Thinking this place can't be as good as it sounds? Thinking it is £50 or £100 a night more than you wanted to pay? Thinking it is just somewhere to sleep at night?
Think again, because I can't encourage you enough to stay at this amazing apartment. The pictures do not do it justice... you actually become part of Venice when you stay here. Stunning views of (half) the Rialto Bridge, Rialto market, Grand Canal, and gondolas sailing past the bedroom window (about 3m from the foot of the bed!) every few minutes. The building itself feels like an old museum (apartment inside is very modern), and there is a wonderful juxtaposition between the bustling commercial street that the land entrance sits on, the internal and external communal areas of the Palazzo, and the apartment itself.
You will find yourself wandering from window to window just trying to take it all in (impossible of course!). You just can never get bored - whether it's rush hour for gondolas, market traders preparing early in the morning, a speeding fire boat heading out to an emergency, a late-night thunder storm lighting up the sky above the Rialto Bridge - even watching the pouring rain was mesmerising on our last day. As others have mentioned, there is a Grand Canal entrance, however this is not for prolonged use. The Palace truly forms part of a "Wonder of the World" (this section of the famous waterway is a favourite for historical paintings and was used twice in James Bond Casino Royale for a reason…) and the facade cannot be ruined by people sitting in deck chairs with a disposable BBQ! - that said, we popped out occasionally for a small sip of wine at night (just remember to close the external door behind you to keep the view of the building as intended). Bathrooms are small (as most are in Venice), and being so close to the water, I would recommend mosquito spray / plug-ins, however these are two issues you will generally find with any accommodation here. Perfect location – shops, cafes, restaurants, within seconds of leaving the front door, also 5 mins walk to Rialto Bridge, 15mins to St Marks Sq (highly recommend getting to the Sq 30mins before sunrise one morning - painfully early alarm call is worth it). Traghetto Sofia is 2mins walk away (2 euros each) if you want to cross the Grand Canal in a cheap gondola. You will remember this experience for life. Many thanks to Stefano and family.