Hotel Nazionale in Venice

I recently traveled to Venice for an Erasmus+ and EAA training, and the accommodation arranged for us through the travel agency (Baltic Tours) was far below acceptable standards.

The assigned hotel had multiple serious issues:

Insects and hygiene problems.
Reviews from as early as May 2025 already mentioned insect infestations, yet these warnings were ignored. The conditions in the rooms confirmed that these problems had not been resolved.

Unsafe and uncomfortable rooms.
I was shown several different rooms (I tried changing at least five times), but all were extremely outdated, dark, and filled with heavy old textiles. The overall atmosphere felt neglected and unhygienic.

Strong chemical smells.
The staircase and rooms smelled of synthetic air sprays and chemicals, likely used to mask deeper cleanliness issues.

Lack of support from the travel agency.
When I contacted Baltic Tours immediately, distressed and looking for a safer alternative, I was told there was “no option for reimbursement” and essentially left without help.

Poor communication with the hotel.
After someone contacted the hotel about the conditions, we were told not to approach the staff further — leaving us uncertain and uncomfortable.

Construction noise at 7 a.m.
The hotel was undergoing noisy repair works early in the morning, adding to the already stressful environment.

I was so distressed the first night that I couldn’t unpack my suitcase and ended up sharing a room with a colleague for the entire week just to feel safe.

I truly don’t understand how this accommodation was rated 7.7/10. The experience was extremely disappointing and should not be offered to Erasmus+ participants in the future

Bald reception guy was not being empathic towards us carrying our 2 huge luggages as there was no lift from ground level to reception area. Only stairs. Upon us reaching reception, instead of greeting us and welcoming us, he reprimanded us that we should have closed the door behind me when we come inside. TWICE. And the other guy had the audacity to ask if we are from CHINA instead of asking where are we from. Not every Asian looking people are from China.

Buffet wasn’t very good. Mediocre if you would. The only good thing is the location next to supermarket, restaurants and train stations. Your money could have spent in better hotels with friendly staff.

Love from Singapore.