Hotels in Venice by Jamie Dunford Wood

Hotels in Venice - at least on St Marks - are amongst the most expensive in Europe. Lagoon and Grand Canal views can cost 800 euros a night and more, but given the scarcity of them, perhaps this is not surprising - there are just 120 hotel rooms for rent overlooking the Grand Canal. The good news is that there are a handful in small, hideaway pensiones that few know about - if you are prepared to forego some of the luxuries, you can still get the view. However, in many ways the Grand Canal view is overpriced - a lagoon view from the Danieli or the Londra Palace or the humble Bucintoro is really more impressive.

That's not to say there are no cheap hotels, it's just that Venice has very little middle ground. The buildings are ancient, they cost a fortune to renovate and air-condition and maintain, so hotels split between those who have done it - the top end - and those who have not, generally reserved for backpackers and aficionados of Lonely Planet. The few good hotels of character in the middle bracket - the Accademia, the Flora and others - are so scarce they are booked months in advance.

For no one - excepting again the backpacker - should come to Venice and waste the opportunity to stay in one of the magnificent old palaces. If necessary, postpone your trip until the hotel of your choice is available, because the magic of Venice is in its stones, and staying amongst them is one of the most romantic hotel experiences you can have. Even then, there is still something of a lottery involved. No two rooms will be the same, and even with expert help, few hotels will guarantee the exact room of your choice. Resist, too, the temptation to go for chintz or French empire glitz, so appealing on the hotels' website - this is Venice, and the style should be heavy and slightly melancholy, dimly lit, and bedecked in faded Murano mirrors and chandeliers. At 800 euros a night at the top end, you might wonder what you are paying for. Well, it's the experience Lord Byron had two centuries ago, hardly changed, visually at least, in the intervening years.

Backpackers, meanwhile, should stride confidently to the elevator at the back of the Danieli (minus backpack), ride to the top floor terrace bar, blow their day's budget on a campari and soda, and promise themselves, ten years from now...