I have been wanting to check out this property for a very long time. I have heard so much about it, and it is one of the iconic ones in the Hilton brand. This is one of the better ones out there and sits in a very lovely location. It also comes with an awesome view of the main island in Venice. It is on the island of Giudecca, which is right across San Marco. I am looking forward to being back in Venice after more than a decade. This time round, I want to take things at a slower pace and see the island properly. I have heard about how different and mesmerising Venice can be in the evening when most of the day trippers are gone. It will also be the first time I am here during winter. Let’s check out the hotel!
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I will be staying here for 4 nights. I wanted to have a much more leisurely time over here in Venice and properly see the island. I booked the base-level room. A week out from the stay, I got an email from the hotel. I also reach out to the hotel a couple of days ahead to get my preference in and also some updated information about the property. Ahead of the stay, I can see that I have been upgraded one tier to the Deluxe room. This is over the festive and peak period. This is as good as it gets. Hilton Molino Stucky Venice features 379 guest rooms and suites across 12 categories. You can find the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Executive Lounge Access | Bathtub | Room Size | No.of Rooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guest | No | Maybe | 20 Sqm | 16 |
| Molino Superior | No | No | 20 Sqm | 39 |
| Molino Deluxe | No | Maybe | 23 Sqm | 131 |
| Molino Deluxe w View | No | No | 23 Sqm | 38 |
| Executive | Yes | Maybe | 23 Sqm | 54 |
| Molino Executive w View of Venice | Yes | Maybe | 22 Sqm | 56 |
| Molino Junior Suite | Yes | No | 32 Sqm | 5 |
| Molino Executive Suite | Yes | Maybe | 47 Sqm | 9 |
| Executive Suite w View of Venice | Yes | Maybe | 47 Sqm | 11 |
| Molino Family Suite | Yes | Yes | 47 Sqm | 14 |
| Molino Tower Suite w View of Venice | Yes | Maybe | 60 Sqm | 5 |
| Presidential Suite | Yes | Yes | 285 Sqm | 1 |
Checking In
We took the train in from Milan and arrive at Santa Lucia train station around 2pm. From here we got the Alilaguna ferry which takes us directly to the hotel. It cost 10 euros each time and runs every 30 mins or so. It took around 20 mins or so. This is the best way to get to the Hilton from both the train station and the airport. It is even cheaper if you get the return ticket. Simply follow the sign for the KFC and you will be able to see the jetty. Upon arrival, there is no bellboy to help us with our bags. I love the look of the exterior of the building. This is a restored historical building. The property consists of 8 historical building linked up together. We entered the hotel. The check in reception counter is located towards the right. I was warmly helped by a friendly lady who proceed to help me with my reservations and all. All the info was reconfirmed and they also provided me with the relevant information. The guest relations manager also pop by to extend a warm welcome. They apologise for not being able to provide a better upgrade since they are fully booked over the festive period. It is a very big property here and with various elevators. You will have to use a specific elevator to get to your room. Thankfully the staff are on hand to guide you. It is better to take the one nearest to your room.
To get to and from the hotel from the main island. you can use the hotel ferry. It cost just 5 euros per person throughout your stay! This is the cheapest way unless you are already getting the daily ticket for Venice. You can find the timetable here. Do take note that at peak hours, it can be quite crowded and if you can’t get on, you will have to wait for the next one which can be one hour later. Do come early! You should be there like 15 mins before the ferry time. Sitting on the jetty also offers one of the best way to see Venice from the waters. The view is jaw dropping.
Molino Deluxe Room
We were assigned a Molino deluxe room. This is one category above the base level rooms. We were assigned one in towards the right side of the property. We had to use elevator 2 to access our room. Our room was located on the fourth floor. It is located at the end of the corridor. The room measure a cosy 23 Sqm. Right after entering you can immediately find the wardrobe to the right. It is a tight one. You can find some hangers, ironing kit, bathrobes, slippers and a safe inside. Portable luggage rack are available open request.
Straight ahead is the bathroom which is quite spacious. It comes with his and her sinks. All sorts of amenities are provided. As per the usual at Hilton properties, you can find Crabtree and Evelyn amenities in large pump size bottles. It also comes with a heated towel rack which sure comes in handy during my stay. I appreciate this during my winter holidays. The bathroom comes with a separate bathtub and standing shower. Another set of amenities can be found here. The water pressure and temperature control is temperature control is excellent. The standing shower is on the smaller side. It is fully enclosed which prevents water from getting all over the place. I love that the toilet have windows that can be opened.
Moving back to main space of the room, the regular configuration does allows for good use of space. By the wall over here, you have a full length mirror. There is also a coffee table and two chairs. This also works as the working desk and the dining table. Power outlets and ports are located within reach. Drinking water are only provided once per stay. Later on during the day, the staff brought over a personalised amenity, consisting of a bottle of Prosecco, water and a personalised note from the guest relations team.
