Hope to spend 2 days and 2 nights in Venice. Any recommendations for a good value hotel or B & B? Stay in San Marco area or elsewhere?
You might have a look at B&B 3C in the San Marco area. It's highly rated on Trip Advisor (search for "3C"). We were booked to stay there last year but had to cancel at the last minute. Every time I e-mailed, I always got a prompt and professional response.
Ai Tagliapietra is a 5 minute walk from San Marco. Lorenzo does a great job; lovely clean place.
Hard to know what "good value" means to you without a specific dollar or euro amount. Venice lodging runs higher than most Italian cities. That said, we really love Pensione Guerrato, having stayed there twice. It's on the opposite side of the Rialto Bridge from San Marco, but Venice is very compact. Do be sure to wander away from the crowds to see Venice at its best.
It sounds like Michael's place is in the Dosoduro area. I like it very much, it's quieter, more residential than around San Marco, and the rates are usually a bit cheaper.
Hotel Doni is very near San Marco (2-3 minute walk) but on a small, quiet canal. It's 1 star, so very simple, but I really liked it. Clean, quiet, English spoken, WiFi in public area. I paid 80 E for a single en-suite room last October, including a very simple breakfast.
In June, we followed a Rick Steves recommendation and stayed in Locanda Casa Querini, a 2-3 minute walk from San Marco, which was very convenient once we found it (although we didn't have too much trouble). It was on a quiet square, had a nice breakfast, rooms up one flight of stairs, small bathroom but very adequate, and we enjoyed our two nights there. Up one flight of stairs, not terribly fancy, but nice. [email protected]
Pensione Guerrato is not in Dorsoduro. It's by the fish market, northwest of the Rialto Bridge. Excellent location. But it just so happens that we WILL be staying in Dorsoduro when we return this May. We've got a room at Casa Rezzonico, a B&B on the same small canal that Katharine Hepburn falls into in that movie. :-)
Sue , to add to Michael's post , we stayed at Casa Rezzonico this past October . Very nice and quiet place on the Fondamenta Gherardini just down the small canal from Campo St. Barnaba . We loved it ,it was real neighborhood Venice with a lot of charm and a not very long walk to the Accademia bridge and St. Marks . The movie Michael refers to is " Summertime " with Katharine Hepburn and Rossano Brazzi . In one scene they travel to Burano , out in the lagoon , " The place where the rainbow fell "