Universo And Nord Hotel - Venice

Universo Nord is a perfect hotel along the Canal. Dont expect the staff to be polite, than you have a perefect stay. The room was big enough and clean.

The staff of the Hotel is very irresponsible towards travelers.Very bad receiving.

We had booked three rooms which we received without any problems. The hotel is a veritable rabbit warren but I think that just adds to the charm. The location is excellent if you need to use Santa Lucia Railway Station with excellent eateries all around it. Ferrovia water bus just steps away so another definite advantage. Great neighbourhood. Breakfast wasn't a huge choice but was still very good. Would recommend this as a three star hotel but would stay here again without hesitation.

Not complaining about price but this is not a 3 star hotel, not even 2. First day we were on third floor, no elevator, heater did not work; there was all kind of stuff and unpleasent smell on corridors. There was no view of canal as promised by a guy I talked to when I booked the room. Breakfast was Ok but staff was not friendly at all though that may be a generalized problem in Venice. There were problems with the telephone they said, and we were not woken up as requested the morning of our return flight, maybe they forgot. One particularly unfriendly receptionist was pushing for an expensive taxi when we were indeed in walking distace to our destination. I won't use this hotel again nor will I recommend it to anyone.

Great location, close to railway station, vaporetta and restaurants. Staff were excellent, however I felt that the hotel needed a good spring clean, especially the carpets.

Hotel conveniently located near the train station, and within walking distance from the bus terminal. Lots of shops and restaurants around and easy access to get around Venice.

Nice hotel in great location near train terminal. No elevator but bless the young hotel worker that hauled our heavy luggage up many steps. Service above and beyond! I would stay here again.

We were a little reserved about the Universo when we first arrived due to it's dated exterior appearance but there was no need for it. The hotel worked out perfect for us. It was very clean, we had a four person room for our 2 children, and the location was perfect to get around all of Venice. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

The receptionist was very rude to us. There is no elevator to the floors.

Ok hotel. The aircinditioon not good enough. Too many stepsand no lifts.

excellent location from train station. desk help could be alittle more helpful. your bags are brought to your room, which is a definite plus.

great hotel with very nice staff

Good value for money! Room was basic but large and had all you need in a hotel. Breakfast was also good. We had very low expectations, but we were fully satisfied. Position is also good, few steps from station. They also kept our lugage in the hotel at the end of our stay, free of charge. No lift, but they helped us up with luggage.

I was here for one night room 40. Room was dirty. Dust, hairs, wall painting falling.... The view : roof and walls, room was dark at noon. An elevator is missing and there is quite a lot of stairs. Everything in this hotel needs to be seriously refreshed. It does not deserve 3 stars. The only good point : its location near train station and "piazale Roma", where buses get you back and forth to Marco Polo airport. Then you don't need to cross a bunch of bridges with your lugage.

Hotel decor was basic but clean, windows large and opened easily, room warm and quiet, furnishings characterless but in good condition, the shower was also good. Breakast was simple but nice. Staff were consistently friendly and helpful - we left our luggage in a locked room all day with no pressure to pick it up, and they offered for us to stay in the room an hour over check-out time as we had 2 children (10 and 13) with us.

the location is more than perfect for the travelers the stuff gave us free extra bed for the kid for free

Location is fantastic! Short walk from bus station and very near the railway station. Breakfast is simple but good. Room amenities is basic. Only setback is the noise. Overall good value for money.

I stayed two nights as a single traveller and I can really recommend the property for so kind of traveller that need a quiet place to sleep not reaching the 200 euros per night. The rooms decently spacious for the Venice standards and the bed confortable. Aesthetics is not a good point, but for one or two nights is ok. Breakfast is also not the best and richest in Venice, but the yogurt is really good.

