COMBO Hostel in Venice - Full Review 2024 (+ 11 Hidden Gems)

We walked over the bridge, stood at the beautiful square in front of the hostel, and looked onto the historic building with the hostel inside.

Join our walk; you will love it, we promise!

UPDATE: COMBO Hostel is the former hostel WE Crociferi. Same location, even better facilities thanks to the last upgrade/ renovation.

In this review you will find both names. Please do not get confused, it is the absolute same hostel, just rebranded with a new name.

Brand New Food Guide: Besides giving you the coolest place to stay in Venice on a budget, we also ate our way through the city. Here is our guide to where to eat in Venice on a budget.

Hostelgeeks visited and stayed at Combo Venezia several times. We brought back a bunch of photos and impressions. In 2019, the hostel changed its name to COMBO Venezia.

We will share WHY this is the perfect place to stay in Venice on a budget for all types of travelers.

Read: complete guide to best hostels in Venice, Italy

We are your independent gateway to the world’s unique hostels, the 5 Star Hostels. Around Venezia, you can visit as well Bologna with its COMBO Hostel, another 5-Star-rated accommodation on a budget.

Combo Torino and Combo Milano are sister hostels and also happen to have 5 Star Hostel awards!

Also, if you are traveling around Italy, we elaborated some hostel guides for you:

In Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana, the former prison and artistic event hub Hostel Celica welcomes you with a different experience. It is the world’s nicest prison!

COMBO Hostel in a Review

Let us have a closer look. You will see quickly why this is your best bet to have an amazing time in this unique city.

The hostel description

The church to the left of the hostel gains all the attention. When the door to the hostel is closed, it is only a small, wooden sign indicating the hostels’ door.

However, when opening the doors, and a tiny new world open up.

Main Square and the best hostel location in all Venice — Crossing one of the many bridges, COMBO hostel is the building on the right side

There is a big square inside the hostel aka former monastery.

It has its own fountain right in the middle of it, and is so Instagrammable, as we say. When the doors are open, the tourist s walking by, love to have a sneak-peek.

They walk in, slowly, to capture 2-3 photos.

This is so fun to watch!

The reception is just on the right-hand of the door. Get your key card from the cool and fun staff. Listen carefully when the staff explains to you how to find your room.

The building is long and wide. As long as you got your room number, it will be easy to find.

The property was initially used as students accommodation and yet is. Therefore, the rooms have been optimized for students living here.

Some rooms come with en-suite facilities and a view to the canal.

The mattresses are super comfy and high quality, like the furniture all around. The property is very clean, and absolutely well maintained.

What types of rooms are here?

As for private rooms, you can stay in a twin room, loft (family room), double room, or a superior twin room. For the dorms, you can book a bed in a mixed dorm.

There are a total of 255 beds. So it is quite a big hostel.

All the rooms have ensuite bathroom with shower, while some also have their own kitchenette with induction hobs and living area.

Combo guests have access to a 24h reception-bar, luggage storage, self-serve laundry, shared kitchens and study room.

Here is an overview of the 7 pros and 4 cons of a female dorm.

There is one iconic, historical staircase with impressive wall paintings leading you down to the hostels own pier.

Many houses in the city have their own small pier for boats, which is used to bring goods.

Related article: +110 design hostels to fall in love with

As for the breakfast, our favorite spot is the outdoor terrace over the canal. Come here with your breakfast and coffee to start your day in the right mood. Quite sure this will be your favorite spot too!

What about the social vibes?

During our stay, we met other travelers from around the world. It’s quite common you meet backpackers exploring Italy, just spending a few days in Venezia.

Sure, that’s quite self-explaining, isn’t it?!

Combo comes now with a glorious bar on-site and a restaurant. They renewed the existing bar and offer a selection of local products, wines, and cocktails.

Every week, the hostel organizes an event like

live concerts
performances
art exhibitions,
vintage markets
DJ set
and more

Therefore, keep an eye on the event board.

Another a great detail, they offer different types and special versions of spritz beside of the classical one.

Moreover, they have their in-house café, which is a spot to meet fellow travelers or the students staying here. In their brand-new café they offer breakfast, light lunch, and brunch in the weekend..

As mentioned, Combo Hostel is as well a student accommodation, so you might also find some students who want to improve their English (definitely not during their exams period).

This place is not the classic backpacker hostel to meet and greet. Nevertheless, we met fellow travelers, had some chats, even went out for dinner at night.

It’s really easy-going, just like the real Venice itself. We enjoyed that.

Our Combo Review in a nutshell

What’s the verdict? We love it! And this is why we recommend it!

Combo Hostel is special accommodation in many ways. It is sparkling clean, the location is fabulous: close to the heart beat of the city, yet tranquil.

This is especially important as transport costs quite a bit here! To avoid transport cost, get the Public Transport ticket beforehand.

The rooms come with a view to the canals which, come on, that’s just cool, and last but not least: you are sleeping in a former monastery.

We would recommend this Venice hostel for everyone looking for a quality hostel with a unique story to tell – just like Venice, again!

How many days to stay in Venice?

If you really want to discover the real Venice, we would recommend staying 3 nights. At least a minimum stay of 2 nights. Why? Venice is gorgeous!

Yes, it is touristy. But once you get away from the main street „Strada Nova“, the San Marco Square, and other tourist hotspots, you can find hidden gems all over.

Also, if you are staying in Venice, you are there before and after all the cruises mass invade the city. That means, you can have San Marco square for you and a few tourists all night long.

Want a proof? Have a look at our photo below.

We mention Piazza San Marco because the difference can be hundreds of people during rush hour (with selfie-sticks!), or just a few during the night in.

Not tempting enough?

Have a look at our Piazza San Marco night shot! There is no photoshop effect, the square was almost empty.

There is one rule, though, you have to remember:

Make sure you don’t rush through Venice, …

…as it is really a city to soak in the vibes and atmosphere, rather than just taking beautiful photos, and overpaying a coffee on San Marco.

Things to do in Venice

We collected our best things to do in Venice in our handy secret guide to Venice. It includes:

A super cheap Gondola ride (just 2 Euro).
The most local restaurant
a hack to avoid toilet fees
a fun game to play

Download our Venice Secret guide for free.

Here is our handmade guide to the 22 best restaurants in Venice – for all budgets!

For activities, I recommend:

Boat tour to the three islands Burano, Murano, Torcello
Enter the impressive St. Mark’s Cathedral and its Treasures (but get your Skip the Line Ticket first)
Climb up the St Mark’s tower and get a complete view of the island
Last but not least: Hop on the famous Gondola Ride.

To avoid rip-offs of the Gondola Ride, I’d get them beforehand.

We had a look around cool and useful guides on Venice. So here is a list of our best collections of Venice Things to do.

Bear in mind, printed maps in Venice usually cost €1-€2.