If you were going to Venice, where would you stay?

[Aridane]

I am bewildered by the choice of amazing looking hotels with amazing views (though appreciate individual rooms may not share those views).

If you’ve been to Venice or are planning to go, where would you stay?

Close to St Marks Square or rialto area

We stayed over more towards the area where the airport ferries first dock (I could show you on a map but can’t remember now what it’s called). It was lovely and quiet and filled with locals and not many tourists. I would not have wanted to stay near San Marco or Rialto. Really touristy and the restaurants were underwhelming and expensive.

Just looked it up, near dell orto.

We stayed in a corporate hotel in Mestre. I didn't mind not having a view and wanted to be in walking distance of public transport. Also we went in winter and I didn't like the idea of trapsing through flooded streets at night and a 4 star hotel in Meagre was the same price as a 2 near rialto.

We were due to go at Easter, and had here booked. Was really looking forward to it! But alas...

Is on Murano, so quieter and cheaper than staying in St Marks/Rialto, if that is up your street!

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/HotelReview-g681249-d4064587-Reviews-HyatttCentricMuranooVenice-Murano_Veneto.html?m=19905

We did one of the BA combined offers and stayed at the Orologio in February. Might be a bit whiffy in the summer as near the fish market .

I used to live there. Avoid staying in San Marco- overcrowded, overpriced and touristy.
I’d stay in Cannaregio in the north up by the Ghetto. Or Castello. Or San Polo. Rialto is ok too it’s very central.
Dorsorduro is lovely and peaceful also.

Cannaregio and Castello will have the most locals and actual Venetian communities. Castello is great but a bit more of a walk to central sights.
Via Garibaldi in Castello is lovely for an evening spritz, people watching, decent restaurants locally and you have the lagoon there at the end of the fondamenta.

Giudecca also lovely but you’d need to get vaporetto each time to cross.

It depends what you’re looking for, when you’re going, your budget and if you don’t mind walking.

Definitely stay in Venice not on mainland. It empties of all the day trippers at night and is so much more beautiful to explore and walk around. Stop to get cicchetti (tapas) and wine at various bars as you walk the streets.

We stayed in Cannareggio and loved it. Quiet, beautiful, much less touristy. Easy to walk everywhere (or use the water bus) so I’d avoid staying in the much more touristy St Marks or Rialto areas.

On the lido - really easy to get a water taxi and vaparetto and lovely serene views across to Venice after a hectic day

The lido

In 2016 we went and stayed in a beautiful hotel called Ai Reali. It was really lovely and was central to where we wanted to visit. We had b&b then ate out for lunch and dinner.

Hilton Molina Stucky
Absolutely brilliant
Rooftop pool and bar
Water taxi every 15 minutes to ST marks square

We stayed on Giudecca. The hotel had a shuttle across the water every 15 mins. Loved Venice but it’s hideously expensive to eat and drink there, I’ve never felt so ripped off!

JW Marriot on its own island. Stayed there for my 50th and it was amazing. Free boat shuttle directly to St Marks Square.

It depends on your budget to be honest.

I took my mum for her 70th birthday thereby keeping a long ago made promise. We stayed at San Cassiano Its one of the cheaper hotels on the Grand Canal itself but a bit out the centre. Even if you don't get a room looking over the canal, breakfast is in a room at the front and you can even sit on the balcony if the mood takes you (we went in December so it didn't take us for long)

Cannaregio and probably in an Airbnb these days. I stayed in an amazing one about 5 years ago that had a canal door.

Another vote for Murano - so calm after the bustle of the city itself and easy and cheap to get to/from on the water bus.

We stayed here : www.anticodoge.com/

Lovely rooms and great central location. We paid extra for a canal view, but as it had double glazing and needed to stay shut due to the air con, and as we were on a low floor so people could see in, we didn't really appreciate the canal view. So unless you're able to fork out for a balcony somewhere I'd say save your pennies rather than paying over the odds for the view - you'll be seeing quite enough of the canals during the day anyway.

It depends on when you go? If in the next two months it's unlikely to be very touristy so you may be ok. Venice is relatively small and easy to walk places. If you're going soon you're likely to snag a bargain with hotels so now is the time to grab a high end 4* hotel if budget allows!

So many suggestions - thank you all.

Weekend flights to Venice (Marco Polo) are currently £9.99 outgoing and £9 return , so I thought I might go if I can get time off work .

All the places mentioned look lovely- it’s narrowing them down!

Another vote for the Lido, water bus straight there from the airport to your hotel and it feels so relaxed compared with Venice.
Waterbus to the main attractions is very easy

In the end - after many an evening studying these suggestions and more - I have gone for what would usually be a very busy area (Rialto Bridge) in a converted Palace with floor to ceiling views (pretty much) of the Grand Canal. I booked direct with the hotel after asking for a price lower than list prices

This is serious princess territory

I went last week, stayed at hotel indigo St Elena and Hilton stucky. Hilton was on a more remote island. I would recommend the indigo

@AbbieFB

We stayed on Giudecca. The hotel had a shuttle across the water every 15 mins. Loved Venice but it’s hideously expensive to eat and drink there, I’ve never felt so ripped off!

I stayed there last week. 6 euro gif half a litre of wine and 11 euro got pasta

It was cheaper than our local pub everywhere’s I ate

Castello.

Definitely not San Marco, appreciate in Covid times it must be v different but in normal times it is a complete bunfight.

Castello is just round the corner, easy walk and like a different world. Plus loads of lovely restaurants without the San Marco £££ or touristy factor.

If you want to be on an island, Burano is beautiful + amazing food but you will soon be fed up of the vaporetto ride to get anywhere. Day trip, not a stay.