Universo and Nord was an excellent choice to stay when in Venice and I would highly recommend it, while some parts could do with a little spruce, this by no means had any impact on my stay. Great price for a hotel in Venice. Close to the train station and Piazzale Roma, very easy to find. Staff were friendly. I booked a single but was upgraded to a double room with my own bathroom, this is something to be aware of that not all rooms have their own bathroom. Room was quiet, except for some other guests who didn't seem to think anything of carrying on conversations yelling at any time of the night. Many great restaurants located right near the hotel. There is a laundromat only 5 mins walk away, you have to go over the Ponte delgi Scalzi take the 1st left, Chiesa S. Simeone Piccolo should be on your right hand side once you've turned, at the end turn right. Great coffee shop right next door while you wait for your wash. San Marco and Rialto within easy walking distance, look for the signs up on the houses and buildings to get around the city, alot easier than a map, (sometimes they are handwritten signs), you see a lot more if you walk rather than always using the vaporetto. Burano, Torcello and Lido were all really lovely, Murano is a little more industrial due to the glass factories, but is still nice to visit. I liked the hotel so much I have booked a room here for Carnevale.

I booked this hotel for our (second) December 2009 trip to Italy just because it was not expensive (comparing with another Venecian hotels) and after reading a review about its great location. Yes, that review on the location was 100% correct --the hotel is located exactly 5 min walk from the train station (and we were coming from Florence to Venice by train), and walk was free from any bridge crossing. Plus due to the very uncomfortable earl flight back to the US the hotel's location is perfect for walking to the main Venecian bus station (exactly 12 min), where we had to take a bus to the main land and spend night in a hotel close to the Marco Polo airport (By the way, the simple hotel on the main land was much, much, much nicer than this one). So, only the location was perfect regarding overall satisfaction with ths hotel. Our room was just ugly -- I am not talking about its size or size of its bathroom, but about the room overall. Lime & pink dirty colors, TV of 12 inches size, broken armoir, ugly dirty carpet,.... The bed was so low that my wife being only 5' 3" and 115 lbs felt her just on the floor. Blankets, pillows, overall bedding was old, and just terrible. Our bathroom was sooooooooo tiny, that, sorry, sitting on the toilet was uncomfortable even for my tiny wife.... Shower had bad drainage, water was going out on the floor outside of the tinest shower corner cabin that I had in among all Italian hotels. The front desk guy was not rude, but just so self-confident and snobbish, and treated us as we were his big problems for the whole day,although we both are always smiling and always trying to be friendly with staff anywhere where we are going. The hotel Lobby, stairs, corridors were just dirty, old and looked ragged... Breakfast by amount of offered choices was not too bad, but, guys,come on, to offer juice, coffee, tea and capuccinno from the SAME vending machine in ITALY was too much to swallow!!!!, especially after our 3-stars excellent hotels in Rome

We only stayed at the hotel for one night, the only thing was that the bed was very uncomfortable (poor mattress)Location and others things were good, I recommend this hotel.

Good room with efficient aircon, good breakfast. Only thing: room was on second floor without elevator, no big deal but not ideal for elderly people

This is a really good hotel. Even I've reserved a single room, the reception man did upgrade the room to the double-single-use-room. The hotel is easy to access from train station, and of course you can return from Piazza S. Marco by Vapoletto, though many Vapoletto stops at Ferrovia Fermata.

The rudest front desk staff ever. They were rude and I do not recommend this hotel.

location is perfect but there were many stains on the floor. Seems not friendly to Asians.

I asked the receptionist when check in whether the credit card is OK and he said the hotel love credit card. However, when i checked out, the receptionist said credit card machine was out of order and demand cash payment. The hotel should make sure the machine is ready all the time.

I was at the Hotel on June 2010, for holidays. I had a very good time, the cleaning is almost excelent, the breakfast is really good, the location is EXCELENT! Take into account that you have to walk 5 minutes from the Santa Lucia Station with out overtaking the Canal, it`s very easy!! Howewer, the employees from the reception are very educated, but not really nice at all, let my clarify, they are not rude, but i would like that they were more friendly and support!!

