Aman Venice

Large size room with amazing views, great history of hotel toured by staff

We capped off 10 days in Italy at the Aman Venice, and we had high hopes. Most of our expectations were met, but there are a few items that were sorely disappointing, so it's tough to say that, overall, we found the experience worth the money. Let me start by saying this: The level of service in the hotel generally is top-notch. We were greeted by the general manager on arrival and there was always someone there to open a door or offer assistance. Kudos for this. The hang-up is this: Our room (the basic level bedroom--number 3) was not really *in* the Palazzo. It was, in a literal sense, but it was down an outdoor corridor on the first (lobby) floor and, unfortunately, one door down from the public bathroom. (Room 3 is also accessible by walking through a lobby gift shop, not really what I consider a prime location.) The room was spacious and well appointed, but wholly devoid of any Venice-specific detail. (There were what appeared to be historic brick columns, but we could have been in an New York City loft, or anywhere really.) What had been advertised has having a view of the private garden "below" (alongside a picture of a bed next to a large sunny window) was not what we encountered. The windows in our room were small and situated at the top of the wall, giving the impression that we were not looking down at a garden, but instead that we were in a subterranean bunker. Our wifi signal likewise suggested we were in a bunker--it was spotty even within the confines of our room. This, along with all of the lack of privacy that comes from being on the lobby floor, next to the only public bathroom on the floor, and the noise of people coming and going. I get it. You get what you pay for, and we did not spring for a suite, so maybe we shouldn't complain. But shouldn't the room at least fit the description advertised by the hotel? At very least, the hotel should clarify that these rooms are on the lobby level and, as a result, are not private and secure from non-guests coming and going. Back to not being "in" the Palazzo -- because of the strange location of our room, we literally entered the hotel three or four times. And the hotel is where all of the beautiful and historic details and (I assume, privacy) are. Instead we came and went thru the back entrance to the property which was directly next to the door to the public bathroom next to our room. We would have been more understanding had we not booked a room that included a guaranteed category upgrade if available. I presume the hotel will respond and say that the upgrade offer was only one level, and the level directly above us was full. But the hotel had availability the entirety of our stay, so why not allow us to stay in a nicer, empty room? Or upgrade someone else and let us have their room? I don't expect or feel entitled to upgrades ever, but I do a bit more when they are offered as part of the rate package and, in this case, we were on our honeymoon. Seems like an exception to