Recently we took a litte trip to the area of Venice and Nokomis. Never having been there before, we were surprised and delighted. There’s a great variety of things to see and do, as well as a wide array of great places to dine.

It all started out when we found The Hotel Venezia. Known more formally as “Ramada by Wyndham Venice Hotel Venezia,” it is a hybrid between a hotel and a motel.

The facade of the Hotel Venezia in Venice, Florida

Hotels usually are multi-floor with interior rooms. Motels. or “motor hotels” generally are two stories with exterior rooms, as are the bulk of the rooms at the Venezia.

The Lodging was Great

The rooms – at least our room – was beautiful. It was spacious, dominated by a king sized bed, and the space had all the comforts we needed. There was a dresser, a work station and bedside tables. There was no overhead lighting – all the light was provided by three lamps.

Our room

All the amenities were in order. Naturally, there was a large flat-screen TV, as well as a good sized little refrigerator, a microwave oven and a coffee maker. There was a safe inside the closet, which also had an iron & board plus plenty of space to hang clothing.

The bathroom was small but more than adequate, with a commode which flushed with the power of a thousand sneezes and – most importantly – an abundance of hot water. We took our showers late in the morning and did not run low.

Our only problem was a lack of electrical outlets. Fortunately, we carry our own. That being said, the desk had a small box with electrical plugs and USB ports – which was convenient.

The Hotel was Well Appointed

The hotel itself has plenty of amenities of its own. There’s a large, outdoor pool with a small hot tub, an exercise room, a bar that had both inside and outside service and a restaurant which specialized in buffet-style meals.

The pool at the Hotel Venezia – note the hot tub in upper left, the bar is in the upper right.

If you need it, the hotel also offers a business center. On the one wall there are computers and a printer, on the other there’s a waterfall rack with magazines and tri-fold brochures. These tout the many different attractions available in the Venice area and throughout the Culture Coast.

The business center has everything you need.

Just before the business center is a snack bar that has both packaged snack foods and vending machines for cold drinks.

We were most pleased at the location of this property. Near the junction of US 41 (Tamiami Trail) and the US 41 Bypass, we literally were just a few miles from most of the attractions in the area. We had our choice of beach options, plenty of shopping, parks and wonderful dining opportunities at our fingertips.

Planning an Event?

The Hotel Venezia also prides itself as an event venue and has additional facilities for large groups. The night we arrived they had some sort of investment seminar on tap where you could get a free dinner and learn how to leverage your money. However, they apparently also have class reunions, family gatherings, weddings, banquets and other special events.

If you are planning a getaway to the Culture Coast of Florida, you could do a lot worse than Hotel Venezia.