I suspect from what I've seen on the net, that they are principally a booking agency and a consolidator, which means that they hold allocations for hotel rooms from certain operators/hotel chains but are not the owner of the accommodation.

From what I've seen they have a large selection of accommodation and seem 'kosher'. They are Italian in origin and the translation of 'venere' is Venus. Having seen what they offer, and having considered them myself, I don't see any major 'red flags' ... but you would need to book your own flights and transfers as they seem to be accommodation only and would not be able to offer you a dynamic package. So don't forget to insure all elements of your trip!

More about them here. http://www.hotelscombined.com/AboutUs/Provider.aspx?providerCode=VNR

Thank you. I guess ed they were similar to TR in nature, from what I'd read. I'd just never heard of them until this week . The hotel is just £10 cheaper than elsewhere, but they do have 10% cashback through Quidco as well. Flights are already booked, so that isn't a problem. Just need to decide whether to take the risk now

I think you need to read this link and the replies.

Personally, I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole - and a few others I could mention.

http://www.bitterwallet.com/is-venere-com-a-waste-of-webspace/58250

Sanji

thanks for that Sanji - think I'll pay the extra tenner