Hi,

My husband and I are going to Venice in July for 5 nights. We don't want to spend more than $200 - $225 a night with breakfast. any suggestions as to where to stay in Venice? Is Lido a good option? thanks

We enjoyed the Hotel Ala on a small square about 10 minutes walk from San Marco. The hotel is on a small canal and has canal views from several rooms. Breakfast is included. I think it is in your price range. I don't think the Lido is a good option. Venice is at its best early in the day and in the evening when the cruise tourists have departed. There is nothing like Venice and it is most wonderous when you can just walk around and absorb the atmosphere instead of having to get on the water taxi and return to the Lido.

locanda al gambero is your spot. they have a website, speak english, its clean, close to SM and the price is right.

Ask for 13a or 13b and you will have a view of the small canal that runs along the hotel.

We absolutely loved Novecento.

We stayed at the Pensione Accademia and loved it. Breakfast is included, and served outside, weather permitting. Here is their website for more information..

http://www.pensioneaccademia.it/

Another vote for the Hotel Ala. We stayed there February 2003 and loved it. We were traveling with our two teens and they gave us connecting rooms. The location is great and the hotel is very pretty. On that trip we also visited Rome and Florence and Hotel Ala was our favorite of the three hotels.

Pensione La Calcina
www.lacalcina.com

I would definitely not want to stay on the Lido since you would need to take boat transportation to go "anywhere".

This is one more endorsement for the Hotel Ala. I liked the location, breakfast, etc. and I really enjoyed the superior room beside a canal. Had a balcony too.

I would not stay on Lido. I know someone who likes to stay there because she can get a more luxurious room for less money, but I prefer to be in Venice proper.

We loved our rooms with a garden view at the Pensionne Accademia in the peaceful dorsoduro area of Venice.

We stayed a Antica Locanda Venezia in 2003 and really liked it. I think we paid about 180euros per night including breakfast. It is about a 5 min walk to Piazza San Marco on a quiet alleyway. It had a cute rooftop terrace - where they served breakfast. They also had a cozy indoor room for lounging or having breakfast inside. The staff spoke english and were very helpful. The bathroom was new and very clean although a bit small (but most in europe are). I would stay there again. It is a 3 star, smaller, charming hotel with a B&B feel. They have a website and you can reserve with them directly.

We stayed at the Hotel Locanda Al Leon last year - great location, blocks from San Marco. It is a small B&B type hotel, husband & wife owned (who spoke English well and were very helpful). The rooms were nice and clean. We paid about 120 euro/night inc. breakfast, which is pretty cheap for Venice.

http://www.hotelalleon.com/locanda.html

Hi,
A lovely little hotel is the Hotel Flora. About 5 minutes walk from San Marco. It may be more than you want to spend, but it is a beautiful little spot! You should look it up.