The Hostelz.com Review
If you are at all disappointed that hostels are becoming more and more like hotels, then the HI - Venice - Ostello Venezia Hostel is for you! It is a very typical and traditional youth hostel -- the rooms and bathrooms accommodate a large number of people; the ground-floor common area is well-used and teaming with interaction; there are a lot of rules for guests to ensure a safe, respectful atmosphere; a variety of amenities come with a truly nominal cost; and the charge per night is very reasonable.
Large groups come and go frequently, so advance reservations are highly recommended. Reservations can be made online and come with a very useful and friendly email with directions and instructions.
The Location
From the Railway or Coach Stations, take the #2 water bus towards Guidecca and stop at Zitelle, the hostel is readily visible as you approach the stop. An unlimited pass on the water bus is recommended and can be purchased for twelve hours or a couple days. Just a few stops from the hostel brings you to the major marketplaces, St. Mark’s Plaza, and access to the Grand Canal.
The hostel is between a very convenient but small shop (for snacks or sodas) and a charming restaurant with inexpensive and delicious meals (as well as outdoor seating along the water). The neighborhood laundry recently shut down, and the nearest self-service laundry is a few stops away by water bus (plus a little bit of a walk). The neighborhood appears to be safe and very community-oriented. The hostel is right on the water and the view is magnificent, day or night.
Rooms and Bathrooms
There are separate dorms for men and women. The rooms and bathrooms are very clean and tidy. The way the beds and rooms are organized is crafty and novel, allowing a lot of people to stay at the hostel in comfort.
At first the mattress felt quite saggy and the pillow felt quite solid, but we had an amazing night’s rest! The sheets were clean and soft and the bunk beds well-maintained (minimal jiggling and virtually no squeaking). The rooms each sleep a lot of people, but the rooms are cleverly divided into sections with half walls, which allows for a bit of privacy and cuts down on noise from other guests. One note, the doors to the rooms do not lock, which makes the free lockers in the rooms a very useful amenity.
The bathrooms are attached to the large rooms and have a number of individual shower stalls and toilet stalls. There is a row of sinks and a long mirror, with plugs on either end for hair dryers or shavers. The staff strongly urge guests to not plug in their electronics to charge (there are few if any plugs in the dorms outside of the bathrooms), and allow electronics to be plugged in and monitored at reception. The shower was good, with steady hot water. The stalls are private and clean but very well-used.
Common Spaces
Check-in is 7 a.m. to midnight, check-out is by 10 a.m. -- both are fast and easy. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and very willing to answer questions. Some of the house rules include no eating/drinking alcohol in the dorms, vacating the hostel from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for cleaning, and using the free lockers in the rooms to store luggage and belongings. If you’re carrying a lot of stuff or large, heavy baggage, be aware that there are enormous flights of stairs leading to each floor.
When the hostel says things accompany a “nominal fee” they actually mean nominal -- the fees are the some of the most reasonable we’ve encountered in any hostel in Europe. Almost everything is a few Euro or less, including luggage storage after departure, twelve hours of Wi-Fi internet access, drinks and snacks from the vending machine, and the additional charge for guests who are not members of Hostelling International.
The common area is a great place to have a meal and meet interesting people from all over the world. The guests appear to be primarily young people, both individuals and large groups. Vending machines provide all manner of snacks, as well as both hot and cold drinks. Breakfast (which is included) lasts until 10 a.m. and comes with two fresh rolls, a sweet spread, and a variety of hot drinks and juices. The coffee drinks come from a machine but have a nice foamy texture and are full flavored (not watery). We especially loved the blood orange juice.
Summary
Ostello Venezia does not rest on the fact that it is practically the only option in Venice for travelers looking to stay in a hostel. The atmosphere is friendly and vibrant, the location is beautiful and convenient, and the facilities are well kept and brilliantly organized. The incredible value, from the room charge to the amenities fees, is surprising. It's a great place to meet people and enjoy the city on a budget!
Large groups come and go frequently, so advance reservations are highly recommended. Reservations can be made online and come with a very useful and friendly email with directions and instructions.