If you like moldy bathrooms, a disgustingly dirty bar fridge, and NO sleep due to excessive noise, our first room is the one for you. We booked the reservation a month in advance requesting a quiet room (we traveled with our two young children). When we arrived we received a bewildered look about our reservation and after some searching found the reservation and a room. I asked if it was a quiet room and was blatantly lied to. Our room was on the second floor, at the front of the building, above the front door which we listened to open and close ALL night, beside a bar frequented until 2:00 am and on the other side by a gelateria. The second night we received a different room which was a bit quieter but you still listened through the paper thin walls to everyone walking up and down the large marble hallway. Yes it is close to the train station, but otherwise there are no redeeming features.

booking was very easy. hotel very close to the railway station and convenient. still not noisy.airconditioning worked and we slept well.Bathroom was small but clean.hotel staff were friendly and helpful. Breakfast was sufficient( actually better than we expected in Italy .)Nice restaurant nearby- Brek. Self service with freshly made pasta etc. good taste and cheaper than restaurants nearby offering `tourist menus`. only if you are looking for something quiet and with character then move away from lista dei spagna. also avoid Murano. things are cheaper in Venice and you cannot see much in the glass factory anyway. You are allowed to watch the production only for a few minutes and not even to see the end product.A waste of time.

Close to venice main train station and many places to eat nearby the hotel. No free internet access at hotel its six euros for one hour

Very nice Venitian hotel. Aging elegance. Nice breakfast. Extrememly quiet room at the back of the hotel. Excellent location near the train station, no need to drag bags over too many cobblestones or bridges. We were traveling with a seven year old who loved the stairways and mirrors.

I satayed on 2nd of July for one night, the location of hotel was just around the corner of train station wich was handy, but the hotel front-desk man was not pleasant and proffesional, he did not do any basic welcome-introduction about hotel fascility, and services(how to get breakfast etc.)and info about around the hotel amendinents,directions to get public transportations etc, so i felt bit discriminated.

The location is good, but the hotel is not a 3-star level. It's OK for it's price.

The location was excellent and good quality for the money. the room was clean and staff very helpful. This was second trip to Venice. I am almost 80 and was travelling with daughter.

great location - really close to the train station

A pleasent stay in a nice place. Brakfast could be improved

The bathroom was very small.

We stayed for 2 nights in Venice in this room. Overall, it was a good hotel. It came with a very big balcony and the view was good as well.

I chose this hotel because it was close to the train station -- it was and what a relief. We didn't have to drag our luggage over the grand canal bridge. Didn't know that would be such a blessing until we watched others pulling, lifting and carrying their luggage over that very large bridge with 5 or 6 flights of steps on one side, then the same amount down. Thank you Universo, you saved us! Breakfast was great, plenty of food, room nice, quiet and even though their wasn't a lift, our luggage was carried up for us. Would absolutely recommend this room for location if nothing else! Very good value.

Hotel is good. But the location is notso good for us(not european). Hotel staff was very kindness.

Staffs were very kind and friendly. Good location.

Venice is an amazing city and this hotel was a perfect place to stay. It is close to the train station and where the buses drop off from the airport. Discovered how nice this was when I saw people struggling with their suitcases over the cobblestone streets and up and down the bridges. The room as spacious and very comfortalbe much larger than I expected. It is also in a great area that is open later than the other parts of Venice so nice for before and after dinner shopping. Very safe as well. There are numberous Murano glass places that are inexpensive so expect to take home many pieces. There are boats that go to surrounding islands and other great islands to visit is Murano (glass factory) and Burano (lace and incredible colored homes). Also to note if traveling alone or in a pair and wanting to take a gondola ride...look into taking one on the walking tour. Also, be aware the waiters "can" be very rude in Venice. Stay away from the restaurants that try to lure you in...reason for this the food is terrible. Also, note that there are three prices to eat in cafes...the least is take away, then eat at the counter, then another price average about 3 euros more to sit down and eat. Be sure to ask for the price or you could get a shock when you get your bill. A can of soda cost 5 euros per can to sit down and drink!

Great location and my room was not noisy as I expected. Enjoyed my time very much. Not a bad size for a single room either.

We were looking for a hotel close to the train station due to heavy luggage. This was so close to all transportation- train, water taxi, and varoretto. The breakfast was adequarte and tasty. They even offered to box a breakfast up for our early flight out, but we forgot to order it. The desk people spoke good English and were very helpful. Our room did overlook the street, so we enjoyed watching people go by. However in the early morning, it was a bit noisy because of the street coming alive. The shutters and AC did keep most of the noise out.

Mein grausigster Kaffee seit wir nach Italien fahren, und ein sehr spärliches Frühstück.

Conveniently located by the train station; welcoming and efficient service; good and complete breakfast.

Very good place!!

i liked it very much.

