The San Marco district lies in the center of Venice. Who hasn’t heard of Piazza San Marco which has been called “The drawing room of Europe”? It’s the only square in Venice to merit the name Piazza, all the others are called Campi. In the words of Wikipedia “As the central landmark and gathering place for Venice, Piazza San Marco is extremely popular with tourists, photographers, and pigeons.”
Given Venice’s relatively small size, you can enjoy San Marco without staying there, but you may wish to take advantage of this great location and stay in the neighborhood. For your convenience we have listed district hotels in approximate order of cost, starting with the least expensive. We have personally verified all hotel websites to make sure that they include English-language pages.
There are only three rooms in the Al Teatro bed and breakfast so you better reserve early in anything but the off-off season. The largest room has a balcony and can hold four beds. The Teatro in the name is Teatro La Fenice (the Phoenix) the Venice Opera House that has twice risen from the ashes. One of the owners was born in this very house so we are really talking about a family operation. The bed and breakfast address is Fondamenta della Fenice, San Marco 2554.
The Ca’ dei Dogi offers six rooms and an attic apartment ensconced in a Fifteenth Century Palace a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Piazza. You get a view of the Doge’s Palace and breakfast in the courtyard. There’s a restaurant on-site where you can enjoy traditional Venetian specialties. Some of the rooms have private terraces and wall tapestries and mosaic tiles abound. The hotel address is Corte Santa Scolastica, Castello 4242.
The Locanda Orseolo Hotel is almost right around the corner from the Piazza. This family-owned hotel faces the Orseolo Canal. There’s a quiet courtyard and each room is dedicated to a Carnevale theme. There are 12 rooms. The hotel address is Corte Zorzi off Campo San Gallo, San Marco 1083.
The Novecento family-run hotel is a short walk from the Piazza. Their rooms are decorated in a variety of styles. While there is no on-site fitness center, guests are welcome to use the nearby Hotel Flora’s fitness center complete with a personal trainer. Breakfast is served in the courtyard. As an extra attraction the hotel also organizes art exhibitions, giving the guests an opportunity to meet local and national artists. The hotel address is Calle del Dose, Campo San Maurizio, San Marco 2683/84.
The Bauer Il Palazzo is simply luxurious. You’ll eat breakfast on Venice’s highest rooftop terrace, Il Settimo Cielo (Do you need a translation?) The terrace also boasts an outdoor hot tub and none of the 44 rooms and 38 suites are decorated the same. There’s an exercise room complete with personal trainers, a bar, and a gourmet restaurant where you can dine indoors or on the terrace. The hotel address is Campo San Moise, San Marco 1413/d.
