Venice suggestions

[LIZS]

Planning a trip to Venice with dd this September to mark her 18th birthday. Any recommendations please for nice but not £££ hotel, smart but with a bit of character. Ideally with a canal view terrace for breakfast, drinks and gondola watching!

Also any ideas for non rip-off restaurants and how to get the most out of a few days.

Following as just booked a holiday to Italy with last 2 nights in Venice and have been wondering the same thing.

We stayed at Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo, mid range but nice - traditional (I think it used to be a palazzo) and has its own vaporetto stop. It's a short walk from the Rialto, St Mark's and Doge's Palace (5 mins?) Venice is perfect for walking/wandering and meandering.

Nearby Osteria La Zucca served excellent food.

We stayed at Hotel Marconi which is right by Rialto and wasn't too expensive by Venice standards. Its traditional, first night we had quite a small room with no view, second night they moved us to a big room overlooking Rialto and Grande Canal. If you say its for her 18th more likely they will do this.

Also stayed at Villa Edera on the Venice Lido which is lovely, traditional Venetian and bigger rooms, you need to get Vaporetto 5 mins from there but its magnificient views all way over and just by Vaporetto stop.

Marconi recommended a restaurant which was excellent though also had meal of beautiful fresh swordfish under Rialto which wasn't too pricey. Ice creams are great.

Stop at CaffèFlorianon the righthand side ofSt Mark's Squarefor an (expensive) hot chocolate served in painted splendour. Then see the gold mosaics in St Mark's Basilica, which are lit up weekdays11.30–12.30.
Vaporetto no. 82 or no. 1 goes the length of the Grand Canal. Gondolas are very pricey but you can take the traghetto (a sort of public gondola) across the Grand Canal for a few pence.
The bestice cream in Veniceis on the Zattere – the northern side of the Guidecca canal.
Hotel Dona Palace is on a small canal, with a private garden, close to Piazza San Marco; ice cream, restaurants, pizzerias in the neighborhood. Albergo San Marco is also on a small canal, very close to Piazza San Marco.

www.cabragadin.com/en/ We stayed here about 4 years ago. It’s about 5 minutes from the Rialto & in a lovely square. The room was huge with lots of character & didn’t break the bank! It’s got good TripAdvisor reviews. Definetely recommend it & would happily stay again!

Do take the water-bus to Murano and Burrano from Venice. The former you can watch glass blowing demos and I brought back some lovely murano pieces. Burrano is a very picturesque fishing village and the houses are incredibly colourful. There is a lace making factory though I arrived too late. It's such a lovely place.
And of course do take a gondola ride...