The hotel occupies a long strip of land with water at both ends: the massive north lagoon at the garden end, and a narrow canal at the main entrance. The vaporetto stop 'Orto' (Madonna del Orto) is very nearby, on the lagoon, perhaps 5-10 minutes walk with your luggage - on wheels, I hope!. There is no hotel shuttle service, either from the airport, or to San Marco, despite what you may read in other reviews. The staff were pleasant enough, but not exactly helpful. I needed an adaptor, but was met with shrugged shoulders, 'no can do'. The breakfast area is very pleasing, in a permanent tented gazebo construction in the garden. The breakfasts were adequate, but not really of 5 star quality. The breakfast waitresses were pleasant. The architecture is interesting, with some magnificent first floor salons, in the grand Venetian style. The garden is an absolute delight, with a sizeable ancient ice-house amongst the lush foliage. (The echoes in there were amazing.) Very comfortable sunbeds; idyllic really. So peaceful and relaxing. The Canareggio area is not in the main tourist drag. It is quiet and authentic - Venetians live there; that means no Gondolas or tat stalls, (although these are not far away if that's what you want) The main difficulty we had was that the Air Conditioning does not work; as we were shown our room, it was obvious that it was over heated, and I told the porter that it was too hot (August temperatures must be in the 90s F) I also rang down to reception within the hour to complain that the AC was not working, but it was never fixed. It made plenty of noise, but did not cool the room at all. It was desperately uncomfortable, and we didn't dare open the windows (it was too hot outside anyway) but the mosquitoes would have got in - and they are savage. We requested an electric fan, which arrived quickly, and made it slightly more bearable. The room was small, but adequate. Nice bathroom and toiletries, good bathrobes, excellent towels, changed every day. as were the sheets. If the management do something about the Air Con, this would be a fantastic place to stay. As it is, I could not advise anyone to go there during the hot weather. Sad really, cos this could be a truly wonderful hotel.

I’ve read some negative reviews and nothing in them chimes with my experiences. I’ve always had excellent service - but I noticed this time it was exceptionally good and they issued questionnaires at the end, so I suspect Boscolo has taken to heart the negative reviews and they’re now bending over backwards.
Whether you’ll like it depends on what you want. This is a 17th century palace with an intimate feel, and a long, walled garden of century-old trees, winding gravel paths, roses tumbling over pergolas and a covered jetty to watch sunset over the lagoon. You will not get this anywhere else in Venice. The staff are efficient, attentive and kind without being stuffy. Anyone would enjoy the architecture, which is airy and sumptuous. But if gardens don't really touch your heart, maybe this isn't for you.
The hotel is not close to St Mark’s square but neither is it located in some dingy backwater. You’re less than 10 minutes walk from the Rialto Bridge. Or jump on the free hotel launch, which leaves regularly for St Mark’s from the jetty. Or you’re a short walk away from a vaporetto on the Grand Canal. If you’re buying a vaporetto pass anyway, this is no extra expense and a joy. Or you can walk to St Mark’s in about 20-25 mins – and it’s a beautiful walk because this is Venice! The area itself is quiet and like a fishing village. It's also perfect for visiting Murano and the other islands – and the Murano trip is free. However, if you want to be right next to St Mark’s all day, everyday and can’t wait for the free hotel launch, and the vaporetto is too slow or too pricey and you hate to walk (you hate to walk and you’re going to VENICE?) then you’d be better off choosing somewhere in the thick of St Mark’s.
(NB: Arriving is very simple from the airport. Take the boat, Alilaguna, Orange line to Orto, and you’re 4 mins walk from the hotel. But it’s fiddly, so download a map off the internet first. Or write down the address and ask someone.)
Service and room. I’ve always had a pretty, modest sized room, its bathroom appointed with enough lotions and potions to satisfy Cleopatra. But if you book for the autumn or spring and they’re full and there’s little choice of rooms, then if it would kill you to have a modest-sized room instead of a huge one (Why? What do people do in it, throw a party?) maybe you'll have a problem. However, high season in Venice will give you that problem in most places. If they’re NOT full, the staff will show you every room available and will listen to your needs. But you’ll get on best if you’re courteous, too. This is Italy.
Eating. For most packages breakfast is included, and it’s the standard huge sweep of buffet. Dinner in the restaurant is not cheap – but the food is SUPERB (do NOT believe the reviews that say it isn't!) but anyway there’s loads of little restaurants a couple of minutes walk away.
Summary. The staff are attentive, courteous, friendly and efficient. But if you require American-style 5-star service with duty managers wall to wall and a front-desk clerk to holler ‘AND HOW ARE YOU TODAY?’, go somewhere else. I recommend Manhattan. This hotel is paradise. And if beauty isn’t your thing, why would you choose Venice?

I stayed at this hotel in April and was completely disappointed. Firstly, anyone who travels to Europe will know that there is a big difference between a five-star hotel in the USA and a five-star hotel in Europe. For novices, basically most five-star hotels in Europe are equalivalant to a basic four-star hotel in the USA and Canada.

As others mentioned the lobby of this hotel is impressive and features beautiful murano glass chandaliers and cozy sitting areas. The lobby definitely commands a fine welcome. I found the registration staff to be typically Italian - polished, good looking and terribly inept not to mention rude.

My room looked remotely like the photographs depicted on the hotel's website. Yes, the decor was grand, border line tacky, but small even by European standards. The housekeeping service was inconsistant and shabby.

On a positive note, the bar/lounge is great and the service was nice, not excpetional.

All in all, would probably not recommend this hotel.

Spacious, quiet and bright in a city where all three are hard to find in combination, this property has consistently impressed us over three visits in as many years. The rooms range from the relatively inexpensive and small (our first stay in one of them featured a view of Madonna del'Orto from the marble bathroom!) to grand, garden suites with original frescoes; all have access to a beautiful garden where an impressive breakfast buffet is served daily. The best feature by far is its isolation in the Cannarregio district, which is peopled by locals, not tourists. The walk to the Rialto Bridge and beyond is only slightly longer than it would be from better known hotels at the center of things to their detriment. Our single dinner here was satisfactory but pricey, and one can do better elsewhere. But consistently gracious service and the rooms, with updated Venetian decor and peaceful garden/water views, set this property apart from even pricier alternatives.