My girlfriend and I stayed in Martina's place in Venice for 3 nights in June. Although we didn't meet Martina, we were greeted at the apartment, very promptly, by Mimi who showed us around the place.

Firstly, a word about Mimi. We couldn't have wished for a more friendly, helpful and charming than Mimi. Herself a Venetian, she spoke very good English and seemed to appreciate it when either of us attempted to speak any Italian. She sat with us for a good 15 minutes explaining where stuff was in the flat and giving us a tour before making suggestions as to what to do and see whilst in Venice. Mimi's effort with us was hugely appreciated and was a great start to the visit.

Martina was easily contactable and provided detailed replies which was a weight off as we had never been to Venice.

The apartment itself was fantastic and in a way it was a shame not to have had time to make more use of it. We did make full use of the roof terrace which is not nearly as scary or unsafe as some have made out, although I probably wouldn't go up there after too many drinks. The views from the terrace are excellent and give you a real sense of what Venice is all about. The rooms were bright, airy, well appointed and the apartment had everything we needed (iron, wifi, cooker etc).

The area in which the apartment is situated is beautiful and slightly out of the way of the more touristy places like Rialto bridge or San Marco which was exactly what we wanted. I would suggest getting the water bus (ACTV) to Fondamente Nove rather than Rialto Bridge to reach the apartment as there is much fewer bridges to cross and tourists to navigate through using that route. There is a CO-OP around the corner that is to my mind slightly overpriced but convenient none the less if you need the essentials (Prosecco, Mozzarella). The nearby restaurants seemed authentic and reasonably priced compared to others we saw in the city. As first timers in Venice, it was incredibly difficult to navigate the streets without the use of the Iphone so when you get there, try to remember a few landmarks if you can. Having said that, getting lost in a city as beautiful and unique as Venice is a pleasure in itself.

I can honestly say that if I am fortunate enough to visit Venice again I would definitely stay at Martina's flat without hesitation.