I think all our other posts here could just be eliminated. LarryJ's says it all!

Find a luxury small albergo/inn in teh Dorsoduro area in Venice. Don't stay outside of it. Walking around at night is a joy!

You see, Larry J hit the nail on the head as to what makes Venice special. Some places, such as Old Town Prague, Venice, Notre Dame in Paris, etc. etc. don't appeal to some people as much because they have a somewhat deserved reputation for being crowded. I went to Notre Dame when it was packed, and it just wasn't very spiritual, but I went to St. Peters before the crowds arrived, and it was magical. You can experience the magic anywhere in the world all for yourself. All you need to do is get out early, stay out late, and get off the beaten track a little. Don't worry too much about the hotel's location because you will love Venice so much you won't want to spend much time at the hotel anyway.

So bottom line, if you're worried about crowds, go off-season or stay in a hotel away from P.San Marco. As someone said, the Grand H dei Doge IS IN Venice proper-just a bit removed from San Marco. I thought it was too removed myself, but they do have a boat to San Marco. I think many people like staying in the Dorsoduro area. It's a shortish walk to San Marco, has lots of restaurants & shops, yet is not as hectic as San Marco.

Thank you all for the "magical" advice - especially Larry J! We booked Pallazzo Sant Angelo and now the hard part - the wait! But something to look forward to! Thanks for all your advice!

You picked a great hotel. We stayed there just over a year ago. It is in a perfect location, right on the Grand Canal, but away from the touristy bits.

Not sure what type of room you have booked, but try to get a Grand Canal view one if you can - well worth trying to get them to upgrade you if you don't want to run to the extra expense.

Good choice. Have a fun trip and make some lasting memories.

Larry J