place to stay in Venice

Budget? Number of people?

Booking.com has filters that can help narrow down your search.

When you find a place you like - I would recommend contacting the hotel directly either via phone or email. Book direct with the hotel and you can usually get a better rate.
I do my " hotel shopping" online with tripadvisor or hotels.com or ???,
then book directly with the hotels.

Be careful what you wish for.

A "central" location in Venice would mean right in the middle of the crowd. Unless you love crowds I suggest you look north or east of San Marco.

Everywhere in Venice is within easy walking distance of each other. Look here for more information http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/venice-hotels.htm

We stayed here in 2015: http://www.hotelsaturnia.it/

Great hotel in a perfect location and very quiet. We had a room that overlooked a small canal.

Find a place with the amenities YOU like--canal view, balcony, modern or more ornate decor, elevator, etc. As long as it is in Venice proper (not Mestre) it doesn't really matter where it is ( unless you have mobility problems and cannot walk over bridges),

In April of 2016 I stayed at Hotel Campiello. It's just steps from the San Zaccaria vaporetto stop in a tiny square and about a block East of St. Mark's Square. Close enough to the action, yet tucked away so still private. www.hcampiello.it

AirBnB is what I use all the time in Venice.