I really don't know where to begin on reviewing Ivana Merlo's retreat. It really is incredible. I was traveling with my 20 year old son and when we arrived in this retreat, he liked it so much that he wanted to "hang out" for the evening and cook in. So funny. Here we are in Venice and he wants to chill in our new pad! Ivana has thought of everything. You don't need a thing. Even a bottle of Prosecco awaited us. We actually cooked a fair amount, in addition to exploring restaurants in Venice. The marble tiled bathrooms are quite luxurious and the showers are large. The master bedroom was lovely and from my pillow I could watch all the harbor activity. It was just divine. My son was very comfortable on the sofa sleeper pull out bed. Linens and towels were plentiful. I fell in love with the 4-cup Moka maker and ordered one as soon as I returned home! The location on Giudecca Island was actually quite convenient. We had the Hilton shuttle steps away and the Vaporetto station a block away. In one day, we were expertly navigating our way around feeling quite thankful that we did not have to stay in heavily populated areas during high season. Our location was quiet and blissful. We did not want to leave. We cooked a nice breakfast on our last morning and returned to the US with laundered clothes. Staying at this retreat was the best decision of our trip to Italy and Ivana was constantly in touch with us during our stay. I highly recommend staying here and I hope to be back sooner than later.