Now that our summer itinerary is set we would like to choose a hotel in Venice. Looking for B & B or other small intimate place that is under $300. What websites are reliable? Is secretplaces.com OK? We noticed that contact info for hotels is hard to find...Any advice from you smart people is valued...Thanks all.

Hi--we loved this hotel--all contact info is availabe when you click on url-- http://www.hotelmarconi.it/hotel_mar..._venice-en.htm

Also venere.com is a useful site to peruse multiple hotels and they have contact info for each one. I am not familiar w/secret etc.

Hi anne,

We also very much enjoed the Marconi. It's just at the foot of the Rialto Bridge.

Also see the http://veniceby.com/barbarigo/index.html

We loved the Locanda Orseolo, just off the Piazza San Marco. I think we found it on venere.com.

We loved Novecento. I found it on i-escape.com where you can get the "highs" and "lows" of the hotel plus a lot of great images. The staff went out of their way to give us directions, make reservations and just to chat if I had free time and was looking around the hotel. It has a Moroccan decor and is tiny..I think just 9 rooms and is a very short walking distance to San Marco. I believe the website is www.novecento.biz Also the breakfast buffet was excellent.

About a year ago, this place was charging $115 but they were booked - looks cute!

http://web.tiscali.it/pensioneguerrato/penprenen.html

We stayed at the Monaco and Grand canal, it was great.

We stayed at the Hotel Giorgione and loved it. Friendly and helpful staff, lovely common rooms, very good breakfast, small bar, pool/internet room...very nice.

We booked directly through the hotel's Web site at www.hotelgiorione.com...it should be in your price range.

Marconi looks terrifc. Thanks for all of your suggestions. My head is spinning a little less now! Annealex

www.lacalcina.com

"Message: About a year ago, this place was charging $115 but they were booked - looks cute!"

It is a cheap, basic, and decent place to stay in an excellent location. But cute - no.

Just returned from Venice and, although not certain of prices in higher season, in early March we paid 130E for a room at the Pensione Accademia to accommodate the rest of our family. We stayed 7 nights at the hotel and loved it. Were quoted 120E for Hotel Serenissima on Goldini not far from San Marco and also checked out the Flora, not sure of price, but it is in San Marco but down a slender little alley walk and seems very charming. Also, since Accademia is in Dorsoduro (wonderful area, quiet and lovely), we also checked out La Calcina which also looked very nice but could not accommodate our dates.
Good luck.