We like Hotel Ai Mori D'Oriente, on the quiet back canals in Cannaregio. We are going there for our third time this spring. The hotel is charming and the staff are great. They have their own dock if you're using a water taxi. If using the Alilaguna from the airport, use the Madonna d'Orta stop. You can take sunset pix without anyone in the frame, no crowds, yet there are plenty of restaurants and shops.
It's a ten minute walk to a vaporetto stop on the Grand Canal. The train station is about 15 minutes walk.
Research reviews on booking.com, but book directly for the best price.
Enjoy!