The Location
From the Railway or Coach Stations, take the #2 water bus towards Guidecca and stop at Zitelle, the hostel is readily visible as you approach the stop. An unlimited pass on the water bus is recommended and can be purchased for twelve hours or a couple days. Just a few stops from the hostel brings you to the major marketplaces, St. Mark’s Plaza, and access to the Grand Canal.
The hostel is between a very convenient but small shop (for snacks or sodas) and a charming restaurant with inexpensive and delicious meals (as well as outdoor seating along the water). The neighborhood laundry recently shut down, and the nearest self-service laundry is a few stops away by water bus (plus a little bit of a walk). The neighborhood appears to be safe and very community-oriented. The hostel is right on the water and the view is magnificent, day or night.
Rooms and Bathrooms
There are separate dorms for men and women. The rooms and bathrooms are very clean and tidy. The way the beds and rooms are organized is crafty and novel, allowing a lot of people to stay at the hostel in comfort.
At first the mattress felt quite saggy and the pillow felt quite solid, but we had an amazing night’s rest! The sheets were clean and soft and the bunk beds well-maintained (minimal jiggling and virtually no squeaking). The rooms each sleep a lot of people, but the rooms are cleverly divided into sections with half walls, which allows for a bit of privacy and cuts down on noise from other guests. One note, the doors to the rooms do not lock, which makes the free lockers in the rooms a very useful amenity.
The bathrooms are attached to the large rooms and have a number of individual shower stalls and toilet stalls. There is a row of sinks and a long mirror, with plugs on either end for hair dryers or shavers. The staff strongly urge guests to not plug in their electronics to charge (there are few if any plugs in the dorms outside of the bathrooms), and allow electronics to be plugged in and monitored at reception. The shower was good, with steady hot water. The stalls are private and clean but very well-used.
Common Spaces
Check-in is 7 a.m. to midnight, check-out is by 10 a.m. -- both are fast and easy. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and very willing to answer questions. Some of the house rules include no eating/drinking alcohol in the dorms, vacating the hostel from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for cleaning, and using the free lockers in the rooms to store luggage and belongings. If you’re carrying a lot of stuff or large, heavy baggage, be aware that there are enormous flights of stairs leading to each floor.
When the hostel says things accompany a “nominal fee” they actually mean nominal -- the fees are the some of the most reasonable we’ve encountered in any hostel in Europe. Almost everything is a few Euro or less, including luggage storage after departure, twelve hours of Wi-Fi internet access, drinks and snacks from the vending machine, and the additional charge for guests who are not members of Hostelling International.
The common area is a great place to have a meal and meet interesting people from all over the world. The guests appear to be primarily young people, both individuals and large groups. Vending machines provide all manner of snacks, as well as both hot and cold drinks. Breakfast (which is included) lasts until 10 a.m. and comes with two fresh rolls, a sweet spread, and a variety of hot drinks and juices. The coffee drinks come from a machine but have a nice foamy texture and are full flavored (not watery). We especially loved the blood orange juice.
Summary
Ostello Venezia does not rest on the fact that it is practically the only option in Venice for travelers looking to stay in a hostel. The atmosphere is friendly and vibrant, the location is beautiful and convenient, and the facilities are well kept and brilliantly organized. The incredible value, from the room charge to the amenities fees, is surprising. It's a great place to meet people and enjoy the city on a budget!
