venice hotels

Star ratings in Italy are different from in the U.S. They don't represent quality only amenities. A hotel with a restaurant will have a higher star rating than one without even if the restaurant is horrible. Use venere.com to find rooms in your price range and area. You can sort by location and budget. The Dorsoduro and Cannaregio areas are less expensive but still within walking distance to the main sites. Donna

RS will have plenty, many won't be bookable online, however. I would suggest a combination of Venere and Tripadvisor to find something that's a nice fit for you. TA has a nice feature to zoom in on a map and filter out all that isn't in the area. We stayed at Hotel Al Codega, it was quite pleasant, if a little pricy ( Venice). It was equidistant from the Rialto Bridge (and its Alilaguna/Vaporetto stops) and St Mark's but still very peaceful and on it's own courtyard. Venice is quite small though and on my next trip I will focus less on being "close to the action" and more on a quaint Venetian neighborhood. So, on that note, what's a good location for you?

Here's one brief description of what the star ratings mean in Italy (cribbed from www.4hoteliers.com) One-star hotels: reception must be open at least 12 hours a day; cleaning of rooms at least once a day; minimum size of double rooms 14 square meters; change of sheets once a week. Two-star hotels: must have an elevator; change of sheets at least twice a week. Three-star hotels: must have a bar service, receptionists must speak at least one foreign language; the reception must be open at least 16 hours a day; personnel must wear a uniform; each room must have internet services and private bath. Four-star hotels: in addition to daily cleaning, the room must be re-set in the afternoon and sheet and towels must be changed daily; must offer laundry services to clients; must have parking for at least 50% of the rooms; double rooms of at least 15 square meters and bathroom of at least 4 square meters. Five-star hotels: reception must be open 24 hours a day and must offer at least 3 foreign language capabilities; single rooms must be of at least 9 square meters and double of at least 16 square meters.

Back in 2008, I had a very pleasant stay at Ca Centopietre on Dorsoduro. Their website is www.centopietre.net. It is about a 5 minute walk from the Accademia vaporetto stop and I really liked this location. The room was very clean, there was a nice breakfast in a lovely main room and the owner was quite helpful. I found this hotel based on tripadvisor reviews so you might check the reviews there and see if this appeals to you.

We have stayed at Ca Dogaressa on the Canarregio Canal on two different trips. It is small and in a neighborhood area. The two Jr. Suites have the Canal view and are really worth the extra money. On our last trip we didn't plan far enough ahead to get the Jr. Suite so we opted to go for a different neighborhood.
The hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo was a great choice. We wouldn't hesitate to stay at either one of these hotels again. Both are close to vaparetto stops, so that makes them convenient. Mimi

October 2010 we stayed 3 nights at the B&B Al Campaniel I found on TripAdvisor for only 91 euros a night at the San Toma vaporetto stop. Everyone said how expensive Venice was so I was nervous, but it proved to be clean and comfortable. We had a nice quiet room with private bath, and lovely breakfast every morning. It was a good central location, convenient to Rialto and Frari - and we walked there from the train station, to San Marco, everywhere, and back to Piazzale Michelangelo very easily. Beware! It has a deliciously tempting chocolate shop right across the lane.

Check with venere.com and tripadvisor.com for your search. Each site contain all sorts of choices, map locations, pricing, and client reviews. Buon viaggio,