Which Venice hotel do we pick?

Honestly "views" of the Grand Canal are way overrated. It's kind of like having a view of the interstate...after all it is the main travelled thoroughfare.

A much more desirable location would be a view over a side canal where you may see the occasional gondolier plying his trade.

Actually a view of a canal is not really important at all...I would go with the most highly recommended hotel according to Tripadvisor (within my budget). Then you can rest easier knowing that you will be taken well care of.

If you know how Venice is laid out, 99% of apartments will not have a view of the grand canal, and 60% will not have a view of any canal, however small. Venice is a warren of little, narrow, dark alleys. Those are where you find the better deals.

I would humbly recommend Pensione La Calcina - which does not have view of the Grande Canal but rather Giudecca Canal. You would not be disappointed. There's even a private roof top terrace you can reserve to enjoy a heavenly view.

http://www.lacalcina.com/

I stayed at Hotel Riva on May 7-8, they confirmed a canal view with a/c. When I arrived they said that it wasn't available, they gave me a room overlooking the sidewalk, on the second floor. It was noisy because of the foot traffic and it was a warm night
so the lack of a/c really irked me. They did give me a fan. The room was fine, but I was very disappointed because they had confirmed my request and even showing them their e-mail they didn't do anything to accomodate the mistake...but were happy to show me a pix of the owner with RS. It is in a nice location but I wouldn't stay there again. Best of luck.

I would go with one of the hotels with good reviews, regardless if it is listed in Rick's book. Rick don't hate me, but many times you must receive the BEST room and the owners bend over backwards for you because you are you. I would weigh the reviews on Tripadvisor as well. But be sure to read the reviews, not just look at how many stars. I've seen people rant about the stupidest things - like the fact that the bellhop didn't speak English. If the things people are not happy with are the type of thing that would effect your stay than cross it off your list.

Try a website called cross-pollinate. It's a B&B site and also apartments run by an american couple living in rome. They have B&B's and apartments in Rome, Florence and Venice. It's a great site and have used them lots. just type in cross-pollinate and the website will pop-up.

Albergo Doni sounds like what you might enjoy. It has rooms with a view of a smaller canal where you will enjoy gondoliers. Doni is recommended by Rick Steves, offers a Rick Steves discount and is also reviewed on trip advisor. Check it out!

Try Locanda Orseolo - a beautiful B&B which is more like a small hotel just a short distance from San Marco and the Grand Canal. I went there last July and it is air-conditoned. The owners greeted me like a long-lost relative and were so helpful during my visit there.

It is highly rated by TripAdvisor as well.

Also the included large home-cooked breakfast was fantastic. Go to:

www.locandaorseolo.com

Uh oh. I have reserved a room with Hotel Riva and now I am nervous! I totally forgot to check Trip Advisor. No wonder they had rooms available (unlike the other places I had checked!). I might be shopping around again. :-)

Thank you for all the helpful information, we definitely need it! Any more helpful advice would be greatly appreciated. Look forward to hearing from you.

My husband and I went to Venice in 2005 and we stayed at Hotel al Piave recommended in Rick's book. We loved it! Since then, we have sent 2 different groups of friends there too, and all have had a wonderful experience. We are returning to Hotel al Piave this September, it was an automatic choice.

I would steer clear of Albergo Doni though. I was going to reserve there last time, and was treated with such disrespect, and as though I were some kind of idiot by Nicos. He and I ended up in an e-mail fight.

I am so glad that Rick had Hotel al Piave in his book. It is just down a calle from Campo Santa Maria Formosa, named for the church that stands there. It is lovely to hear the bells ringing. Less than a five minute walk to Piazza San Marco, and in a much less touristy area.

We just got back from Venice and stayed at Hotel Riva. I read the review in Rick's book. I requested a corner room with a view of the canal and we got it. We were pleased with the room - two windows right above the canal where you could watch the gonadalas. It did not have airconditioning, but it had a nice breeze. The breakfast was only coffee, juice and rolls. Overall we liked it.

Heather,
We stayed at the Hotel Mercurio in 2005 and had a canal-side room on the gondolier's route, so we saw plenty of them gliding by (and enjoyed some of the singing too). It's a lovely little place literally 1 minute's walk from La Fenice. Very nice staff, and they have AC (tho because we were there in March I can't vouch for its effectiveness). Web site is http://www.hotelmercurio.com/en/ (please note if you book directly through their Web site, the prices listed are cash only; there is a surcharge if you want to pay by credit card).

We just returned from a trip to Italy, and in Venice we stayed at Locanda Orseolo. Fantastic owners who make you feel welcome and are so helpful. They lug your bags up the stairs, make restaurant reservations, etc. with a cheerful attitude and don't even try to tip them - they do it all because they have excellent customer service skills. We had a courtyard view - you might prefer the canal side.

If you are still looking, try Pensione Accademia Villa Maravege. It is in Rick's book also. We stayed there as part of our Honeymoon trip back in 2000. We are going back for two nights in August. Rooms have AC. A wonderful building that was once the Russian Consulate. Gardens front and back - very rare in Venice for a hotel of this range to have exterior space. Book early - very popular for repeat guests. http://www.pensioneaccademia.it Note: For all/any hotels I suggest looking on www.tripadvisor.com for reviews. Also consider where the folks that are writing the review are from, and what their expectations seemed to be. I also agree that the "canal views" is overrated. You spend a lot of your day on the canal when in Venice. Enjoy.