Hotels in Venice?

There is no "best" area because everybody's tastes and likes/dislikes are different. i think you need to decide if you want to be close to the train station, close to San Marco, maybe out in the quiet St Elena area - maybe you want 5 stars? maybe you want an apartment?

See, there is no "best".

Ok, So what would be a safe area down town close to the cruise terminal? And I would be happy with a hotel or an apartment in the 4 star category.

I think this is a good starting point: http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/where_to_sleep_in_venice.htm. It gives some general advice and what to think about before you decide.

I'm trying to think of an unsafe area in Venice and I'm coming up short.

I stayed at the Venice Certosa hotel and really loved it. It is on a small nature preserve island next to Murano. The rate was really cheap and since I was only going to be in Venice for a few days I was already planning to buy the three-day vaparetto pass which made getting to and from the island really easy. The last direct boat is at about 9pm but I doubt you would stay out later than that and if you did there is another non-direct boat that runs until 11pm. You have to tell the captain you want to get off at Certosa and when you want to board from the island you turn on a beacon as you see the boat approach so they know to stop (turns off after 5 min). Take a look on Google Street view and you will see what I mean.

The breakfast was the best I had anywhere and it is so nice to sit in the little garden or sunny "restaurant" way from the Venetian crowds.

I also stayed at the Holiday Inn Venice Maestra but that is on the main land and far from the train station. I was nice and it was so nice to see a real Italian neighborhood. I would stay again but only if I was in Venice for business. For vacation I highly recommend staying on the Venetian islands.

The hotel Rick visits in the Venice episode is not mentioned by name because it is too small to service all the RS fans. But I will give you a hint: My mom got married on the balcony over looking the Rialto Bridge standing under the red awning. From google street view you can see the name of the hotel on a red banner hanging from the balcony. The breakfast was great there as well. I couldn't afford to stay (it is really expensive) but when I told them I as Rick's biggest fan and my mom was one of their brides they treated me to a cappuccino and pastry. Such friendly people.

Venice is a very safe city as it relates to common street crime. Pickpockets may be present around the big tourist areas, but we've never had a problem. The city is small so that any location will have access to just about anywhere else. Opinions on hotels will vary depending on your price range. Personally we try to stay in areas away from all the big tourist spots. We've cruised in and out of Venice and visited there a number of times so send us a PM if you need specific info about getting to and from the cruise port.

Ask a question like "where is a nice safe hotel" and you'll get a million answers. Venice is safe. Ironically the least favorite place I would choose in Venice is at the cruise terminal. Get away from the cruise central area. You asked for hotels - so...we just stayed in June at Hotel Saturnia and International. It's central, has a private water taxi door and is 4 star high quality with staff and a concierge who will do his best to please you in every way.

http://www.hotelsaturnia.it/

We stayed at the Hotel Arlecchino for our last visit to Venice. We were only in Venice for one night, and it was extremely convenient for the parking garage, and just a 1-2 minute walk from Piazzale Roma. It's been many years since I took a cruise from Venice - I think that there's now a people mover that goes from the cruise terminal to the Piazzale Roma, so you would not have far to deal with your bags. We booked the hotel on their web site many months in advance, so we obtained a much better rate than it was closer to the date we stayed. The hotel was very nice, the staff very helpful, breakfast more than adequate. Of course, not as nice as on the cruise!! We loved looking out of our window to see the canals. It was extremely convenient to take the vaparetto. It seemed like all the lines were adjacent to the Piazzale Roma. I agree with someone else's suggestion - get the vaparetto pass, and it will cover all of your transportation. Make sure you go to St. Marks plaza at night to see it less crowded and lit up - whenever we've gone, there has been live music in the square. We also enjoyed taking the vaparetto to Murano and walking around there.

Best Western Hotel Olimpia. Don't let the name fool you. It is located next door to the Hotel Arlecchino. It is a traditional Venetian Hotel. It has a fantastic breakfast buffet and the staff are excellent.

We stayed at the Hotel Dalla Mora in the Santa Croce area, before taking a cruise. It is within walking distance to the cruise terminal and right on a canal. We had a very nice stay there. Centrally located near restaurants, shops, train and cruises.
http://www.hoteldallamora.it/english/home%20english.html