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The best budget hotels in Venice, from family-run guesthouses to characterful palazzi

Ca' Zose is good for those wishing to be close to the Accademia Gallery and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Ca' Zose is good for those wishing to be close to the Accademia Gallery and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection

This unique gem of a city is best known for its watery landscapes and exquisite architecture, but beyond its immediate charms it’s surprisingly multi-faceted. It draws fans of contemporary art (the Biennale), movie buffs (the film festival), art lovers and those who just want the thrill of a gondola ride on a quiet canal. Venice’s hotels are similarly all-embracing. If you’re travelling on a budget, it pays to pick a quieter moment, and to shop around. Whilst you can pay a pretty penny, you can also find cheap hotels in Venice that still offer a great location, smart rooms and the kind of character that you look for in a beautiful boutique, from family-run b&bs to hotels on out-lying islands. Here's our pick of the best budget boltholes.

B&B San Marco, Venice, Italy
B&B San Marco, Venice, Italy

B&B San Marco

Venice, Veneto, Italy

8Telegraph expert rating

There is absolutely nothing hotel-y about this b&b, which is truly three lovely rooms (all with canal and rooftop views) in what you will come to regard as your Venetian home. The experience begins at breakfast, where the owners will sit with you in the kitchen and discuss not only things to do and places to eat, but Venice’s past, present and future. Rooms are spotless and the hosts pride themselves on offering hotel-standard linens. It’s immersed in the heart of ‘real’ Venice, about half way between San Marco and the Arsenale – this is a lively, residential part of the city that many visitors miss. Read expert review From £60 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

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Bloom & Settimo Cielo B&B, Venice
Bloom & Settimo Cielo B&B, Venice

B&B Bloom Settimo Cielo

Venice, Veneto, Italy

8Telegraph expert rating

These charming adjoining b&bs, housed in a building dating from the 13th century, share facilities with the friendly Locanda Fiorita Hotel round the corner. It's within easy walking distance of the Rialto and St Mark's. A comfortable, homely top-floor library/living room opens out onto a roof terrace with spectacular views across the city; complimentary prosecco is served. Striking colour schemes and neo-Baroque touches make for a very mod look, but the feel overall is hushed but friendly. The six rooms are fairly well-sized for Venice and individually decorated, with bright colours and neo-Baroque touches. Read expert review From £82 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

• An insider guide to Venice

Hotel dell'Opera, Venice, Italy
Hotel dell'Opera, Venice, Italy

Hotel dell'Opera

Venice, Veneto, Italy

8Telegraph expert rating

This smartly converted private palace hidden in the heart of San Marco – around the corner from the renowned Fenice opera house – is a marvellous location for visiting many of the city’s most treasured sites. The owners have carefully maintained all of the classical Venetian details in this 18th-century palace, such as the gorgeous terrazzo floors, the antique well in the entrance and original wooden doors. None of the 15 rooms are exactly the same though each room is decorated with similar rich fabrics and antique furnishings to create a most relaxing and cosy ambiance. Read expert review From £56 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

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Al Ponte Mocenigo hotel, Venice, Italy
Al Ponte Mocenigo hotel, Venice, Italy

Al Ponte Mocenigo

Venice, Veneto, Italy

8Telegraph expert rating

Beautifully stylish rooms – some with baldaquin beds, all in glowing colours with antique-style furniture – and effortlessly charming service are Al Ponte Mocenigo's hallmarks. The 10 rooms cluster around a delightful courtyard with ancient columns and a lovely antique well head. The look is classic Venetian with a contemporary twist; the feel is laid-back and very friendly. When the weather permits, a delightful breakfast is served in the courtyard; otherwise, the excellent pastries and fresh fruits are consumed on the ground floor. A newer annexe next door is equipped with a Turkish bath and bar. Read expert review From £68 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

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Venice Certosa Hotel, Venice, Italy
Venice Certosa Hotel, Venice, Italy

