Best Kid-Friendly Hotels in San Marco, Venice

The upper-middle-range Residence Corte Grimani has 15 apartment-style rooms with warm lighting and charming traditional style (picture tile floors, wood-beam ceilings, bare white walls, and wispy curtains). The in-room washing machines and kitchenettes with mini-fridges, microwaves, and stoves are rare features in Venice hotels, helping this option stand out from the crowd. The small boutique has a prime location within a five-minute walk of San Marco Square. Wi-Fi and local calls are free. It's also worth considering IQs Charming House, which also has rooms with kitchenettes, but it's a bit farther from St. Mark's Square. 

The eight-room Ca' dei Dogi is a lovely mid-range Venetian hideaway consisting of six individually decorated rooms and two apartments: Sun and Moon. Ca’ dei Dogi, built in a former 15th-century palace, is ideally located a few minutes’ walk from the Piazza San Marco and the Bridge of Sighs, but tucked away in a quiet corner among Venice’s picturesque winding alleys. Rooms and apartments are each unique, but all are clean and charming, with beautiful, if small, marble bathrooms and nice touches such as exposed wood beam ceilings and furnished balconies. Wi-Fi is free throughout. Prices are competitive given the excellent location -- the nearby Best Western Hotel Ala is often more, and guests tend to prefer it here. All in all, this is one of Venice's best values. 

The nine-room, mid-range Novecento Boutique Hotel is a family-owned inn in a quiet but central location that's convenient for both tourists and business travelers. Romantic and packed with character, the Novecento is exquisitely stylish, with quirky decor combining Mediterranean and Asian influences to create a cozy, visually inspiring space. Guest rooms are individually decorated with antiques, gorgeous textiles, and fun lighting fixtures, and have lovely modern bathrooms that, though on the small side, feel luxurious. Hotel Campiello is a comparable property in this price range though its decor isn't quite as special. 

A 40-room family-run boutique near Piazza San Marco, Hotel Flora is a quiet escape in central Venice. A quality breakfast is served in the beautiful interior garden during the warm months, and guests can also bring drinks from the bar into the garden during the evening. Rooms are quaint and clean with free Wi-Fi, but some rooms are on the dark side (as is often typical in Venice). Upgrading to the deluxe suite gets significantly more space and polish.

The 34-room Bel Sito e Berlino is a mid-range option in a prized central Venice location close to St. Mark's Square. The surrounding area is elegant and beautiful, and guests can easily move around the city with this hotel as a base. Rooms are on the small side, and the traditional Venetian style won't please everyone, though features include modern flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi. Some have mini-fridges, and it's worth asking for rooms with views of Santa Maria del Giglio. A full breakfast buffet is served daily and there's also a cozy bar. A private jetty sits on the Grand Canal, a short walk away. Travelers looking for a similar alternative nearby could check out Hotel Ala, which has a rooftop terrace and a popular bar. 

The Luna Hotel Baglioni is a luxury chain hotel with 104 rooms located less than a two-minute walk from the shops, restaurants, and architecture of Saint Mark’s Square. The classic hotel delivers a high level of service in a beautiful setting. Canova, an award-winning restaurant serving Italian and international cuisine, is on-site along with a café and full bar. Prices are a lower at the Bauer Hotel, but it’s farther from Saint Mark’s and less luxurious.

Starhotels Splendid Venice is an upscale property within a two-minute walk of the Piazza San Marco. Its 165 contemporary rooms include Italian marble bathrooms, fine fabrics, and modern amenities like espresso machines, minibars, and flat-screen TVs -- but guests report that the air-conditioning can be weak. A free breakfast is served under a glass roof in a courtyard, and the hotel has a formal restaurant as well as a lovely rooftop bar and lobby lounge. Wi-Fi is free, and guests can use computers at the on-site business center. The hotel even has a private water taxi landing and marina. Travelers could also consider the five-pearl Baglioni Hotel Luna, which features similar amenities and rates and more traditional, antique decor -- though some might find it stuffy.

