We travel a lot, and we love Venice. We’ve been there many times. You never know what you’ll find, as not only does the city change (festivals, art, new places to eat) but it also stays the same and you can follow its ever-changing pulse if you so desire.
But this post is about a potentially disastrous trip we once had to that lovely place.
We had booked a perfect AirBNB to surprise on of our owner’s father for his 75th birthday. As we sped across Italy on the Trenitalia Frecciarossa at 154kph, we recieved an unwelcome call from AirBNB telling us that our booking was canceled. (This had also happened a few days earlier in Spain with AirBNB.) They had no solutions for us and Venice was booked solid, so we were hung out high and dry.
Tired, we decided to go into Mestre, the town next to Venice. The hotels there had no rooms either. We sat down to have a coffee and a think about what to do when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a small, somewhat nondescript hotel. It didn’t look like much, but I thought I would give it a try.
It was the Hotel Albergo Aurora. Run by an lovely Asian family, they luckily had a room for us. It was tiny, but they arranged a way for all three of us to sleep. And stay we did, for several nights.
We also were able to enjoy a bit of Mestre, which is lively and welcoming, especially in the warm evenings. It was a whole new twist to our Venice holidays. Try it – you can book below.
And while you’re there, try the cute Caffe Vergnano, right next to the hotel. Stong coffee, savoury desserts and plates, and charming staff: they were practicing their Spanish with us. Lovely.
Grazie, Hotel Aurora!