Venice Certosa Hotel

Venice, Veneto, Italy

7Telegraph expert rating

This is no ordinary Venice hotel experience: the Certosa is on a lagoon island just off the eastern end of Venice proper, with the bustle of the Vento di Venezia boatyard and yacht marina nearby, whose patrons and workers often drop into the hotel's bar and restaurant. Rooms are minimalist in the extreme, except for one specially commissioned modern artwork in each. All are spotlessly clean, have all the bare necessities. There’s also a late-night bar with a lovely outside seating space, and a restaurant which offers a mostly seafood menu. It’s without a doubt an inexpensive option by Venetian standards. Read expert review Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

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Il Veliero Romantico, Venice, Veneto, Italy
Il Veliero Romantico, Venice, Veneto, Italy

Il Veliero Romantico

Venice, Veneto, Italy

7Telegraph expert rating

Il Veliero Romantico is an itsy-bitsy guesthouse with only three rooms a short walk from the the train station and Piazzale Roma. The contemporary rooms are salmon-coloured, with fabric bedheads, upholstered chairs and white wardrobes and tables. Two are private twin rooms (they can be made into doubles on request) while one is a small dorm with three beds. Two rooms have small balconies, while one looks out over a pedestrianised area. There are plenty of cafés and restaurants a short walk away. As the area is largely residential you’ll find prices here are lower than in the city centre. Read expert review From £65 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

The most characterful hotels in Venice

Hotel Rio, Venice, Veneto, Italy
Hotel Rio, Venice, Veneto, Italy

Hotel Rio

Venice, Veneto, Italy

7Telegraph expert rating

The two-star Hotel Rio, just a five-minute stroll from St Mark’s and the Doge’s Palace, offers stylish rooms at prices that are not bad at all for this centralissimo bit of expensive Venice. It’s in the neighbourhood of Santi Filippo e Giacomo, a buzzing spot along a well worn tourist path, filled with bars and restaurants. Rooms are on the small side but they’re decorated with some elegance, and the compact bathrooms are clean and functional. If noise bothers you at night, ask for a backwards-looking room over an alley: they may be darker than those overlooking the campo, but they’re a whole lot quieter too. Read expert review From £41 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

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Ca' Zose, Venice, Italy
Ca' Zose, Venice, Italy

Ca' Zose

Venice, Veneto, Italy

6Telegraph expert rating

Ca’ Zose is an old-style hostelry: immaculately neat and clean with faux-antiques in bright colours and a general air of timelessness. With its jovial managers and old-world air, the hotel is a good bet for budget-conscious travellers and those wishing to be close to the Accademia Gallery and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Enthusiastic front-desk staff are always ready with spot-on restaurant recommendations and any other advice or assistance you require. Bedrooms have rich-coloured carpets, painted faux 18th-century furniture and comfortable mattresses. There are triple and quad rooms, too. Read expert review From £50 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

The most romantic hotels in Venice

Domus Orsoni, Venice
Domus Orsoni, Venice

Domus Orsoni

Venice, Veneto, Italy

8Telegraph expert rating

Set in a delightful palazzo overlooking a private garden and the city's only glass foundry. There are exposed beams and floors in traditional Venetian terrazza in the rooms. It’s popular with participants in the foundry's mosaic courses, but also attracts many Venice habitués who value its quiet location. The feel here is quieter and more grown-up, and most guests are the kind of frequent independent travellers who seek out calm in less trodden areas. The five rooms are resplendent with glass-mosaic-tiled walls and artworks. When the weather is nice, the plentiful breakfast buffet is served on a flower-filled terrace. Read expert review From £47 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

The best luxury hotels in Venice

Ca 'Dogaressa, Venice
Ca 'Dogaressa, Venice

Ca'Dogaressa

Venice, Veneto, Italy

7Telegraph expert rating

From your breakfast cappuccino at a table on the canal-side walk outside to your evening nightcap on the delightful roof terrace, you’re unlikely to find fault with this simple nine-room hotel in the northern Cannareggio district. Run by the affable Paolo Antenori and his family team, someone is always on hand to answer your queries and help you get the most out of the city. Rooms are done out in ‘traditional’ 18th-century Venetian style. The larger options have terrazzo flooring, brocade and Murano glass chandeliers. Front rooms offer wide vistas over the water. Read expert review From £35 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

Contributions by Caroline Hamilton, Anne Hanley & Jill Weinreich

Prices cited on Boooking.com are subject to change in high season and during popular holidays and events.