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
May 2010
Their Description
HI - Venice - Ostello Venezia Hostel Details
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HI - Venice - Ostello Venezia Hostel Reviews from the WebHostelz.com Guest Reviews
More like a prison than a hostel This place has the atmosphere of a prison (dorm just doesn't cut it). It's horribly institutional. The service is poor. The "breakfast" is coffee and a roll (you have to pay extra for anything else). The bed's were ok but the bathrooms were on the dirty side. — Lindsey (2008-12-08) It's not as inconvenient as it may seem. One boat ride from the train station will get you there. They go frequently and it stops practically in front of the hostel. If you're going to be there three days (even two) it's better to buy the three-day boat pass as soon as you arrive. You will be using the boats often to get to Venice attractions and it pays for itself after a few rides. Being at the hostel was very pleasant. The evening meals were very good at the hostel and you can pick up food supplies at a small supermarket less than a five-minute walk from the hostel. Another nice thing was that the lights were turned off centrally about 11 p.m. eliminating the all too frequent problem at hostels of people coming in very late and turning the lights back on when others are trying to sleep. Overall, a very good experience here. — Richard , USA (2007-05-24) Don't stay here. Its location is off the main island and a water bus costs 5 euros to get there from the station. They have a curfew so you cant really go out anywhere. The breakfast was shocking, a roll, a jam, and coffee with off milk. The rooms are so noisy because they are mass holding rooms. Felt like cattle. The bathrooms are also connected so you're kept up my showers and hair dryers morning and night. The staff are rude and unhelpful. The boy, girl division makes it impossible for families or couples i would think. Toilets with no seat, showers with no doors, queues for a shower in the morning were a mile long. Only two computers and they had no internet cards while we were there. Surely the hostel should have access to its own (advertised) internet. Not worth it, stay on the main island. — Bini (2006-11-25) Pretty naff and empty. This place was pretty basic -- no seats on the toilets (believe it!), massive rooms which felt like converted warehouses, lots of stairs, and no lift. Only positives were that you can buy beer there til 11 p.m., and the location which was really not that distant (10 minutes to Piazza San Marco). I don't regret staying here, because there's so much to see and spend money on in Venice, so you may as well save money on a cheap hostel. — ChrisJ (2006-09-17) Average hostel in Venice. Stayed there for one night. Hostel is not situated in the central island, so you have to cross the channel in order to move in Giudecca Island. Thankfully there is night transportation with vaporettos. Dormitory for eighteen persons (only male), rather hot for summer time with military type double beds. Lockers were very good, big with no pad needed. Toilets/Showers were rather good. Breakfast/meals are available if you pay. Machine with snacks and internet machines are also available. Seems that they had some kind of curfew because returning after midnight, central door was locked and the receptionist who finally opened make a comment about. Staff behave rather professional, but they are not that friendly. — Andrew (2006-07-22) True that my bathroom did not have toilet seats. Also, the dorms are not exactly sixteen-person because all the dorms on each floor are connected, so it's really like a sixty-four-person dorm or whatever. Staff was congenial. I mean, it was actually pretty clean despite its shortcomings and it was very cheap. You can't expect much more at twenty bucks a night. Location was a bit whack too though, not on the connected set of islands, last ride there is around midnight (when the hostel locks down). — hosteller ch, it, swe, fi, dk (2006-07-13) I have no strong negative opinions about any of the hostels I stayed in my three weeks travelling through Europe, however this particular hostel was a complete nightmare. The two people working behind the desk insisted we buy a membership card to stay at the hostel which made our one night stay approximately forty euros each. After meeting our roomates we found they were asked to leave their passports at the front desk instead of paying for the card. We immediately asked for an explanation and the employees denied that they would let anyone off without buying one. One of our roomates agreed to come downstairs and tell them herself that she did not have to pay, and they explained that it was since we booked online and prepaid for the night (we wouldn't refuse to pay and leave as we would lose the $ we already paid for the night). As the hostel has strange hours of operation -- and you must be out of the hostel when its "not open" -- my friend and I were intruded upon in the bathroom and told to get out of the hostel. The employees turn the lights off at approximately ten-thirty p.m. and since my friend had already gone down to ask them to turn the lights off, it was my turn at eleven-fifteen to go down to the front desk and ask why the lights were still on. The person behind the desk sneered at me and said he didn't work there. We loved Venice -- so beautiful, but if you want to enjoy everything about your stay I strongly advise you to book a different hostel. I feel people expect the worst from hostels and get pleasantly surprised when they have a nice stay, but I just don't see that happening at this one. — Whitney (2006-06-22) I didn't ask much of this place, but still found myself disappointed. Aside from the lack of toilet seats, the place is in fine shape. Beds are comfortable, roof over my head, locker for my bag. The reason I rate this hostel with a two is because the service is poor. There was one night where my water-bus was taking a long long time to get back to the hostel and I arrived at the doors of the hostel at midnight just after two people had gone in, and the doors were locked. I pounded on the window and the worker came to the door and made fun of me. Then when he let me in he yelled at me for being out past cerfew. Other examples of bad service are the manner in which you reserve your room. After waiting in a long line you are not guaranteed to get a room. And the ability of the staff to speak English is not certain, I fortunately speak Italian as well, though some of their staff didn't speak that either. — Ryan (2006-06-08) The place was ok, but had a definite 'dorm' feel to it, and was not friendly at all. The rooms were really crowded, and the bathrooms were a bit dirty. Several people had stuff stolen from the rooms while I was staying there, so be careful about your belonging. The 'breakfast' is pretty minimal -- coffee and a store-bought roll. — Anon (2006-05-20) It was the worst hostel that I ever stayed. The people who work there are the most stupid employee that I ever Known... I will never go back there, and I ADVISE to NO ONE GO THERE either. There is no security there (my girlfriend was stolen inside the hostel)... the breakfast is terrible (you just receive 1 old bread, butter, and can choose between a horrible chocolate, awful coffee or a watery cappuccino. The employees disrespect all foreign guests, special american, japanese,french, and brazilian... There you have no autonomy: you have to sleep at 0:00, because they switch off all the lights, and you have to wake up until 9:30, because you have to leave to hostel, for cleanning... if you don't go out, they literally force you out...
