Giovannis place is a great place to stay if you want to be a little bit away from the busy tourist areas. It was very warm and comfortable for the 2 of us and we enjoyed exploring the area. Giovannis restaurant recommendations were very helpful, it was an excellent base for exploring the biennale and Giovanni provided us with guidebooks to help us find everything. We have both visited Venice a number of times, so it was really good to be in a different sestier.
While we were in Venice Giovanni kept in touch with us in case we needed any help or advice and his map is great!