Staying outside of Venice

Look at hotels in Mestre.

Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo has rooms on the ground floor (1st floor American). It’s a short, flat walk from the vaporetto stop. No need to schlep your luggage over bridges or flights of stairs.

https://alpontemocenigo.com/rooms/

Hello jlamrogers, and welcome to the forum,

You can look to stay in the Mestre area and there is also lodging along the lagoon edge on the way to the airport.

However, I think you are robbing yourself of the magic of staying in Venice itself which is part of the whole experience over the concern of some stairs. Unless you have thoroughly looked for lodging and found no places with an elevator, ground floor rooms or maybe a single flight up to place to stay I would encourage you to search before giving up.

Have you tried asking here if anyone knows of a hotel that fits your criteria? If you supply a month, your budget and your criteria I bet many people here will have some suggestions.

My $.02,
=Tod

There are plenty of hotels in Venice that have elevators
RS recommended hotels probably don’t but those are not always the greatest places IMO

Hotel Ala has an elevator, it is just a few steps from a vaporetto stop-no canals or bridges to cross

https://www.hotelala.it/

You can find more with elevators by searching on Booking.com
Use the filters

I would not stay in Mestre

Forum Search results for Venice hotels, last 2 years
https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&date_range=2y&filter=Travel+Forum&query=Venice+hotels+

You didn’t travel all those miles to stay in Mestre. You want to stay in Venice and you can do it! We never have dealt with steep stairs there. Do more research and you will find the perfect apartment in your price range.

I would definitely stay in Venice. Hotel Al Codega has an elevator.

https://www.hotelalcodega.com/

Have to agree with the majority here. Your conclusion that hotels in Venice proper only have steep steps and no elevators couldn't be more wrong. And while you can get cheaper chain hotels in Mestre, you are adding a lot of travel time every day just getting to and from Venice - a false economy IMO. And for those cheaper hotels without elevators, you can still request a room on a lower floor. We have always stayed at Hotel Campiello, a smaller boutique hotel 5 minutes from San Marco. And yes, with an elevator.

I absolutely agree with the others who recommend staying on the islands of Venice - not at Mestre or farther away. I also like to stay at Hotel Ala and have seen a RS tour group there while I stayed there on 2 of 4 times. There’s zero bridges to go up/down with your luggage from the S. Maria Giglio vaporetto/taxi stop.

It’s less than 5 minutes to walk over to the San Marco lovely piazza in the evenings.

hey hey jlamrogers
like many others posted here, stay in venice itself. what's your dates, how many people, budget in euros? do more research
you miss out on the whole experience of staying in venice proper.
booking.com
on left side is filters to check, elevator/lift, ground floor. we have stayed in a hotel with elevator across train station, a ground floor apartment no stairs or steps near the venice casino, a studio apartment with a small elevator/lift for 1 or 2 "skinny people sucking in your gut!!" LOL look at pictures, scroll down to see what is offered (list notes stairs/steps to climb. stay away if not for you. reviews on booking are from people that have stayed in places.
go out of rick steves realm to check out other places.
if you find a place come back and let the forum know and they will give you good bad and ugly. want you to have a great & fun time without stressing. are you flying into venice from USA/Canada, pay attention to flight arrivals and departures. many arrive early morning with check-in time 3-4pm and check-out time 10-11am. you don't want to be waiting around for "hours" to check in. most hotels will hold/store your luggage till check in, or reserve early check-in if possible. also look at what kind of transportation you are planning from airport (bus, taxi, vaporetto, private water taxi $$$) europeforvisitors.com
aloha

The princess nailed it....

you miss out on the whole experience of staying in venice proper.

Sei venuto per vedere Venezia, quindi vedi Venezia!!