Looking for a nice place to stay on the last night of our trip. Need triple room, middle range price, not more than 45 minutes to Marco Polo Airport. Don't want to spend the last night in a boring airport-type hotel and "ruin" our trip! Would like something with "character". We will have rental car to turn in at airport so would like to avoid Venice island area. Any ideas?

If you want character, then you need to lose the car and stay in Venice proper. Otherwise you need to look at hotels in Mestre - and Mestre is not big on character.

Do you have only the one night in the Venice area? If not, turn in the car when you arrive, then spend whatever days you have in historic Venice (the "island area"). You can take a water taxi to or from the airport within your 45-minute time frame.

Or try hotels in a place like Mogliano Veneto or Quarto d'Altino or Casale sul Sile.

Change your dropoff to Venice (Piazzale Roma) and spend the night in the city. Next day take the Alilaguna (water shuttle) to the airport, slightly longer than your 45 minutes but a wonderful way to say goodbye to Venice and much cheaper than a taxi. Here's the schedule: www.alilaguna.it

I stayed in Venice (island) near Piazzale Roma, the ATVO bus is direct and took approx. 15 minutes.

I concur, you should ditch the car and stay in Venice proper it has much more atmosphere.

How many days are you staying in Venice?