The apartment was in a very nice, quiet part of Venice. The host (Michele) met us at the train station, at close to 11 PM (we knew in advance there was an extra, but reasonable, charge for late check-in) and was readily identifiable by his two dogs. It was reassuring to have him personally escort us through the maze that is Venice to find his place, which is down a nearly-hidden alley. He proceeded to equip us with keys, a map, guidebooks, and helpful and accurate information about restaurants and supermarkets as well as public transport and trash pickup information.

The hosts live just 5 minutes away, and were readily accessible for information and assistance. We had some trouble starting the washer (perhaps we hadn't shut the door firmly enough?), and Michele stopped by the next morning to help us. About five minutes before he showed up, we had gotten the thing started, so his trip was in vain, but since he was just a few minutes away, it was not a big deal.

There were some extra touches on the part of the hosts that were really nice: because we arrived so late, Michele had stocked the apartment with biscuits, toast, pasta and sauce, juice, and bottled water. As the parents of ever-hungry teenagers, we really appreciated this! Other essentials (oil, vinegar, jam, coffee - both caf and decaf) were available for our use as well. In addition, there were individual soaps and shampoo packets and some shampoo bottles...again, a very nice touch.

The apartment is spacious and bright, and conforms to the pictures (with the exception of the third bedroom, which now contains a dresser instead of the sofa). There was ample room for the four of us, and the place would have been perfectly comfortable for six as well. The kitchen was well-stocked with the essentials (note: no microwave), and we made use of everything including the washer and the drying rack out on the back patio. We visited the small supermarket that is within about 10 minutes' walk. To get to it, we passed through a square that had several produce vendors as well. We did not have occasion to visit the larger supermarket just a bit further away.

The location is terrific - far from the tourist crowds, yet only a 15-minute walk from the train station and about a 5-minute walk from Piazzale Roma (the bus station/car park). With Michele's instructions and map, it was an easy feat to get to Piazzale Roma, purchase tickets, and take the 20-minute bus to the airport for our morning departure. Checkout consisted of simply leaving the keys and closing the doors.

As the hosts note in their description, the apartment is rather damp and musty...this would be the only negative aspect. It was easy to ignore given all of the positives. We highly recommend both the location and the host.