San Moisé in Venice

Review of Hotel San Moisè, Venice, Italy

The location of this hotel is excellent — it’s close to many main attractions, which makes exploring Venice very convenient. However, our overall experience was disappointing.

We only stayed here for two nights, yet we still experienced several issues. We arrived early from the US and were told we couldn’t check in yet, which was understandable. But when we came back later to sit and wait, the lady at the front desk (short hair) was quite rude, saying, “You heard me say check-in was at 2,” in a way that made us feel uncomfortable and unwelcome.

The room looked exactly like the photos online, but in person it felt much darker and dingier. The room itself smelled fine, but the beds were uncomfortable. The hallways, however, had a musty smell and could definitely use some air fresheners. Another issue was with the bathroom layout — the toilet paper holder and towel rack both stick into the shower area, so they get soaked every time the water is on. A simple relocation of the toilet paper holder would make a big difference.

When we asked for ice in the evening, we were rudely told it wasn’t available, which was disappointing and inconvenient. The key system is also frustrating — you have to drop off and pick up your key at the front desk (located in a separate building) every time you leave or return to your room.

On a positive note, the young bellboy who helped us with our luggage and cleaned our room was excellent — friendly, polite, and hardworking. The lady with the dark ponytail was also very polite and welcoming; she was setting up the breakfast in the morning, which was arranged nicely, and the food was decent. Both of them showed genuine professionalism and kindness.

It’s disappointing that in just two nights we encountered so many issues. With such a great location, this hotel has potential, but the service and overall experience really need improvement.

Rating -1000/10
Please don’t waste your money… this place was a nightmare. I don’t ever complain or write negative reviews but I have to say something because this was unacceptable. We were taken out of the main part of the hotel where we checked in to another entrance down the street and when entering we were taken aback by the pungent, musty smell. I can’t even describe how strong it was. After going up several flights of stairs, the outside of our room was surrounded by a bunch of random beds and clutter lining the upstairs area. Really unprofessional and I felt like we were put into some kind of attic storage room. The room itself was dark and dingy, again with a terrible musty smell. The walls were splattered with some kind of stains and dirt. The “king” bed was two twin pushed together and they felt like concrete slabs with cardboard over them. You’re given one sheet with an old thin top covering that I don’t think is meant to actually use. Worst sleep of my life. Bathroom was gross with an old stained shower curtain. Paid over $200 US dollars per night for what felt like a hostel. Extremely disappointed..

Had to sleep a night in a room with insects. The reception said: "but these insects are harmless" and "these insects are all over the city". I had to go to the reception at 1 AM to get supplies to clean them. The walls are absolutely infested with these insects. Isn't cleanliness the responsibility of the hotel? My little brother got an allergic reaction because of how much dust came off the AC that didn't even cool! After initially posting this the owner of the hotel chain forcibly made me remove these pictures otherwise he wouldn't put us in a different room. Booking gave us only €45 compensation. I demanded to shorten our stay and get the money back for the night we didn't stay. We couldn't get our money back. They were so rude! I paid premium price levels to stay here. There are so many things I could mention but most importantly; AVOID THIS PLACE. Do yourself a favor and please book with known hotel chains. The extra few bucks will save you a nightmare like this.