The Hotel Casa Petrarca is a small, family-run bed-and-breakfast in a 14th-century building that's about a five-minute walk to St. Mark's Square. The value property, which has the ambience of a private home, has seven traditionally styled rooms with mini-fridges, coffeemakers, and mounted flat-screen TVs. Five of the rooms have air-conditioning and private bathrooms, while two share a bathroom and have ceiling fans in lieu of AC. Breakfast, which is included in the room rate, comes with eggs, pastries, cured meats, and cheeses, and is served in a charming room with damask fabrics overlooking a canal, or in guests' rooms. Wi-Fi is free throughout, and the hotel offers sightseeing itineraries. For a bed-and-breakfast with a touch more style and a roof terrace, travelers might want to check out the Ca' dei Fuseri. 

The 51-room Hotel Concordia is an upper-middle-range boutique option located in the heart of Venice, right next to St. Mark's Square. Guests can walk to the square in about a minute, and there are plenty of attractions nearby, as well as restaurants and shops. Venetian-style rooms are elegant -- a nice change from so many of the city's stuffy historic properties -- and come with flat-screen TVs, minibars, and air-conditioning. Some have balconies with views of St. Mark's Square or soaking bathtubs for two. The restaurant serves all meals, including a breakfast buffet (for a fee), and room service is available around the clock. Guests looking for similar rates including free breakfasts might consider the equally central Kette Hotel, though its rooms are far less sharp and no other meals are served on-site.

The 48-room Hotel Montecarlo is a comfy, budget-friendly hotel close to the Piazza San Marco. Classic antique-inspired furnishings (that border on being just plain dated) and flat-screen TVs fill small, yet cozy rooms on a busy street. The hotel features a cozy bar, a buffet breakfast room with traditional furnishings, and a TV room with an Internet corner, but space in common areas is limited and can feel cramped. The three-pearl Hotel American Dinesen offers more spacious common areas and rooms, and has canal views.

The 124-room Bonvecchiati Hotel, opened in 1790, is an upper-middle-range, historic property located in the heart of the city with its own water taxi dock. Piazza San Marco is a short three-minute walk away, and most of the city’s major museums are accessible on foot. The Bonvecchiati has slightly formal and old-fashioned Venetian decor. Rooms vary in size, style, and views -- some are modern and sleek with crimson accents while others are traditionally elegant with dramatic long drapes that match upholstered furniture. There are a gym, sauna, and steam room on-site and the restaurant serves quality Venetian cuisine. Wi-Fi is free throughout. 

Kette Hotel is a decent mid-range hotel housed in a 16th-century palazzo. 63 guest rooms have air-conditioning and minibars, but lack sufficient electrical outlets and decor looks faded and worn in some areas. Canal views and flat-screen TVs are nice extras. Free breakfast is served in an interior room. Unusual for older hotels in Venice, this property has two elevators, which makes getting heavy luggage up to the rooms easy. Compare rates at the nearby Hotel San Moise, which has slightly cheaper rooms in the same brilliant, walkable neighborhood.

The 51-room upscale Royal San Marco Hotel occupies a historic former residence in the heart of Venice, within a short walk of the Piazza San Marco. The family-friendly property is unabashedly tourist-oriented, and the location is a main draw. The hotel is spacious for a hotel in central Venice, with a small, unassuming bar and a mezzanine TV room. Guest rooms are small and heavily decorated with Venetian-style furniture and drapes; bathrooms are clean, but tiny and could use an update. Guests seeking local charm may want to compare rates with some of the many area boutique hotels, such as the Novecento Boutique Hotel.

The Bauer Il Palazzo is a luxury chain hotel located within a five-minute walk of the bustling St. Mark’s Square. There are 38 rooms and 34 suites, which are individually decorated and spread over eight floors of this 18th-century Venetian house. Room decor varies -- some rooms are traditionally Venetian, while others are more modern. Many have spectacular views of the Grand Canal. There’s a formal restaurant here, as well as a fitness center. Guests might also want to checkout its neighboring sister hotel, Palladio, which has lower rates but not the panoramic views.