Foresteria Valdese

Hard to find, but so beautiful -- near S. Maria Formosa, San Marco, canals, little grocery shops. You always feel a little lost but so cut off from the crazy tourist bustle. It was almost like we were the only people there. No lockout is great, one can wander all night (Venice completely shuts down at about seven p.m., and then you have the city to yourself).

Bizarre, faded, quaint and delightful — if simply because you are sleeping in Venice with a view of the canal, and it feels like you don't quite belong there, or perhaps that you can't be seen by anybody else there and you're a ghost or something.

I had a wonderful time there in November of 1999.

This was a great place to stay. It seemed more like a hotel because there was no lockout and you could come and go as you pleased without ringing a doorbell or anything like that. The showers were great, plenty of hot water and good water pressure (and no push buttons, YEAH!!!). It is basic but it has everything you need and is very, very clean. It is also in a quaint location. But yes, it is hard to find, like everything else in this amazing place. But that's what makes it an adventure!

Venice was really expensive, but this hostel was a good deal. For young backpackers it may not be ideal. There is a lockout everyday for cleaning, separate male and female dorms (four bunk beds), quiet hours starting at 11 p.m., and limited reception hours. If you can live with all that it is a very nice place to stay. It has a great location once you find it (we found all of Venice hard to navigate). It's clean and comfortable, and we found the staff friendly. We called the day we arrived to check if they had beds available. Over all a nice place to stay.

The location of this hostel can't be beat — a quick walk to Piazza San Marco. We stayed in a private room with a porch (kind of falling apart), but the fresco above our bed made up for it. It was very reasonable for the price. We spent most of time outside the room anyway, and it was nice not to have to commute to Lido like many others traveling in our budget range.

I stayed in this hostel in August and September and loved it. I thought the bathrooms were great – I didn't have any problems. There were huge lockers as well, and a real chance to get to know other people, as well as the beautiful view. The only problem was that our friend had to stay in a different room (no co-ed rooms, of course) and his room wasn't nearly up to the standard of ours. He had a tiny locker, too (valued highly!). This place is really difficult to find, though. Don't take a waterbus because everything's within walking distance, and getting lost in Venice is excellent. The breakfast that was provided meant we only bought one meal a day.

Fantastic location! This hostel has a brilliant view, with a balcony right over the canal! It's very secure — it has three locks and a video security system. However, the lockers are just small cubbyholes. The bathrooms sucked — only one shower had hot water, and they all had serious funk. There's a very social atmosphere at breakfast. Did I mention the excellent location?

We stayed here, based on the good references from this website. The hostel was advertised as pretty nice, and the 'frescos' on the roof seemed really cool. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be the case. The staff here are basically non-existent. They have a tiny office in the base of the building, and you never see a hostel member around. No one to ask questions to, no one to help you understand stuff. The bathrooms were pretty disgusting, smelt quite a bit. The location is a real drawback. They should get a better map on the website to help people find it. It's a real task to get there. No signs on the streets, and no clear indication of ways to get there. Its a pretty anti-social hostel. No one really talks, and this isn't helped by the cramped and somewhat gloomy dorms. I guess it's down to luck on this one.

Nice hostel. It's clean with a good breakfast and is near San Marco.

This place was great. Good location very clean, and the staff were very nice. The only anoying point was the lock out till 6:00. When I go to Venice again I will stay there.

I stayed there in October 2003. It was a quiet night. I liked the breakfast here a lot. Free coffee is also good. The location is excellent. Except the part that you can't reserve it. You have to be fast to get the bed. It's almost always full. BTW, I love Venice.

This hostel is awesome. The staff were very friendly and helpful, the rooms were clean and tidy, it was a quiet area and so central to all the main tourist parts of venice. I'd definitely come here again. We also did have hot water and clean toilets/bathrooms. Very easy to meet other travellers also.

We didn't end up staying at this hostel because the receptionist was the rudest woman we had encountered in our four months of travel. The location was fine and it looked clean enough but as we waited at reception others were leaving to escape the very down, negative atmosphere created by the staff. Venice is a magical place but this hostel didn't hold any of that charm.

This hostel is great. The staff are really friendly and helpful. The place is very clean and the breakfast is really good. Free tea and coffee 24 hours and free luggage store even for the next day. The place is very quiet and the salon is very good for meeting new people from all over the world. I'll stay in this hostel whenever I'm in Venice. It's also near to San Marco. Venice is a great city and this hostel is also great.