Hotel location good, near train station and ferry stop. Easy to get to. Hotel could use updating.

Very well located : near all means of transportation.

We were in this hotel for 3 days and were absolutely satisfied with our stay. I could mention just one minus - lack of sound proofing. You can hear sound of the shower from another room. Location is perfect - next to vaporetto station, 20 minutes walk to San Marco square.

The rooms were nice. The walls are thin and you can here people in the next room. The hotel is right next to the tran station and water taxis, this being very convenient. The staff is very friendly and willing to help make your stay as comfortable as possible. The breakfasts were very good.

close to station convenient to anywhere

Only about 3 minutes walk from train station. Pleasant public lounge/bar area. Excellent breakfast in lovely upstairs room with view. Good base to do the Cinque Terre walk,

At this price I found Hotel Universo & Nord very satisfying. To get a viuw of Venezia this location was superb. It is heartly recomended.

perfect location, just off the station and near the ferry stop. my room, in the inner part was very quiet. people at the hotel very friendly, and the room rate, being in venice, really a good value! good breakfast included.

Hotel doesn't have elevators but staff will bring your luggage upstairs. Rooms are quite run down but the location makes up for it. Very close to train as well can have a nice leisure walk to all sights. Breakfast was find. Rooms fairly quite at night.

Very nice and helpful staff, good breakfast buffet, and great location (near the train station and a water taxi stand). We were pleased with our room which had a balcony and view of the canal.

Very good mid priced hotel in fabulous location only 2 minutes from train station. We had a triple room which was small but adequate and very clean. Reception staff were very friendly and helpful. Breakfasts were good by Italian standards. If you don't like street noise at night, ask for a room at the back of hotel; we actually enjoyed listening to the locals enjoying themselves at night.

The rooms with the common balcony facing the river are great for two couples/4 friends. The hotel is really close to the Santa Lucia main train station and to the river(waterbus stop! They have no warm breakfast food.

Nice hotel ,clean and quiet ,next to the train station.Maybe a bit overpriced but do not forget is in venice

Very friendly and accomodating staff. The hours for breakfast (7-10 a.m.) were convienent and the food was good. Having fresh fruit available would have only made it better. Slept soundly, rooms were quiet. Great location. Close to shopping, restaurants and the train station. We would stay there again.

This is a lovely hotel in a charming city. I look forward to another visit.

Todo muy bien, solamente el comedor para el desayuno muy pequeño, lo que hacía que las personas tuvieran que esperar para poder desayunar. En general, además de la magnífica posición -cercana a la estación central de trenes-, una magnífica atención.

Pluses: Easy to find and access, from bus and train stations. Convenient for exploring Venice. Staff quite friendly and helpful. Breakfast good. My room was quiet. Shower a little more spacious than others I've encountered. Fridge handy for cool snacks. Minuses: Room was fairly clean but details overlooked (moldy grout in shower, dusty headboard, dirt (?) smears on bathroom radiator). "View" was of other windows and roof tops just inches away, but the upside of that is that the room was fairly quiet. Notes: Be sure to let the desk know ahead of time if you need to go in or out the front door between midnight and 5am, they'll need someone available to unlock it for you.

6 days stay in Venice

My company used this as a central point for business in Northern Italy. It was great as it was a close walk to the parking garage and we were able to rent a car there at the garage as well. We weren't expecting the Waldorf so we enjoyed the stay and sights of Venice. We needed to launder some shirts and the staff was very helpful in directions.

as venice hotels go, ok.

I would only stay there is I was guaranteed the rooms overlooking the street. We stayed there twice in those rooms. I overlook some of the deficiencs to stay there. The staff was very accommodating and friendly.

The location was perfect, as even though it is not right in the center of the best sights it is so close to the train station and this way we didn't have to haul luggage accross the bridges. Easy and beautiful walk to San Marco, Rialto, etc. Everything in the hotel was great

Excellent location, near to station & Piazale Roma. Within easy walking distance of both. Vaporetto down Grand Canal only 3 mins. away. Staff pleasant & helpful....all spoke good English.Inexpensive hotel for families, singles & couples who want a comfortable bed & breakfast as base to sight see in Venice.