In the corner over here, you can also find the TV which felt like it was a little on the smaller side. Most of the channels are only in Italian and there’s not much channels in English. This might be of a concern. Below is a mini bar area, you can find some packaged tea, kettle and a fully stocked mini fridge with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. It works on those pesky sensor systems where whenever you remove an item from the fridge. Prices are definitely hefty. I am glad I can pop by the lounge for some drinks during the day if I require.
The centrepiece of the room is definitely the plush king size bed. The bedding was good, high quality and smooth. I love that the mattress is on the firmer side which offers excellent back support. I did wish that they had better pillows over here. They were really mushy. Flanking both sides of the bed you can find nightstands with controls for the lighting, power outlets as well as USB plugs that allows you to charge your device. This is quite a sweet touch.
The room doesn’t come with much view. It does offers a scenic one of the inner court yard and partial ones of the waters. Some of the rooms here come with a view of the main island in Venice which can be really lovely if you have them. Similarly, the windows can be open to let in some fresh air.
Swimming Pool
I did not get to visit the pool as it is open seasonally. During my visit, it is closed. This spot will be really amazing during summer. Can you imagine swimming witha view of Venice! That will be so cool.
Fitness Centre
The gym is open 24 hours. It is located in the spa area and on the ground floor. It is on the smaller side and the space just comes with a couple of equipment. It overlook the courtyard area. Water and towels are provided. You do have to get out of the main building to get to the place.
Executive Lounge
The executive lounge is located on the ground floor, just beside the reception area. It kind of snakes around the building. It is on the smaller side. The executive lounge is open from 10am to 7pm daily. That felt way too early for a facility that is not staffed. You can just enter with your key cards. They can provide all day non-alcoholic drinks much longer. The spot does come with lovely views of the surrounding area through the windows. I did wish that the executive lounge is located in a much more private area or perhaps on a higher floor where you get a few of Venice or something with an outdoor terrace. That will be something very much appreciated over here. The executive lounge isn’t also very private as simply opens up to the rest of the hotel lobby area. The narrow space of things only allows for some tables at the side. There are only sittings for about 30 pax or so.
During the day, they had some coffee, tea, soft driks and water. There are also some cheese and packaged snacks.
Evening cocktail is served at the lounge from 5 to 7 pm. This is the only service that they have over here in the lounge. It can get so crowded and all of the tables are filled. For food wise, they have a soup and a fried food option. They also have some focaccia and pretzels.
Drinks wise is much better. They have some Campari Spritz, red wine, white wine, sparkling wine and some local Italian beers. The wines are really good. It will be nice to have some spirits. It is great for popping by if you wanna have a drink prior to your dinner.
Murano Glass Factory Tour
The hotel offers a complimentary Murano Glass Factory Tour for inhouse guests. This is offered daily from 9am to 3pm. The tour takes you around 2 hours or so. You will have to arranged ahead with the concierge. This is done with collaboration with the factory and in fact I believe it is fully paid by the factory. They collaborate with a glass factory which will send you a private water taxi to bring you to Murano. Yes! A private taxi! Hilton is definitely not paying for this given how expensive it is. We took the chance to do so which is more or less a 15 mins tour before they try to make you buy some of their glass products which cost thousands of euros.
It is quite interesting and a great way to try out a private water taxi ride in Venice! We did it on the day we were visiting Murano and Burano. The factory we visited was Vetreria Estevan Rossetto 1950 S.r.l.
Breakfast at Rialto Bar & Restaurant
I went down for breakfast at around 9.30am. It was very buzzing with people with the hotel running on high occupancy. Breakfast is served from 7am to 10.30am daily. It is included if booked under your rate or if you have elite status. The breakfast room was very comfortable and relaxed. We were shown to a table and hot drinks orders are taken. They do make a mean cup of cappuccino as like how it should here in Italy. There are also tea and you can find a drinks counter in the middle with juices, sparkling water and prosecco. I love that they are pouring Bottega.
The rest of the other food is located in a separate breakfast room bu itself. They have a nice selection of bakes and bread, the usual western items such as mushroom, tomatoes, potatoes, pancetta. They also have a waffle and pancake live station. I love making my own Caesar salad and with Italy, you will never lack any cold cuts and cheese over here. The mortadella and prosciutto is amazing. You can also order eggs to your liking.
Then in the middle you can find the cold counter where there is an assortment of whole fruits, cut fruits, pies and cakes. I love the sweet treats.
Breakfast is definitely a huge treat and worth checking out especially if you have access to it. It offers a great amount of high quality food to kick start your day ahead of checking out Venice. I look forward to the breakfast every day.
Conclusion
Amazing property! The only one that we have over here in Venice. This is definitely the one that you should go for if you are coming here. I love the way the property builds around the culture, the history of the heritage building. The location is actually very accessible despite it being out of the main island. It was a breeze getting here from the train station and the airport. It is just a short 10 mins ride from Saint Marco. Venice is something so special that you should try staying a couple of nights to enjoy it. It was a refreshing one in Winter. I would love to be back someday again. The rooms and hardware are really nice with polished staff.
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