What district to stay in Venice

Joanne - Venice is one of the most spectacular cities in the world - NOT CHEAP - A Hotel for that price is not really possible. There are B&B 's - very small that can do the pricing BUT - you mentioned centrally located.
The Hotel Casanova, directly behind The Piazza San Marco would be my choice - Easy walking to The Rialto Area with it's Markets and vendors, The Grand Canal, with all it's vendors, cafes, views, street performers, and, of course Piazza San Marco, where, each evening you have "The Battle of the Bands" , as the cafes compete to gain your attention - watch and listen - do not sit down - the cover is pricy.
The Hotel will also give you free tickets to go by Water Taxi to the Island of Murano where you can be amazed by the glass-blowing and then, on to the Island of Burano, famous for it's picturesque views and the lace and embroidery that the women specialize in.
There is one B&B - Alloggi alla Scala located in Campo della Scala de Bovolo Square that is between Piazza San Marco and The Rialto Bridge area that charges about $42 euros per evening. Good location - very small rooms. And, one thing to remember is that - if you get too far away from the central area around Piazza San Marco - you lose the entire flavor of Venezia.
There will probably be those that say - stay out of the San Marco area because it's too "touristy" Well, there's a reason it's touristy and that's because it's one of the most special places in Europe. You could stay 20 miles outside of Venice and take the train in But that would be missing VENICE!!!!! The other thing that is important to remember is that this is supposedly a TRAVELER'S HELPLINE which is supposed to be people who have been there and done that rather than someone looking up online a hotel for you - This is not Help -you can do that. Better to get advise from someone like me that has been there over 35 times in the past 30 years - Hmmm ?

Enjoy Venice, Ciao, Greg

Totally disagree with Greg on one point in his post....about being too far away from San Marco and loosing the flavor of Venice. If you want to be in the most touristy spot of Venice then stay near San Marco....if you want to experience a truer Venice then stay away for San Marco. Sorry I don't have a hotel recommend as I stayed in an apartment at the east end of the island away from the hustle and bustle of San Marco but immersed in a lovely neighborhood. The Piazza was a 15 minute walk at most.

Did a little searching and found this....Hotel Riva.....Tripadvisor reviews are good and the locale meets your criteria.

Been to Venice. We stayed in the Castello sestiere, about 10-15 minutes on foot to San Marco. It was defintiely wonderful, away from the main tourist area. Many locals and their environs, wonderful cafes, shops, etc. I didn't mind the walk or vaporetti ride to San Marco. When I return to Venice, I will definitely look to stay away from the tourist center. I don't think you lose the flavor of Venezia if you stay away from San Marco. Enjoy.

Venice is compact enough that you can stay almost anywhere. Staying on the non-San Marco side of the Rialto is great. Try Pensione Guerrato. They should be close to your price range, and they're great.

Thanks to advice from the experts here, I stayed in the Dorsoduro district last October. There are nice hotels in that price range. It is very convenient to San Marco and to the Rialto Bridge area, while having a quieter, residential atmosphere. I have already booked a room in the same area for my next trip, in February.

I use TripAdvisor to find hotels. Be sure to read the reviews. Sometimes you can get a better rate by booking directly with the hotel. I also asked for and received cash discounts of 5%-15% at hotels in Italy, even though I used a credit card to make the reservation.

I think most responders have missed a very important part of Joanne's message....she will be there in mid-November...thus the discussion about not being able to afford anything in the San Marcos area is not true...there are lots of bargins in mid November. As for the crowds...yes San Marcos is crowded in the summer...but not so much in November...so as Greg noted above, let's not forget that tourist places are tourist places because there is so much there to attract people....and staying in Mestre is not the same as staying in San Marcos.

Thank you everyone for all the great advise. Hotel Riva is closed that time of year but I have written to a few others for availability. After reading all your posts, I think staying in the vacinity of San Marco would be the best of Venice as we enjoy walking and discovering. Heres hoping that November won't be too cold to take a gondola ride!

there's a nice B&B near the santa lucia train station (approx 10 min walk). it's called Ca` Dogaressa. the owners live in the building next door. it has 8 or 9 nicely finished rooms with en-suite bathrooms. it's on a canal and the staff and owners speak english. see their website www.cadogaressa.com. stayed there twice and would go back without hesitation.
st. mark's would be a 15-20 minute walk as well as the Accademia. the area is more local than tourist, but it's all good. remember to carry 1 euro coins in case you need the use the WC [water closet]. in venice you have to pay and you need coins...not to mention the WCs are well hidden...so keep an eye open for the WC signs just in case nature calls.

Hi Joanne,

We stayed at Corte Campana (www.cortecampana.com) which is very close to San Marco Square (approx. 5 min walk). We loved the location. You could see if there are any deals in November. We paid slightly over 100EUR but were there during peak time.

The owner Riccardo was very friendly and always willing to give advice.

Have a wonderful trip!