Santa Croce 495, Venice, Italy | (888) 616-5829
Close to railway station Grand Canal
Variety of rooms, some with canal views and exposed wooden beams
Quintessentially Venetian meeting room
Free and abundant continental breakfast
Free Wi-Fi throuhgout
Free luggage storage
TV in the lobby
Rooms lack minibars and TVs
Some rooms have shared bathrooms
Far from St Mark's Square
Fee for parking
Casa Sant'Andrea sits on a quiet canal-facing street, a short walk from Venice’s Santa Lucia Railway Station and the Grand Canal. This 16th-century building was once a monastery, but is now an affordable two-pearl alternative to the larger properties found in the oftentimes crowded San Marco area. There are 29 air-conditioned rooms spread over three floors; some face the canal and have original features such as exposed wood-beam ceilings. Be warned that some rooms have shared bathrooms. A free continental breakfast is included, as is Wi-Fi, and there's a meeting room for business travelers that has typical Venetian decor, with exposed wooden beams and Murano chandeliers.
Scene
Quiet and low-key budget hotel right by the water
The Casa Sant'Andrea is housed in a grand white stucco building with quaint arched windows that sits right by the water. The lobby isn't typically Venetian -- it could be anywhere in the world with its generic wood accents and catalogue furniture. There aren't many public spaces inside the hotel, apart from the meeting room, which is typically Venetian with wooden beams and Murano chandeliers. As a smaller property, the Casa Sant'Andrea doesn't get big groups, and the ambience in the lobby is quiet and low-key. Most guests tend to be middle-aged or older tourists in search of a convenient, comfortable location that's easy on the wallet.
Location
In the Santa Croce neighborhood, a good 30-minutes' walk to St Mark's Square.
Santa Croce is an area of contrasting vibes, and there's a gorgeous little square -- Campo San Giacomo dell'Orio -- a 15-minute walk from the hotel. The square sits in front of a church -- San Giacomo dall'Orio -- and in the evenings, the area comes alive with tango dancers and locals who sit on the benches to watch children play. St Mark's Square takes 30-minutes to get to on foot and this isn't a district with many major sights. The area is far less touristy than San Marco but it's easy enough to walk everywhere. The 10th-century Church of San Giacomo del'Orrio is a 15-minute walk from the hotel and the Saint Lucia Railway Station takes under 10 minutes to reach by foot.
Rooms
Simple and comfortable rooms that lack TVs and minibars
All rooms are air-conditioned and have simple furniture and windows that open, some out onto a nearby canal. Rooms lack extras such as TVs and minibars, but beds are reportedly comfortable and Wi-Fi is free. Both en-suite rooms and rooms with shared bathrooms are available. Bathrooms in en-suites are tiny, as is the norm in Venice, with bidets, walk-in showers, wall-mounted hairdryers, and basic toiletries. Some of the rooms have views over the canal; these also tend to be the noisiest, but the area doesn’t have much nightlife in the immediate vicinity so it doesn’t pose a problem for most guests.
Features
Free and varied continental breakfast, TV in the lobby, and meeting room with classic Venetian styling
Casa Sant'Andrea's offers a free continental breakfast with a variety of breads and spreads, as well as cereal, cheeses, and meats. There’s no restaurant on-site although there is coffee and tea available, and there's a television in the lobby. The breakfast room just off the lobby looks a little dated but is cozy and welcoming, and has a huge coffee machine where guests can help themselves. The hotel has a lovely Venetian-style meeting room with a stucco ceiling and exposed beams that has space for about 60 people.