The place is beautiful with a gorgeous skyline view of Venice. The beds and furniture were comfortable. The host, however, is very difficult to work with, and this completely compromised our comfort during our family trip to Venice.
The primary issue is that the refrigerator and freezer were non-functioning throughout our stay. We reported this immediately to the contact given by the host and he replied simply that everything was working fine without actually checking the condition (super unhelpful). We then reported it directly to the host, and she informed me that an electrician would come by to evaluate the situation. Our host was aware that we were travelling with small children, and that refrigeration was a must, especially for our baby's milk. Despite this knowledge, no assistance came for our 4 day stay in Venice, and then upon check-out we were told that an electrician was coming, so that we shouldn't worry. This was naturally no comfort to us, as the status of refrigeration AFTER our trip isn't important to us when booking an expensive apartment in Italy.
Furthermore, upon attempting to resolve this issue by requesting a partial refund, the host again contended that everything was working fine. The truth is that the 2 refrigerated compartments were humid and warmer than the air in the apartment, and the freezer was no different, with warm water sitting in the ice trays. The host directly accused us of being dishonest about this finding, and at no point even apologized about the delay in the electrician coming or the significant inconvenience and health hazard posed by the lack of refrigeration in her apartment. Maybe it's just me, but I expect a "luxury" apartment to come with standard amenities and host decency, especially when listed as such on the AirBnB listing.
We booked apartments in 4 other cities during our European trip, and some had small issues, but all hosts were accommodating and understanding, and most importantly attentive and kind. Barbara was none of these things, and we do not recommend booking with her, especially for anyone travelling with children.