We stayed at Paolo's apartment for 3 nights in September. We must urge you to choose this place over any others -Trust us...arrange to stay here! I have never had such a pleasant stay anywhere. Not only was the apartment immaculately clean, but upon entering, both my husband and I were shocked at how lovely it is - MUCH better than the photos even show. Roomier than expected, too. It has a very calming and refreshing energy. Contemporary AND cozy.
Paolo went over and beyond our expectations as a host - even after we read previous, raving, reviews. We just couldn't believe how helpful and nice he was. I will refrain from listing all the details of how he bent over backwards to ease us into Venice and introduce us to the neighborhood and the apartment, because I'm sure you will enjoy being as pleasantly-shocked as we were at his generosity and his specific ways of helpfulness.
A friend warned me that due to all the water in Venice, a (different) place she stayed at was pretty musty and smelled...Paolo's had NO odor - and smelled fresh. Has an easy-to-operate temperature controller that eradicated humidity.
He speaks English well. His sister checked us out and was a sweetheart, who also speaks English well.
The (main ) shower head is large and it feels like rain falling. He offers plenty of towels. The blowdryer was nice and strong. Little things were nice to uncover, too... such as bug spray under the sink, candles, and a very soft, fresh blanket in one of the roomy, empty wardrobes. Everything seemed new. My husband particularly appreciated the windows - You can open them, along with the outer shutters, to directly look out over a canal in which boats and gondolas pass by often. So you have the many shades of privacy that range out to feeling like you're right out in it, too! Very cool. And doors have two functions: swinging open as usual, but also opening from the top for widow-like breezes.
The location was perfect! It's not far from the crazy, bustling areas of Venice - The Rialto Bridge, St. Mark's Square, etc, but far enough away for a more local vibe - peace, quite, walk-ways to loose yourself in. There are a few GREAT restaurants near-by...La Zucca and Trattoria al Ponte were both great. Visit the near-by, quaint, market to stock the fridge with some breakfast bites!
The back, private, patio is also roomier than you would expect from the picture.
You will love this place!!! It's only downside was that it was tempting to stay-in, instead of leave to explore Venice. HA! This AirBnB experience has us swearing off hotels for good.
Enjoy!