venice hotels

Marie, I just spent five days in Venice at the Locanda Silva. It's the least expensive hotel in Rick's Venice guidebook. If you want an upscale hotel, this isn't it, but I'll tell you I loved the location. I had room 14, which is a single with a little balcony, but sounds like you need a double, which they have of course. But it overlooks a small canal, near an intersection with another small canal and you can see three little bridges in each direction and the gondolas come through that intersection all day, and they are really fun to watch with many gondoliers singing, or musicians. It's close to St. Marks in one direction, and then if you go over the bridge at the canal intersection and down between the buildings (one's a church) you come into a large campo that is very residential. So in the evening I would go to a nice cafe there that I like (I wish I had written down the name) and watch the locals shop and kids play. There's a better-than-most pizza place over the bridge at the back of the campo, and a produce vendor there, too. And Sandra at the hotel can show you where a nearby supermarket is. Breakfast at the Locanda is white bread and cornflakes, so didn't care much for that, but with the Rick Steves discount it is a real bargain in Venice. Clean! and well run.

It's Campo Santa Maria Formosa, also the name of the church.

We stayed at Alla Vite Dorata, a little B&B with 6 rooms or so. Excellent accomodations. Breakfast room overlooks a canal. It is a bit away from the tourist areas.

Thank you all for your info on hotels in Venice. I should have stated moderate price or budget. But all replies were within that range. Thanks again for your help. Marie

If you are open to a fabulous B&B, located a few minutes walk from San Marco and also close to the above-mentioned Campo Santa Maria Formosa, try http://www.aitagliapietra.com/homepage.htm. Very affordable, IMHO, with personalized but not hovering service.

More helpful to give specific price ranges you're considering than just saying "moderate". Our favorite place in Venice is Pensione Guerrato. It's a big RS favorite.