So,the STAFF are STUPID, there is no security and no comfort.... so , you decide if you really want to go there... — Renato (2006-02-14) I was actually happy to see that other people thought this hostel was poor (I thought maybe I was overreacting.... but obviously not). The staff are extremely RUDE! I have never seen a group of people who are so arrogant before in my life. Also the toilets have no seat...what the??? And the bathrooms look as though they have never been cleaned (the men's bathrooms smell of urine). I love Venice and will definitely be back, but next time I will get a cheap hotel. — BG (2005-11-10) By far the worst and most expensive hostel I've stayed in. No toilet seats, dirty showers without doors, the breakfast is worthless, very noisy, no ambience, unfriendly staff, no brochures or information available for travelers, uncomfortable beds, the floors hadn't been vacuumed in ages, bedbugs/mosquitoes left us scratching our way through the night, and no towels for rent or loan. It might work for the middle-aged traveler (who appeared to be the primary occupant) or for large groups (rooms of 16 beds) but for young backpackers, who are used to friendly, accommodating hostels skip this military barracks and find something else. — Morgan (2005-10-31) This place has no toilet seats. I like the location. And Venice. But even after trying to use the toilet without a seat you are confronted by a wall of curtain-less showers filled with old blokes. The showers have nowhere to hang clothes or even a towel so they get soaked. We had a bunch of noisy Eurotrash German schoolboys with noisier, trashier teachers filling our dorm. Although the dorms are subdivided into cubicles the roof space is open so you hear everything on the whole floor. Including loud use of the toilets without seats. There are no common areas and it is impossible to meet people because everyone looks sadly at the floor. Beds are like hammocks. Breakfast is one sad bread roll and the worst cappuccino in Venice. I'm currently waiting to get back into the place where I stupidly left my bags in a (2.50-euro!) locker which I can't access till 1330 (1:30 p.m.) because they lock the entire building. This place has so much potential but the management couldn't give stuff. — Pete (2005-10-12) The cool thing about this hostel was the location...the island of Giudecca. Very peaceful, amazing sunsets, and let's face it, riding the water bus never gets old!! BUT the hostel isn't very friendly...the common area appeared to be actually part of the restaurant, because the cook snapped at us every time we tried to eat our own food there. Anyway, it was decently clean, and the beds weren't gross, so I can't complain too much. It did the job. — Maghan (2005-09-25) I visited this hostel in March 2005 and I have positive and negative remarks. It's indeed fairly clean, I expected very bad food, but it was not that bad, and you get free water during dinner. (Except for breakfast, it's very, very poor!) The bathrooms are basic: why do the showers only have half-a-door??!! It would be more relaxing if you had more privacy.
We were visiting Venice in group (art and music students) and if you made "a deal" with the staff you could stay in the common room as long as you wanted (and drink). I also find there are stupid rules. I can understand them if it concerns younger people, under 16, but when you are 20-plus than you go to bed and go out whenever you want. So the rules about the curfew and everything and stupid.
Of course it's a rather cheap place, but if they change a few things it could be a nicer place. Greetings. — Stefaan (2005-03-29)