Recently I enjoyed my third stay at the quirky Ausonia Hungaria property on Lido. When I thought back to the time prior, so much had happened as last visit I was trying to enjoy the city in the sweltering heat, attempting to protect my sensitive skin from the sun, while rocking both a headscarf and a giant hat, heavy with sweat from a particularly hot summer, and I was awaiting my upcoming surgery- what a difference four years makes! This year, I returned healthy (ok save a few extra pounds), a German resident with my husband. Life is really wild.

The hotel was maybe a little worse for wear than years prior. The rooms still felt clean, fresh, and featured the dumbest bathroom design in history, which is to say a clear sliding glass door. However, the pool and gardens are a lovely respite from central Venice and property features I’d consider for a next visit. The service was fine, but not exceptional with the breakfast crew feeling stressed, multiple calls for simple requests, and just not the same upscale vibe of fours years prior. I found it interesting that their IG location spells out that they are a five star hotel and generally if you have to tell people you are something…well, let’s just leave it at that. Definitely not a bad place, but earlier visits were much more impressive.