I Spent the Final Night of an Italy Ski Trip at a Venice Airport Hotel

• I spent the final night of a ski trip in Italy at a hotel near Venice’s Marco Polo Airport.
• The hotel was simple, but its convenience to the city and the airport was a surprising perk.
• Instead of spending my last night sad that the trip was over, I spent it wandering around Venice’s canals.

Like practically everyone, I dread the end of a trip.

It’s heartbreaking to realize that your time in a new destination is ending and that normal life will resume once you’ve returned.

Beyond that, the task of getting back home is often a drag. Long-haul flights in economy, early mornings and late nights, jet lag, packing and unpacking are all the tasks I despise at the end of a trip.

That was exactly the case for my last trip. After a week of skiing in Italy’s Dolomites mountain range, my friend and I had a 10-hour flight back home to Denver.

However, our decision to spend the night at an airport hotel was a surprisingly positive end to our time in Italy.

I spent my last night in Italy at a hotel near the Venice airport

The day before leaving Italy, my friend and I dined on a slow breakfast, packed our suitcases and ski bags, and crammed it all into a tiny rental car. Then, we left Brixen, Italy, for Annia Park Hotel — our lodge for the night.

The drive was four hours long, and I booked the hotel room because I didn’t want to add a long drive to what was about to be an already long travel day.

Instead, I wanted the trip to end with convenience. I didn’t want to worry about traffic or missed flights. I wanted a good night’s sleep before leaving Italy. And ultimately, I wanted a relaxing evening to reflect on the trip.

Annia Park was surprisingly that.

Our room cost $180 for the night. It was basic with an all-neutral interior, simple amenities, a paid continental breakfast, and 5 euro airport transfers.

While it wasn’t a lavish stay, the property had its perks. It was just a five-minute drive to Venice’s Marco Polo Airport, and even better, it would take just 15 minutes to get to historic Venice.

The highlight of the hotel was its proximity to Venice

When I booked my flights, it originally felt like a missed opportunity to fly into Venice without ever stepping into the city itself.

I would miss the narrow canals, colorful homes, and marble bridges.

As my friend and I eyed our itinerary, we realized we didn’t have to miss the city. If we left Brixen a few hours earlier than initially planned, we’d make it to the airport hotel with enough time for dinner in Venice.

My friend and I checked into the hotel at 5:30 p.m. with stomachs grumbling. The hotel receptionist outlined the ways we could get into the city. We could get on a bus, he could call us a taxi, or we could take our rental car and drive ourselves.

We picked the latter, did a quick search for parking lots, and headed into the city.

By 6:30 p.m., my friend and I were wandering the canals of Venice instead of dreading the impending end of our trip. We found a cozy restaurant for dinner, frolicked around Piazza San Marco, and got lost in narrow alleyways.

We had both visited the city before, so we didn’t mind that our time was limited. Instead, exploring Venice at night was an entirely new experience.

After a long evening, we returned to our car, which cost $20 to park. It was cheaper than taxis and easier than taking the bus. If it had been during the day, we would’ve splurged on a water taxi from the airport for a true Venetian experience.

While finding a hotel in the city could’ve been delightful, the convenience of the airport hotel won again. It was nice to head back to Annia Park and know that the following morning, we were a short drive away from the true end of our Italy trip.