"We are a professional travel and event design company in business for 38 years, and we had a VIP family staying at a nearby hotel in Venice. Their suite was not expected to be ready until the afternoon, so we booked and paid for a room at the nearby Santa Hotel Santa Marina for the night before their arrival, solely so the family could come in at 10:30 AM, take quick showers, change clothes, and continue with their day. The entire use of the room was expected to be less than one hour.
To avoid any misunderstanding, I called the hotel at approximately 10:20 PM Venice time the night before and spoke with Gomar. I specifically explained that the booking should not be treated as a no-show and that the family would arrive the next morning only for a quick freshen-up. When I mentioned that the family included two young boys, he immediately made the situation unnecessarily difficult, arguing that the room had been booked for two people and questioning how two parents and two children could use the room to shower, much less resist laying on the hotels less than comfortable beds and he was certain he knew they would want to sleep. It is none of his business what they do as long as we depart by noon, as discussed and agreed.
I explained clearly that this was not an overnight stay and not an attempt to occupy the room as a family of four. It was a simple, temporary freshen-up stop for clients whose proper hotel room nearby was not yet ready. I even offered to pay an additional €50 for the children’s showers to avoid any concern. He eventually seemed to understand and told me he had left everything in writing for the morning team before finishing his shift.
The next morning, at approximately 9:30 AM, I spoke with Diego. He confirmed that he was aware of the situation and stated that the family would need to be out by 12:00 noon. I assured him that this was fully understood and guaranteed, and that the family’s butler would coordinate everything on arrival. At that point, we believed everything had been handled properly and professionally.
Unfortunately, that was not the case.
When the family arrived, their butler was treated rudely by Diego, and the hotel discussed room rates and insisted on yet ANOTHER night's room because it was an “early check-in”, despite the fact that we had already paid for the previous night for exactly that reason! payment issues. If that were not bad enough, he did so in front of the clients, which is one of the most basic things a hotel should never do — especially when dealing with guests through a professional travel company. He made it look as though we had not made prior arrangements. This was a pure “hustle” to bilk us for another room night…or embarrass us, I’m not sure which. The client didn't mind the added cost but we’ll never forget this.
This was not a complicated request. It was not a request for a free favor. It was not an attempt to take advantage of the hotel. We paid for a room, called in advance, explained the purpose clearly, offered additional payment if needed, and reconfirmed everything an hour before their arrival the next morning.
Despite all of that, the hotel created an embarrassing and unpleasant scene in front of our guests, insisting they go to their other hotel and retrieve passports, denying them breakfast when all they wanted was a coffee while waiting - and breakfast was included anyway!
The entire purpose of hospitality is to make people feel cared for, especially when they are tired from travel and simply need a quiet, humane place to refresh themselves. Hotel Santa Marina managed to turn a simple, prepaid, one-hour room use into a stressful and uncomfortable experience.
I feel genuinely sorry for guests who arrive in Venice hoping for warmth, grace, and professionalism, only to encounter this kind of front-desk attitude. Based on this experience, I would not recommend this hotel to our clients or to any traveler expecting basic hospitality".
Then I will find out who your owner is and ensure they know what you did to cost them business through well-articulated testimonials—and well-earned, I must say."
