was awesome as was everyone else. From the wait staff at breakfast to Marco the concierge. All perfect. We had one afternoon left to be tourists so we asked Marco if we had time to go to Murano to see the glass being made. He arranged a private tour at the factory AND the factory provides an extremely nice FREE and private water taxi to and from the factory. They greet you right at the boat dock and take you on the tour. Of course this is with the hope that you'll buy some of the very expensive glass products but there was no pressure at all. Marco assured us of this. Because of our Concierge, we saved 130 Euro on boat rides each way. Also, the location of the hotel was excellent. Two minutes to the Doge and Piazza San Marcos. Two minutes to the waterbus marina also.

It is a very nice old and modern feel to it, the wifi is slow and hard to use (which is very annoying and frustrating at times). The service is lovely the rooms are hell a nice and I would recommend it to anyone with the money.

I will never patronize this place again. We were supposed to get a room overlooking the grand canal. NOT! Instead, they put us on the second floor overlooking the front entrance. A very noisy location. Tons of tourists walking by, taking pictures of me standing on the balcony. Well....not me, exactly. But I was definitely in the picture as they took pictures of the hotel. We shared a balcony with the room next door. Absolutely no privacy. Let's talk about the balcony. It was completely covered with bird crap. It was all over the chairs, as well as the balcony railing. The bathroom was a disaster too. The plastic coiling surrounding the handset was stripped away, exposing the rubber tubing underneath. There was black mold around the tub. Not to mention some sort of mysterious liquid running down the wall under the shower head. The second day was no better. We got up and went out to explore the city. We came back at 1 PM, only to find the room had not been cleaned at all. I called to complain and they sent a housekeeper up to clean it. Later that same day, we went out to dinner. We returned later, only to find our door wide open. The housekeeper turned down our bed and forgot to close our door. 5 stars, my ass! Hardly worth $500.00 a night.

Hotel is great, fairly lavish. Beds are comfortable, bathrooms nice and a couple of English speaking tv channels for those few waking moments at night when you want to relax in your room. Breakfast is included (not sure you can say free when you already paid ~$500 per night), and many good choices. Very convenient location and surprisingly quiet in room at night for as busy as it is. I would give it 5 stars except for one thing I'm inclined to complain about. Bought a bottle if wine in tuscany and needed to drink it. We went to the patio area which wasn't busy and ordered cappuccino. We later asked the waiter if he could open the wine and said it was a 10 euro fee. Come on really. I paid $1500 to stay here for three nights, you can't open my wine. Of course no corkscrew in the room because they don't want you to do that. Poor choice and turned me off from wanting to spend more time and money on the patio. We choose to give our money elsewhere.