We stayed in a comfortable double room with a balcony that had a view of the Grand Canal. The staff were professional and helpful; breakfast was good and there were facilities for leaving our luggage before and after occupying our room. The hotel is well located for anyone arriving by rail as we did - it's just a few minutes walk with no steps to negotiate. Although there is a busy thoroughfare below - the rattle of trolleys and the hum of conversation from tourists and workers crossing the canal and making their way down the street was cut out by shutting the window. We slept well. Breakfast is generous with good quality ham and cheese. The reception staff were very competent and professional. There is no lift which may affect disabled or elderly people or anyone carrying children. This is definitely a good value place to stay.

Staff was helpful. Location of hotel is very convenient but unfortunately, there is no lift and it was difficult to manage with luggages. Hotel should consider installing lift. Breakfast was ok.

We booked our room from an internet cafe two days before our arrival. We had immediate confirmation, and no problems at all on arrival. The location was very conventient, and although we might have expected some noise, it was very quiet, at least in early November. (We had a room at the back) The room was not large, but very clean and the appointments were quite adequate. The bathroom appeared to have been fairly recently renovated and, best of all, had a full bath, a luxury we had not enjoyed for ten days. The staff were courteous and spoke English very well -- our Italian is limited to greetings. The breakfast was outstanding, certainly enough to keep us going through till mid-afternoon snack time. I would not hesitate to recommend this hotel to anyone.

Good, central location. Restaurant next door on one side; gelati on other side. Close to train station, canal and shopping.

A very good budget hotel. Clean rooms with good facilities, excellent rooms at front of Hotel, although these are unfortunately noisy because of overlooking street. Very handy for railway station but not suitable for those with impaired mobility because of many stairs/levels and no lifts! Staff are courteous and breakfast is excellent! Good value!

Great Continental breakfast provided!!!

adequate hotel for Venice very close to train station

A very good hotel, well located in Venice.

We've stayed at the Universo several times. Its location for vaporetti routes is excellent. It has lots of good restaurants in the vicinity, but its main asset is its staff. They are unfailingly polite and very helpful to visitors.

I would absolutely stay here again. The location was perfect and the staff engaging and helpful. Breakfast was fine. The room was spacious and looked out over the main steet - hence it was very noisey, but hey, you're in Venice and the laughter, banter and passing foot traffic along with the wonderful voices of the singing gondoliers is all part of the magic that is Venice. So, my 0 for noise is not a negative, but an absolute positive. If you're after a good, clean prefectly-located hotel that is right in the thick of the action, this is the place to stay. And the price? 160 euros per night - fabulous. We paid 240 euros per night in Florence and the hotel-Borghese Palace Art - was, in my book, very over rated and highly under serviced. It lacked charm and personality, the rooms were tiny, the air conditioning didn't work, and the foyer smelt like a public swimming pool. Thumbs down to the arty farty palace hotel and a huge thumbs up to the Universo & Nord!

The room was very small. We had 2 single beds instead of one bed. We were in a room that could only be reached through an old, dingy maze of hallways. The room was also very noisy in that there was an elevator close by that constantly was going up and down. It was very warm during our stay, we asked multiple times to get a fan or the air conditioning to work. It wasn't until late the last evening that they turned on the air for us. On a positive note, the breakfast was the best that we had while in Italy.

This was a nice and friendly hotel, perfect for my family and me. We were 5 people staying in 3 rooms. The location is close to Piazza Roma, very convinient. The service in the reception was exellent from our arrival until we left the hotel. All our questions were answered in a polite way and we got all the information we needed about transport and other issues. Since the hotel had no elevator, the luggage was carried to the rooms. Staying in the hotel with 3 elderly people all this was very important to us. The rooms were clean, quiet and with enough space. The breakfast tasted good and the staff was very friendly and helpful. We would definitly stay here again.

excelente!!! salis de la estacion de trenes y estas en el hotel!!!volveria sin dudas. el hotel es normal para un lugar como venecia.

The location is great - very close to the train and the vaporetto. The room was huge (we had a four person room), and the bathroom was gorgeous. We were located on a major street so the noise from the street was pretty intense, but I would have stayed another night if we could have gotten out of our next reservation.

