on December 16, 2006
On arrival, we were given a very warm welcome by Gianni, who explained about the hotel and gave us maps with the phone number of the hotel in case we got lost during our stay and needed rescuing.
My friend and I both had double rooms for single use, at an excellent 'Winter Special' rate of 72 euros a night, incl. breakfast. We chose superior rooms as we didn't want to pay for canal view deluxe rooms but we were very pleased with what we got. They were beautifully furnished, spotlessly clean and the large beds were comfortable. There was plenty of wardrobe space, an electronic safe big enough to accommodate my laptop, a suitcase rack and a minibar/fridge. The TV had CNN and BBC World in English. The marble bathrooms were lovely with full baths and efficient showers.
Breakfast was the usual continental buffet and was served in two pretty rooms at the back of the hotel. Each morning we were greeted by a lovely smiling lady who made sure there was ample food for everyone.
The cosy bar is adjacent to the front desk and there are also tables and chairs outside where you can sit and watch the world go by on the Grand Canal. There is a free Internet terminal in the lobby for guests' use and free broadband Internet is also available in the rooms if you have your own laptop.
I have been to Venice before, and stayed in a hotel with more stars, but for future trips, I will always choose the Antiche Figure.
What makes this hotel so special is the staff - Alessandro (the Manager), Francesca and Gianni on the front desk, the lovely men who served us in the bar in the evenings and the friendly lady who cleaned our rooms. Nothing was too much trouble and they offered extra touches that make you feel like a truly valued guest. For instance, I didn't have the correct cable for my laptop so Alessandro lent me one for the duration of my stay; when it was raining, we were offered hotel umbrellas without asking; it was pouring when we left but Alessandro came out with us, right to the water taxi and helped us on board with our luggage.
