Locanda Antico Fiore

Hotel Description

You know, I stumbled upon Locanda Antico Fiore almost by accident during a rainy April trip to Venice – I’d just hopped off the vaporetto at San Marco Vallaresso, dodging the usual throngs of day-trippers spilling out from Piazza San Marco, and decided to weave through the back calli to avoid the crowds. It’s tucked away on San Marco 3486, right in the heart of the district, but honestly, it feels like a quiet little secret amidst all that bustle. The building itself is this charming 18th-century palazzo – think faded frescoes on the walls and those creaky wooden shutters that rattle gently when the wind picks up off the canal. Walking up to it, you catch that faint, briny scent of the lagoon mixed with espresso from the nearby cafes on Campo Santo Stefano, just a stone’s throw away. Check-in was a breeze; the owner – this warm, chatty guy named Marco – greeted me like an old friend, even though it was pushing 10 PM and I’d shown up soaked from the drizzle. No fuss, no long lines like at those big chain spots near the Rialto; he just handed over the key and pointed out the tiny elevator that, well, sort of wheezes its way up to the third floor.

What really won me over, though, was how the place balances that old-world Venetian vibe with just enough modern comforts to make you feel at home – I mean, it’s a 4-star spot with an 8.3 rating for a reason, but it’s not trying to be flashy. My room overlooked a narrow rio (that’s a small canal, for the uninitiated), and mornings started with the soft lap of water against the stones below, plus birds chirping from the rooftops – a far cry from the honking vaporettos you’d hear if you stayed right on the Grand Canal. The bed was plush, with those crisp linens that smell faintly of lavender, but fair warning, the rooms are on the cozy side; my suitcase barely fit under the antique armoire without a bit of shoving. Breakfast is served in this sunny courtyard – fresh cornetti, cappuccino strong enough to wake the dead, and prosciutto that’s sliced paper-thin – and it’s included, which is a lifesaver in pricey Venice. Oh, and if you’re into culture, you’re steps from La Fenice opera house; I caught a show there one night and strolled back in under five minutes, no taxi needed. That said, it can get a tad noisy in high season (think July-August) with tourists chattering below, but earplugs sorted that out for me – nothing major.

All in all, if you’re after an authentic slice of Venice without the sterile hotel chain feel, this is your spot. It’s not perfect – the Wi-Fi can be spotty in the back rooms, and there’s no parking (duh, it’s Venice), so pack light for the walk from the station – but that’s part of the charm, right? You’ll save a bundle compared to those over-the-top places on the piazza, and honestly, waking up to that canal view beats any generic luxury. I’d go back in a heartbeat, especially off-season when the whole San Marco area quiets down after dark. Just remember to book ahead; spots like this fill up fast with folks who know the real deal.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $123. Superior Double Room with 1 single bed and 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $123. Large Double Room with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $137. Double Room with Canal View with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $137. Double Room with Canal View with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $151. Suite with 1 large double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 4
• Estimated price from: $101. Small Single Room – Attic with 1 single bed for Max persons: 1

Reviews

• Very good – Surbhi from United Arab Emirates – 11 June 2025 (8/10)

  Great location, clean & spacious, nice staff
  
  What could be improved: Everything was great except the air conditioning

• Very good – Madeleine from New Zealand – 20 May 2025 (8/10)

  The staff are exceptionally helpful and very friendly.
  Rooms are small but comfortable and exceptionally clean
  
  What could be improved: There is no lift with lots of steps. I did manage. It's just a heads up for older travelers

• Great weekend in Venice. – Sanni from Netherlands – 16 March 2025 (9/10)

  Great location and wonderful staff. Room was spacious, clean and warm. Close to Moro cafe with lovely breakfast and pastries. Will come back!

• Great location, welcoming, authentic and roomy – Aisling from Ireland – 28 February 2025 (9/10)

  No breakfast, we wasted 45 minutes looking for the breakfast or a staff member. Turns out you don't get breakfast if you book thru booking.com
  Everything else was lovely and it's in a great location, really authentic building with canal at the door!
  
