Santa Croce in Florence, Italy

Budget Travel recently alerted its readers to a new hotel tax in Italy – not for every city, but for some of the major ones. Like many countries around the world, Italy is feeling the economic pinch and is weathering these rough economic times by passing the buck onto tourists. What this means for travelers to Italy is that, in some cities, they can expect to pay between $1-$4 more per person per night than they paid last year at the same time. The majority of cities imposing these new taxes began charging them this spring and summer, but a couple, namely the Sorrento Coast and Capri, will not begin charging them until early next year.

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Rialto Bridge, Venice, Italy

You’ve come to the right place on the web, but are you sure you’ve got the right Venice? In addition to the original Venezia in Italy, there’s at least five other  places named Venice in the United States.

Let’s keep this as simple as can be, so here’s a listing of the most romantic hotels in Venice – all six of them.

Hotel Antico Doge, Venice, Italy – Facing Campo SS.Apostoli, reflected in the waters of a romantic canal, Hotel Antico Doge offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in layers of silk, brocades, damasks and gilt mirrors that bring to life the golden age of Serenissima.

Inn at the Beach, Venice, Florida – In their own words, the Inn at the Beach is “Close to Everything, Away from it all…” This 49 room beachside retreat offers a relaxed, tropical lifestyle, with continental breakfast served in the lobby and a chance to step out of the lobby and onto the beach, where you can enjoy the sunsets and collect sharks teeth.

Venice Beach House, Venice, CA

The Venice Beach House, Venice, Los Angeles, CA – 99 years old and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Venice Beach House is spacious, charming and elegant, and manages to balance privacy with beach-front access and proximity to famed tourist attractions like the Santa Monica Pier.

Lighthouse Lodge, Venice, Louisiana – Completely rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina, the family-owned Lighthouse Lodge offers 62 beautiful guest rooms, and a nice smalltown bayou buzz where the party kicks off with fishing tournaments and cook-offs, and plenty of historical sights to visit. 

Venice, Illinois – This Venice lies on the other side of the Mississippi from St. Louis. The best choice for a romantic hotel here is the Millenium Hotel St. Louis, a 10 min. drive across the 100 year old McKinley Bridge into Missouri.

Venice, New York – Small town located in Cayuga County, New York. The nearest and most romantic hotel is the Springside Inn in Auburn. The Springside Inn is a family owned business located on the North end of beautiful Owasco Lake. They even offer ‘weekend fling’ and ‘one night getaway’ packages.

Rialto photo by Zehawk; Venice Beach photo by Warren Wilson Beach House

Crowne Plaza Venice East-Quarto D'Altino - it's in the 'burbs

This is why it’s not a waste of time to sit around, surfing the internet and wishing you could book your dream vacation in a near or far away land. Because sometimes you actually do find an amazing deal!

Over 200 lucky Sunday night armchair travelers managed to book a one cent weekend at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Venice East-Quarto D’Altino, which admittedly is located a brisk 20 minute train ride outside of Venice. But still in Italy!

Okay, maybe it isn’t the Hotel Danieli on the Piazza San Marco, but did you catch that part about a weekend stay for just one cent? For that price I think most of us would be delighted to take the commuter rail into Venice!

I would totally pay a penny to stay here

Even though the deal was posted by mistake, the Crowne Plaza is honoring the 1,400 room nights booked while it was up, costing the company about $130k. They will probably make up the difference in the positive publicity!

Related posts:  Italy’s Cinque Terre; Casolare di Remignoli, Tuscany, Italy.