ciaodeb

Taking kids this time to Italy in August'08; Daughter 15, son 12 by then. Can you suggest a modestly priced hotel in Venice? It does not have to have a water view. Just read a post for one Venice hotel that was raved about, Hotel Antica Locanda Sturion - Calle del Sturion, San Polo, Venezia and their price for double room is 230/nt. (~$368)and 300/nt. for canal view. We'd like it under $150.

Do you know of any hotel on less famous canals? I just wondering if price is less or we must be off water or even out of Venice by one train stop.

Value of US $ is not good and we may have to stay in Mestre, one train stop away. Can you recommend any hotels here where it's easy to get to train station? Might I have to go one train stop further? Does anyone know town name and any accommodations there?

I would like very much to stay in Venice but it may be too expensive. I'll just keep my memory of staying on a main canel when I was 14, with my parents. Would be nice to give my kids that memory too. I am just happy to be going to Italia!!

Thank you very much for any advice.

snorklesue

You may want to look into staying at an apt in Venice. We have booked one through cross-pollinate.com for 3 nights in May. Don't know yet how it will be, but sounds like a good answer for our family of four. You can also try VBRO.com and Venere.com for b&bs and also apts. There are a lot of other ideas on Fodors-keep looking.

suze

www.lacalcina.com

TeddG

We visited Venice a couple of years ago and stayed at Hotel Do Pozzi which we found the location to be excellent (3 min walk to St Marks Square) from memory it was also very well priced compared to other Hotels.

Another option is what a friend of mine did. They stayed in the Best Western Mestre hotel which is opposite the station and travelled by boat into Venice each day which they found cheaper than staying in Venice.

Therese

Check out B&B Al Saor:

http://www.alsaor.com/camereing.htm

I stayed in a small room here a couple of years ago and quite liked it, but they also have larger rooms with kitchenettes. Very budget friendly by Venice standards.

suze

I would shorten the stay if you have to but actually stay IN Venice. I don't think a waterview from the hotel room is worth paying for (just my opinion), if that means you'll stay in Mestre instead!!

Do whatever you need to, to find a place in Venice in your price range. You'll see water everywhere you go all day long
;-)

sherhatfield

If possible, you should really try to stay in Venice rather than Mestre. You don't mention how long you'll be there, but I would think that taking a train back and forth would take away from the magic of the city. JMO.

Have you checked out the Dorsoduro area? We stayed at Casa Rezzonico a few years ago and really enjoyed it. They are located on one of the smaller canals, and within easy walking distance to St. Mark's. I don't remember their price, but I think it was in your range.

www.casarezzonico.it

Good luck in your search!

ellenem

http://www.alpontemocenigo.com/en/index.htm

I love this place!

Don't worry about a water view--you'll see plenty of canals when you are out and about each day. Also, opting for a water view will increase the price of a room dramatically, even on small side canals.

magrb

2 years ago we stayed @ one of Rick Steves recommendations, Pension Guerra near the Rialto bridge. Believe it suits your price range. Very well located- not on a canal but we didn't spend much time in the room and the canals are everywhere when you are walking in Venice. We had a very large quad. Our friends stayed in a big apartment in the hotel on an upper floor.
http://web.tiscali.it/pensioneguerrato/homepenen.html

charnees

Also go to www.slowtrav.com to get more information and member reviews of hotels and apartments in their Italy section.

CasaDelCipresso

no, no, no (!!!) don't stay in Mestre - you'll miss VENICE ;-) really. If you really, really can't find somewhere IN Venice, I'd take somewhere in Padova (Padua) rather than Mestre any day.

Witha family though, perhaps you shuld look into renting a small apartment? may be more budget-friendly...and...eating out for every meal with kids in Venice can be a abudget-breaker too...easier if you can at least make your own breakfast and snacks ;-)

p.s. BEWARE of Italian hotels and kids (one of my big pet-peeves!) - some charge CRAZY amounts for a roll-away bed...or charge kids the same as adults.

notbob

Take a look at renting an aprtment if you are going to staying three or more days. It will usually be cheaper and as mentioned you can have a kitchen for at least snacks and breakfast. there are several agencies. Take a look at slowtrav.com for some reviews and suggestions.

Bluehour

I 100 percent agree with Suze and Sherhatfield and all those who say: Stay anywhere, but stay IN Venice.

Wandering around in the evening, or even sitting in your hotel and listening to the sounds of Venice that are really unlike anywhere else in the world. Staying anywhere else is just a false economy.

Plus it's an ordeal if one person wants to lie down for an hour, or forgets their sweater or whatever.

You can definitely find hotels for less.

(I have only stayed in one hotel in Venice, the Ala, a Best Western. It was ... beige. That's the worst thing I can say about it. It was just slightly above your budget. The location was incredibly convenient. You could do a lot worse. Some of the rooms are on a side canal frequented by gondoliers.)

You might also consider an apartment, where you could throw together a few meals to save some money. There are great shops around the daily Rialto fish and veg market where you can get bread and fresh pasta, sauces, cold cuts, wine, cooked chickens etc. "Cooking" is really too laborious a word for it. Home picnicking is more like it.

Anyway, have a giandujuotto at Nico for me.

tuscanlifeedit

Oh, good grief. I just lost a long message for you. Drat.

Anyway, most of it was in my trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2

Don't stay in Mestre.

Travelnut

Please clarify what you need -

ONE room for FOUR for 100€
-or-
TWO rooms, each for 100€ (because there are now 4 of you)...


??

p.s. sadly, if you need one quad at 100€ in Venice, it ain't gonna happen.

ciaodeb

I see I left out a couple of important items-- we plan two nights in Venice and we are 4, husband and me with our two children. Looking for ONE room with double bed and two singles OR two double beds, if that exists in Venice.

CasaDelCipresso

they exisit...but they do not charge hotels rooms in Italy like they do in the US (i.e. per room) you pay per person...so you will pay for 4 people even if there are two double beds if there are 4 of you I've even been charged for a triple when my son was THREE years old (!) children are only included in the room rate if they are sleeping in your bed and are under 12 (usually...there are exeptions but you have to email and ask in advance). I, honestly, do not think you will get a quad for that price in Venice....I'd still look into aparments...some in cities will let you rent per night and not per week.

Big_Red

Here are two places where we have stayed.

Bernardi in Cannareggio, reasonably short walk to the Rialto bridge. It was fine for us. I think that it is popular with the back packing set.

Hotel Messner, Dossoduro. They have a website. We had a triple in what they call the 'annex'.

ciaodeb

Ellenem- the web site you gave, http://www.calpontemocenigoom/en/index.htm DOES NOT WORK. Please inform hotel name or it's web site. Thanks!!!

ellenem

You have an extra "c" in your typing of it that my url did not have. Just click on the url and it should work. Here it is again:

http://www.alpontemocenigo.com/en/index.htm

However, now that you've clarified your needs, I'm not sure if this hotel will work for you, but it couldn't hurt to contact them and ask.