We arrived in Venice on foot, walking from the train station, and were
greeted by what felt like a welcoming committee of Marcello, his wife, and a friend who conveniently was francophone ( my French is way better than my Italian). The three of them spent the better part of an hour going over all the ins and outs of the apartment, giving us a nice tour of the neighbourhood, recommending where to get dinner, pizza,
and gelato (all you need, right?), and stopping in at a local bistro/bakery for a "welcome to Venice" drink on them. We were pretty impressed. The apartment was delightful and definitely met or exceeded our expectations. The location was perfect; only about ten minutes from the train station, and right in the heart of the old city.
We were surrounded by canals and bridges and old world charm, as well as great shopping, restaurants, pizzarias, gelaterias, and nightlife.
My wife and I highly recommend Marcello' apartment to Airbnbers visiting Venice.