Stay Report: Hilton Molino Stucky Venice (King Executive Suite with View of Venice)

Nearest major train station	15 minutes by private water taxi to Venezia Santa Lucia (Venice, Italy)
Loyalty Programme	Hilton Honors
Elite Status	Diamond
Stay Period	July 2024
Room category booked	King Molino Superior Room (25sqm)
Room category stayed	King Executive Suite with View of Venice (50sqm)
Dining concepts	Bacaromi (Venetian cuisine) Rialto Bar & Restaurant (international cuisine) Skyline Rooftop Bar (cocktail bar) Aromi (Mediterranean cuisine) Il Molino (breakfast)
Why you should	Formerly a famous flour mill, the iconic Neo-Gothic red-bricked building was converted into a hotel in 2007, and recently completed a round of renovations in 2023, so the hotel’s interiors feel decidedly modern. My King Executive Suite with View of Venice (upgraded, huzzah!) was very spacious (especially by Italy standards) and a modern, calming blend of high ceilings, teals and taupes as well as nautical design motifs. The property is steeped in history, as can be gleaned from a walk down the ground floor corridor towards breakfast venue Il Molino – a gallery of write-ups and photographs chronicles the building’s journey to flourishing (hurhur) present-day. With its exposed wooden beams, arched windows and European industrial architecture stylings, you may occasionally forget the property is a Hilton business hotel (and the largest hotel and largest hotel meeting space in Venice, mind). Given its height and island setting, the hotel’s rooftop is very popular for both its outdoor swimming pool as well as the Skyline Rooftop Bar thanks to the glorious panoramic views, which are especially mesmerising during sunset.
Why you shouldn’t	The hotel’s location on Giudecca Island means you are easily looking at an additional 30 minutes spent on travelling to and from the main Venetian tourist area by shuttle boat (see “Miscellaneous Information” below), and the time pressures of catching the next (and possibly last) shuttle boat can be quite stress-causing, especially if you are having a late dinner. The cosy Executive Lounge (open only during evening cocktails) wraps around the perimeters of Rialto Bar & Restaurant in a curiously unceremonious way instead of outright having its own dedicated space within the sprawling premises, and its offerings are very limited. The buffet spread at Il Molino is exactly how you’d expect a run-of-the-mill European hotel buffet to be. Appreciated the prosecco, though.
Miscellaneous information	The hotel offers all-day complimentary shuttle boat service to Zattere (midpoint, evenings) and St Mark’s Square (turnaround point, all day), with the hotel’s private jetty being steps away from the entrance. The first boat departs from Hilton at 9am, and the last boat leaves the pier at St Mark’s Square at 11.45pm. Each ride takes about 15-20 minutes. Private water taxis which ferry you to and from the Venezia Santa Lucia train station cost €70 per way for up to 4 people, with an additional €10 for each extra passenger and €15 extra for night transfers (10pm – 7am).
Address	Giudecca 810 Venice, 30133 Italy