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

The Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach, CA would like you to show your love for them by getting all tattooed up under a promotion called the ‘Ink and Stay’ package. Of course, you’ll be ‘suitably’ rewarded for your show of love.

Hotel Erwin, Venice Beach, CA

Package includes a $100 voucher for a tattoo from Hotel Erwin’s acclaimed, in-house tattoo and graffiti artist Norm, plus Lubriderm lotion and ice-pack for healing, bottle of tequila to numb the pain, and a chance to opt for temporary tattoos - in case you chicken out in the tattoo parlor.

You also stand to get yourself a $500 bonus if you get a tattoo that  says “I HEART HOTEL ERWIN.” Not sure what the love of your life will have to say about that - but you might save some of that tequila to prove that you were too drunk to know what you were doing.

The newly re-launched and hip Hotel Erwin, overlooking the Venice Beach Boardwalk and located 200 ft from the beach, has quickly become a popular hangout for the artsy crowd in Venice Beach and their patrons and admirers. 

The Hotel even commissioned Norm – the aforementioned graffiti and tattoo artist from the famed Spotlight Tattoo in los Angeles, to paint some art (see video) at the hotel’s entrance. And a classic breakfast spot (HASH) and rooftop open-air lounge (HIGH) at the hotel add to the Venice Beach experience.

The Ink and Stay offer is valid until Dec 31, 2009.

Info: 1697 Pacific Avenue, Los Angeles (Venice Beach), CA 90291; (310) 452-1111; website; Photos courtesy Joie de Vivre Hospitality.