Hotel Villa Pannonia
Venice, Italy
Modern family-friendly hotel on the Lido with an eye for contemporary art; 10 minutes from St Mark’s Square
The Lido isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when you
think of Venice. An adjacent island to the beautiful city, its
wide, quiet streets and long sandy beach seem more reminiscent of
mainland Italy, but when the tourist rush of summer begins and
Venice’s narrow streets are clogged with people, you’ll
be glad for some breathing space.
Hotel Villa Pannonia is just off the main drag on the island, a
poppy-red building with good rates, making it a fantastic place to
stay if you’re on a budget but want to get the best out of
Venice. With modern art exhibitions in the lounge, restaurant and
bar area, and chic, monochrome rooms, it’s not a symphony of
excess like many of the palazzos in the city centre. And it has
good-sized bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as an
excellent breakfast spread.
Hop on a vaporetto and cruise down the Grand Canal to the
Rialto market; ramble the narrow streets and explore gilded
churches and lavish art collections, then hop back on a boat to
laze on the beach in the afternoon. And if you come in late
August/early September, keep an eye out for movie stars as the
Venice Film Festival is held here.
Reviewed by Laura Dixon
Last updated 02 December 2011
Highs
- Only 10 minutes from St Mark’s Square - you won’t find many hotels in Venice for this price that can claim that
- Good for families - no bridges to negotiate, no steep flights of steps and it’s close to the beach
- It’s very quiet and we had a great night’s sleep
- Helpful staff
- The boat connections are excellent and quick from here to the centre of Venice (10 mins), as well as the outlying islands in the lagoon
Lows
- The location lacks the atmosphere and history of the city centre - given the choice, we'd stay in central Venice
- Slightly characterless and service is more professional than friendly
- No tea and coffee in your room - you have to order it through the bar
- The Lido is fairly dead out of season, though in the summer it’s a great spot
- Breakfast costs extra and the food options nearby are fairly limited so you’ll end up going back and forth to the centre by waterbus (which is actually great fun)
