Arrival at San Marco Airport Venice

There have been some thoughtful responses to this question on this forum, earlier. This seems to be a common problem. Here's a link to one discussion:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/late-night-airport-arrival-in-venice.
And here's a link to another discussion that's a bit older, but also with some useful advice: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/venice-hotel-near-marco-polo-airport-late-arrival
And here's some more really good information:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/late-night-venice-arrival
and.... here's one more. All of these links have different good info from various posters:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/getting-from-marco-polo-airport-to-venice

There is a cheap bus that you can take into the city. If you don't have a lot of luggage, you can walk to your hotel or take the vaporetto. Water taxis are expensive.

Last year I arrived on probably that same flight (from LHR?) and I had booked a room at Park Hotel Annia near the airport. Their shuttle didn't run that late and I ended up paying a "private taxi" (i.e. some guy) 20 euros to take me there after midnight. But the hotel was fine and had a free shuttle back to the airport the next morning, where I got a bus ticket and vaporetto pass. I was in Venice about two hours after waking (late) that first morning.

There's also a Marriott near the airport, the same strategy would probably have worked there.

I believe the bus to Piazzale Roma and vaporetto from there run past midnight but I wouldn't want to chance missing it, nor would I want to navigate the system after being awake for 36 hours or so. Sleeping near the airport was easiest for me.

I think we arrived via that same flight last April. We took a taxi to the Marriott Courtyard [it was too late for their shuttle.] The Marriott is only about half a mile away, but I don't think it's walkable.
Slept in , and then discovered the city bus stop was right outside that hotel. As I remember, the hotel sold us bus tickets, about 2.50 Euros, and the bus took us to Piazza Roma [about 25 minutes.] We bought our vaporretto passes there.
From out perspective, why pay the high Venice hotel prices for that first night- you're only in that room for about 8-10 hours???
Safe travels.

we are are arriving late at the airport, 2230, and was planning to take a vaporetto to our hotel near san marco, but they only run hourly at that time. Take a water taxi? any other advice?

Be opportunistic. You can never be sure exactly what time you'll arrive and get out of the airport. Maybe by then you'll be just in time for the next vaporetto. If not, take an ATVO express bus from the airport to Piazzale Roma (or ACTV regular bus, same price - 8 euros - takes longer but depending on schedules, might get you there faster). From Piazzale Roma, take a vaporetto to the nearest stop closest to San Marco.

Or if you are exhausted and the vaporetto isn't for an hour and you don't feel like messing with the bus, just splurge on a water taxi.

There is no “vaporetto” running from Marco Polo to downtown Venice. The ferry service from the airport is called the Alilaguna, not to be confused with the ACTV waterbuses, known as vaporetto.

The Alilaguna service takes an eternity, something like one hour and ten minutes.
Bus to P. Roma, either the ACTV or ATVO, is the way to go.

We stayed at the airport Courtyard by Marriott. Right next to the airport but you can't walk there...take a taxi. There is a bus stop across the street that takes you directly to town - very cheap. From there you can catch a vaparetto to wherever you are staying in the city.

San Marco Airport Venice

Just for the record: It's Marco Polo Airport - no connection to Piazza San Marco.

Sorry - I am a compulsory hairsplitter.