  What could be improved: Better communication about the breakfast which we requested when we booked

• Superb – Zoe from Canada – 10 December 2024 (9/10)

  Great location, easy to get to by boat from the train station.
  Check in process was very easy.
  
  What could be improved: N/A

• Superb – Hugh-chazalon from France – 26 November 2024 (9/10)

  Location, comfortable and nice deco, large bed, large room,
  
  What could be improved: A bit damp smell in room 6

• Fantastic stay in beautiful Venice – Maria from United Kingdom – 20 November 2024 (9/10)

  The location is absolutely perfect! The staff extremely friendly and helpful. The place is charming, close to the boat transfer to the airport and the main line of the vaporetto. Also close to St Marks Square, Accademia and Rialto. You can easily walk everywhere. There's also a water fountain nearby meaning I hardly had to buy any water.
  
  What could be improved: Going up and down the narrow stairs, but this is unavoidable in Venice. It's a historical city, so the places don't have state of the art amenities unless you go to the super upscale 5 star hotels but then you will also pay for it.

• Full of Venetian charm with attentive staff – Emma from United Kingdom – 12 November 2024 (9/10)

  Beautiful hotel full of traditional Venetian charm. The location is ideal, central to main tourist areas with Rialto one way and St Marks the other. A lovely square with reasonable restaurants serving delicious food just round the corner.
  The staff are so pleasant and helpful. If you arrive later on you access via. Code and they leave your key & a letter for you. The information is so clear. Reception is on the first floor. On entrance go straight up unless you have booked the suite which is ground floor and your key and letter will be there.
  The rooms were just what we needed, nice space a good size bathroom for Venice standards, comfortable and very clean.
  Shower cap, soap & shampoo/body wash left in the bathroom.
  Mini fridge with a beer, soft drink & water provided.
  The beer wasn’t replenished after the first day. So we bought more and replaced the one we had. There’s space for more drinks.
  Air conditioning provided. It wasn’t the best ever but it wasn’t super hot so not an issue. The suite had a newer mobile air conditioner which was better.
  Breakfast is continental with croissant, eggs. Fruit, hot drinks and some fruit juices. Served in the small reception area.
  My son slept in the pull out bed in the double room. He’s just shy of six foot and was comfortable. The double room had plenty of wardrobe and drawers space. This room overall was very roomy.
  My parents had the suite and sister & daughter shared the pull out beds in the suite. They said the beds were comfortable too. These beds do take up a lot of the floor space in this room.
  We had an hour before our taxi and they let us hang around in the small reception area/breakfast room. This was great as the water taxi stop has no seating. Venice in general doesn’t have many public seating/benches.
  
  What could be improved: The suite didn’t really have enough storage to unpack for 4 people for 3 nights. It wasn’t a huge issue. They just didn’t unpack everything and used their suitcases. The double is more spacious.
  There is no luggage storage but you can leave in reception. It does just mean your luggage isn’t very secure.
  There is a water door but it’s unlikely that your water taxi will use for this property. It isn’t really an issue as the stop is just round the corner for collection but worth noting.
  If you like a lie in try to avoid room 1. While it was no issue for us, the hotel has x2 storage cupboards right outside the door. They were careful to be as quiet as they can but it is likely to disturb you around 8am when they come in.
  I emailed them and messaged via booking.com and didn’t receive a reply. They did contact before arrival but not in answer to my email or message. Just the normal arrival information.
  I would stay here again. It was lovely. These are just notes from our stay.

• Super nice hostess, great location and breakfast, good value – Michael from United States – 8 November 2024 (8/10)

  Super nice host, good location. Nice breakfast.
  
  What could be improved: Needs a bit of updating.

• Had a great stay. – Rowena from United Kingdom – 28 October 2024 (8/10)

  Location was excellent for a short stay. Close to everything including traghetto. Breakfast was good. V friendly staff. It's got plenty of character. Super close to San Angelo stop.
  
  What could be improved: Contact numbers didn't seem to work when needed to speak to someone but messaging through the app did so all sorted. Beds weren't v comfy and I had been looking for a third bed for our son, rather than a sofa bed, and why I chose this property though this is essentially what we got. It wasn't comfortable for an adult.

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities