Looking for a nice place to stay for a few days at the end of my Italy travels. Around $200/night, give or take with a view (don't want to feel closed in after leaving Tuscany). Thanks.

Well, of course, there are a zillion to choose from, as Venice has more varied lodging choices than any other city in Italy. As for your $200/nt budget, depending on whether you are going to be there during high or low season-you can find great 4 star hotels for less than $200/nt. in low, but the same hotels will jump to over 400/nt. or higher in high season, and the ones that were 80E jump to over 170E/nt. More so than in the other art cities of Italy, I think, your price/quality ratio differs dramatically in Venice from low to high season.

Since I don't know when you are going-here's a few to consider, in different parts of the city:

1. CA' GOTTARDI-in authentically charming, ever-interesting Cannaregio, just steps away from the beautiful Ca d'Oro palazzo and vaporetto stop on the Grand Canal-wonderful, atmospheric 15th century palazzo, great owners-old Venetian family, beautiful rooms-IDEAL location to see all of Venetian and tourist life played out right on the Strada Nova-you have the best of all worlds there-(lively, but not too noisy-there's a difference!), the palazzo is located on a side canal, just in front of a main gondolier station (which you can see and watch from the public rooms of this B & B) -but it is the street life that is so arresting from this prime location-love it! Great reviews on tripadvisor.com as well.

www.cagottardi.com

2. HOTEL GALLERIA-RIGHT on the Grand Canal, where you have fabulous views of the Accademia bridge-it's the views more than the rooms here, and it's in an ideal location-right by the Accademia and Guggenheim museums, and a few minutes walk to San Marco.

www.hotelgalleria.it

If you want to be actually in San Marco, then you could look at the RESIDENZA DI SAN MARCO. There are only 6 rooms, but it gets excellent reviews, is ideally located, and the price/quality ratio, particularly for San Marco, is quite good. Its sister hotel, HOTEL CAMPANA, a newish (from 2003) hotel located on a lively, and uncharacteristically untouristy part of San Marco, the Campo San Luca-quite convenient to Rialto as well.

www.hotelcasasanmarco.it
www.hotelallacampana.com


Another one over by the Accademia bridge in Dorsoduro is the ever charming Pensione ACCADEMIA, famed from the 1950's move "Summertime," but it may be out of your price range, depending on season-located at the intersection of two canals.

www.pensioneaccademia.it

And one more, this one in Castello, not too far a walk from Piazza San Marco, in a 15 cent. renovated palazzo- LA RESIDENZA -close to the waterfront, the Riva degli Schiavoni, near San Zaccaria, on a picturesque little campo, -14 rooms, with wood floors and antiques.

www.venicelaresidenza.com

Girlspy....thank you so much. We are going early October after Rome and Tuscany. It is easier to narrow things down with suggestions. I'll look all your suggestions up.

Another vote for Pensione Accademia. Our room had a lovely view over a small canal where we could sit and watch the comings and goings of the locals. We also loved the area. I would love to stay there again.

www.pensioneaccademia.it

I'm sorry, I don't know the prices now but in 2005 we stayed at and loved the Hotel Antiche Figure. OUr room was right on the Grand Canal, with a little Juliet balcony overlooking the gondola 'parking spot'. Beautiful rooms, spotlessly clean, quiet, excellent service. I put a review on TripAdvisor and all the others there are excellent. It's one of TA's top ten.

front corner rooms at Pensione La Calcina have a view out over the Guidecca (shipping) canal. www.lacalcina.com

You're welcome, ljc-just remember, October is high season in Venice, so anytime you're going to Venice in the September/October time period, you'd best book way in advance IF there is a particular popular hotel you have your heart set on. This past September, for example, il Gazzettino, the newspaper of Venice, reported a 100 per cent hotel occupancy rate for the end of September. So keep that in mind, and have a great trip.

And if you have time, take the #12 vaporetto to the island of Torcello, to see the very awesome 7th century Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, with an entire wall of Byzantine mosaics of the Last Judgment that will really take your breath away, not to mention the mosaic of the Madonna, considered to be one of the most stunning mosaics in all of Italy. Assunta with its priceless mosaics is one of the most important churches in the Byzantine empire, besides those in Ravenna.

And an alternative to the very pricey Locanda Cipriani on the island of Torcello is the pricey (but not as much!) OSTERIA AL PONTE DEL DIAVOLO (by the bridge of the same name: Devil's Bridge).


And speaking of Venice and Ravenna, I'll be in both places starting next week-can't wait!