Generator Venice

This hip hostel from the Generator chain attracts young guests -- most are under 25 -- but it’s not unusual to see couples over 50 as well as student groups in their teens. While it’s in a quiet setting away from the bustle of the main island, this hostel can get lively in the evenings as guests settle in for the night around the bar area. The former grain warehouse circa 1855 is a treat for design enthusiasts, but all guests tend to find the interiors striking and stylish. The open-plan lobby/restaurant/bar area is spacious and eclectic, with antiques and colorful vintage furniture, heavy velvet drapes in rich greens and reds, and distinctive mosaic tile and hardwood floors. Original wood beams as well as exposed brick walls and ducts running along the ceiling blend rustic style with an industrial vibe, while the whimsical design accents mix old and new in a fun and funky, shabby-chic way. 

The Generator Hostel Venice is located on Giudecca island and is accessible from the mainland by boat only. Fortunately, the hostel is situated directly on the waterfront, a minutes' walk from a vaporetto (water taxi) stop. Many of Venice’s most popular attractions are directly across the lagoon. Giudecca offers a quiet refuge from the crush of tourists in Venice. There are some other hotels and a few restaurants within a brief walk of the hostel. Travel times to the mainland, including St. Mark’s Square, Doge's Palace, and the Guggenheim Collection, is about 15 minutes. The Rialto Bridge is 20 minutes away, while Saint Lucia train station, the Grand Canal entrance, and Piazzale Roma bus terminal all take about 25 to 30 minutes. Venice's Marco Polo Airport is approximately an hour away. 

Generator Hostel Venice offers 235 beds contained in 29 separate rooms, with a choice of private rooms and shared dorms that have from four to 16 beds. Some of the shared rooms are for women only. Private rooms have en-suite bathrooms, as do some of the shared rooms (others utilize shared facilities). All rooms have enough space for comfort, but are not overly spacious. They're clean and generally well maintained as the result of a renovation in 2013, with simple yet pleasing decor. Walls are painted white or beige, but there is some exposed brick as well as original wood beams across the high ceilings. Floors are hardwood plank, and blackout blinders cover the windows, which open and offer views of surrounding buildings or the waterfront. Shared rooms have simple gray metal bunks as well as some single twin beds in larger dorms. All beds, which guests report to be comfortable, have reading lights and power plugs, but there's not much else in the dorm rooms besides the metal lock boxes beneath the beds. Private rooms offer desks with chairs as well as leather armchairs. 

Bathrooms are bright and clean, though average in size. Some of the white acrylic vanities have double sinks. Showers are small inserts with frosted glass doors, while toilets are in separate spaces. The rooms are generally quiet, but as a hostel, noise is often heard from doors closing and people coming and going. 

Generator Hostel Venice provides several stylish extra features, starting with dining. The hostel has a full-service restaurant and bar on-site, offering both a buffet and a la carte items for breakfast (not included in room rates), as well as serving lunch and dinner. The bar is open daily and features happy hour specials. There's also a travel shop that sells toiletries and other sundries. The reception desk is staffed 24/7 and guests can book various tours here. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property. Luggage storage is available, and laundry facilities are on-site, but there are no kitchen facilities that guests can use to store and prepare their own food.