Ca' Foscari-universitetet i Venezia

I got to admit it, the upgrade to the Royal suite pretty much made our stay. However, this would be a bargain anyway. The hotel is small enough to be personal - junior, age four, always got the right key at the desk, without having to learn the numbers in Italian - and at the same time just large enough to be luxurious in the most relaxing manner. The location is just as good. The Doge Palace is about 350 meters away, and you can go there without touching the rather banal shopping streets from the Rialto. A couple of blocks away there is a rather rustic restaurant, that keeps the priority on food rather than appearance. The rest of the neighborhood is of course very Venice, minus the overwhelming crowds and the Made in China souvenirs. By the way, if you are thinking of seeing Venice from the canals, it would be a good idea to cough up the (quite a few) euros for a water taxi on arrival. You immediately get the Venice feeling, avoid crowds, rose sellers, don't suffer the stress from pulling your luggage to and from the slightly hysteric vaporettis and through hot, moisty and unfamiliar alleys. Besides, it is really good fun to arrive by boat, directly to the reception. Venice is good, but even better with some careful planning.