We had three nights in room 43, which is small, but for us it was sufficient space. Bathroom clean and fine. The room was quiet. So we would like to come back! Very near to the boat und the railway-station. Good food in next door "brek"-restaurant at low prices.

Great front desk help and hospitality. Room was spacious and very clean and looked out over the very busy street and yet when you closed the shutters it was very quiet. We were pleasantly surprised. The hotel had beautiful high ceilings. The breaffast was good and. The coffee was not very good. This was our first time staying in Venice and I would definatley stay there again. Kids loved it too. There was alot of room for all 4 of us.

My wife The first time in Universo & Nord, but not the first time in Venice

I don't know what are some people complaining about. May be they visited the hotel at some bad moment, I don't know. 1. The location is great-it's really close to the train/bus station and is like 5-10 minutes walking. We arrived late in the evening and I was so happy not to book a cheaper hotel at the other side of the island. 2. It may not be the cheapest but the location is worthed. 3. The breakfast was spectacular or at least-really good and tasty. There was enough for everyone. If you want a bigger variety-go to a 5-star you cheap ... 4. The staff weren't the most polite people I have met or at least not all of them but they weren't rude. The doors of the hotel are locked from 1 a.m. till 5 a.m. so this must be considered. We had to leave at 4.30 a.m. and the guys woke up to open the doors and walk us out. 5. Our room was super (51). The remote worked just fine, the bathroom was ok, clean sheets, clean towels, etc. For me there is nothing wrong with the hotel. It is a 3 star, not 5 (for the picky ones-don't be so cheap,go to the more expensive) and it is just fine.

Pretty old but still acceptable, no qualms. Our room is on the top floor with a balcony facing the main street. Not too noisy, still acceptable, guess the "coolness" of overlooking the street outweighs the little noise. It's literally 1 min walk from the train station. The only complaint is... there's no elevator!

The staff was helpful & great with my 8 year old son. Air conditioner in room was a bit too cold for us.Breakfast could have been a little more elaborate. Close to train station, easy to find. Over all good place to stay.

Great sized room with a roof terrace overlooking the Grand Canal. Excellent location when arriving by train. Great value for money.

This is the worst stay I have ever had. The hotel staff member was extremely rude, insulting and unhelpful. I would NOT recommend this hotel to anyone in the future.

Reception staff was unusually friendly and helpful with advice, notably on most efficient and economical way to get to airport. Bathroom was unexpectedly nice and large. Only drawback was too much daylight into bedroom due to having sheers only and now drapery

The Hotel Universo & Nord was literally a two-minute walk from the Venice train station - easy access for travelers with luggage. There was also a close proximity to the water bus and gondolas for sight-seeing.

Our stay was only one night, but we enjoyed it very much. We actually had a small view of the grand canal from our balcony!

I must say, the hotel was located in a very convenient location. It was literally one block away from the train station. The rooms were nice, but we were treated rudely on more than one occasion. Most of the staff appear to hate there jobs and take it out on Americans. On my mother’s birthday I asked the concierge if he may recommend a nice restaurant. He was completely rude and condescending. He acted as if this was the most outrageous question ever to ask of someone. The breakfast warden also hates it if you grab the cheese in the wrong way so be careful.

Was pleasantly surprised when we finally checked into our room on that busy day of arrival... everything clicked! Wife & i have read & heard horror stories of old hotel establishments, incomplete facilities, indifferent staff, lousy prices, etc. Nothing really positive to cheer up anyone's holidays in Venice. However, these negativities contradicted our actual discovery. No doubt the U & N's establishment shows her age, yet she has aged well! We were delighted with the early check-in, personal escort to the room, complete facilities provided in the room, delightfully fresh breakfast provided & lots of friendly greetings throughout our stay. In addition, it's extreme proximity to the Central Railway station is a major plus. Thumbs up!

Era la prima volta che alloggiavo in questa struttura. Complessivamente il rapporto qualità/prezzo è molto buono. Le stanze seppur non grandissime sono pulite così come il bagno. I dettagli all'interno della stanza e in tutto l'hotel non sono curatissimi, ma non creano problematiche, solo decade l'aspetto puramente estetico. Bisigna sottolineare la volontà di avere il letto matrimoniale e non due letti singolo nel caso di una doppia (basta segnalarlo nella prenotazione)