Generator Venice

Mixed experience. Good location and fair price. Staff are ok.Beds have no curtains (light shines onto top bunks), and noisy doors plus careless guests make it hard to sleep.Few showers, and some facilities weren’t always available (kitchen, lockers, etc.).

I booked this on short notice, and luckily they had space. I've stayed at Generator Hostels before snd this one was definitly better than the rest. A lot of that goes to my other roommates since I was in a 16 person mixed room, but i had no issues sleeping. The hostel reception and bar area are great and clean with plenty of space to talk to others.

I had a positive experience at the Generator and I would go again. I met some nice people and the dorm was actually surprisingly comfortable for sleep and also just rest. The bathrooms and showers were a bit cramped and wet and not so private but I managed ok. The quiet location of the hostel away from the main area of Venice is actually one of the key features of this hostel - it feels more relaxed and also you have a great view of the main island(s) from the water front. The staff I got on very well with and helped me out when I asked them (special thanks to Mattea for cutting up a large melon I had).

I stayed for 4 nights in a 16 bed mixed dorm. The room was cramped, with little privacy. Adding curtains to the beds would make a huge difference and surely be within budget with the sheer amount of beds that they have, and how busy the hostel was. At the very least, a pole or some hooks around each bed would be great as a towel or sheet could then be hung to create privacy. I ended up buying some pegs from the nearby supermarket and using my towel to do this - which I was glad for as people did not close the window curtains! Bring an eye mask. The storage locker under my bed was a good, large size but very noisy to pull out and open, I was worried about disturbing people whenever I needed to get something out or organise my things. I was quite happy with my bottom bunk bed with a wall on one side, but would have been very frustrated if I had gotten one of the non-bunk beds (so exposed!) or the beds right by the door, which were open on both sides and would often be disturbed by people coming in and out of the room. The bathrooms (shower sections specifically) were small and not suitable for so many people sharing. They desperately need an upgrade! The location was nice, close to Zitelle vaporetto stop to get access to the main island, would definitely recommend getting the 24 or 72 hour pass for your stay as you’ll be using it at least twice a day. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The bar area was nicely furnished with food and drink available, and some board games. Overall quite a mixed bag! I won’t be staying here when I next go to Venice unless some changes are made, but if you are staying only 1/2 nights and on a budget it’ll do just fine.

Unfortunately, this hostel is completely useless for a short city trip to Venice. Summary: Impossible to leave luggage before 2pm, everything costs extra, no kitchen, staff not trying to help. The check-in is at 2pm, which is standard, however, they have only 30 lockers with a capacity of 250 guests, so naturally, they were all full. (Additionally, they cost extra!) The staff was unfortunately very unhelpful about this as well, especially the supervisor Sara told us that there was not a single room in the hostel that could be locked, the luggage couldn’t be left at the reception because they “can’t keep an eye on it”, even though the hostel claims to have 24/7 service. I have never seen any hotel or hostel where it was impossible to leave your luggage before check-in, and in my opinion that is just extremely poor service. On top, the reception claimed that they would ask to have the room cleaned early so we could check in at 12. The room was not ready at 12, we had to wait for hours, plus the early check-in also cost extra. This whole thing is especially problematic because the hostel is not very accessable from the city centre, so going out for a while with your luggage is super inconvenient (the boat is 9.50€ and takes 30 minutes). At least the hostel is directly at the sea. Another point about poor service is that the hostel does not have a guest kitchen, and it is not allowed to have your own food, so you are expected to pay extra for that as well. The rooms are okay and the beds were fine, but the only option for an all-female dorm was a 10-bed-dorm with one bathroom. In retrospect, I would definitely recommend getting a hostel in Mestre, it will probably take the same time to get to the city centre, plus save you from waiting all morning to leave your luggage somewhere.