The Lara apartment is a wonderful, spacious place in Dorsoduro. First of all, it is very big, it was by far the largest apartment my family (wife, 4 year old daughter, and me) stayed in during our trip to Italy. The master bedroom is very spacious as is the other bedroom with the two double beds. The last bedroom with the single bed is a bit smaller, but perfect for a kid. The kitchen is well appointed with all the basics you need to cook a simple dinner. The layout of the apartment works well with good separation between the common living area and the bedrooms (check out the layout on the City Apartments website). Nice open kitchen/dining/living area and a wonderful terrace with an entrance next to the kitchen that overlooks the street below. The terrace has a small table and two chairs to enjoy a drink or breakfast in the fresh air. There is one bathroom with a washing machine (no dryer) in there too. Washing machine works well. The shower seems to be missing part of the panel that prevents water from getting onto the floor, so you'll need to be careful to keep the spray of water in the tub, but this wasn't an issue for us at all. The apartment is on the top floor and has windows on three sides, so there is plenty of natural light. However, the bedroom blinds/curtains do a good job of keeping the room dark if you wish to sleep in. There is nobody above you and you don't share walls with anybody, so the apartment is nice and quiet. Keep in mind though that you'll need to walk up three flights of steps each time (no elevator). Also, you will want to be considerate to your neighbors below because the floors can get a little creaky in certain spots, particularly in the bedrooms. City Apartments provides slippers to help with this. Several of the windows have gorgeous views of the nearby small canal and you can even just catch a peek of the Giudecca Canal through the master bedroom windows.
The apartment is located on a small street just a short walk away from the Accademia vaporetto stop on the Grand Canal. You're also about equidistant to the Zattere and Spirito Santo stops on the Giudecca Canal. This makes things quite convenient because it opens up a number of different vaporetto lines you can take to get anywhere you'd like. With respect to the neighborhood, my family and I loved staying in Dorsoduro. There was plenty to see and do in this area...you're literally just a couple of minutes walk from the Gallerie dell'Accademia, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and the Basilica di Santa Maria. You can stroll along the Zattere and grab a gelato at Gelateria Nico, or head over to the areas around Campo San Barnaba or the Squero di San Trovaso. There are several wonderful restaurants, cafes, and local bars to check out along the way, all within very short walks. There is a grocery store (Conad) within walking distance on the Zattere that has all you would need and there is a small corner market near the Accademia varporetto stop that has some essentials. Finally, you are also close to the main tourist attractions like the Piazza San Marco, particularly if you enjoy just meandering around the streets of Venice and discovering things as you go. You can certainly also use the vaporetto to explore the San Marco area and the areas near the Rialto bridge. The apartment has great Wifi, though the coverage is weaker in the master bedroom. The TV has Netflix in case you'd like to catch up on your favorite shows. There are a few rubber boots near the wardrobe closet should you need to walk around when Venice floods. We never had to use them when we stayed and the apartment would certainly never flood since it's on the top floor, but it's a nice amenity should you ever need them. There is also a portable crib in the wardrobe closet should you be traveling with an infant. These little things are nice touches that can certainly help make you feel at home or make your vacation go more smoothly. One other thing to note is that you'll have to keep track of the trash collection schedule (provided to you by the City Apartments staff in a notebook on the dining room table) and properly sort plastics/glass, paper, and non-recyclable materials. There is a trash collection boat that sets up at Campo San Vio a short walk away where you drop off your trash, and a trash collector also rings your doorbell after a certain time to collect it. This is common practice when renting apartments in Venice.
If you've made it his far in my review, let me conclude by saying that I'm pretty picky about where my family and I stay. I often spend a lot of time reading reviews and researching hotels/apartments. All that being said, we will certainly come back to the Lara apartment should we visit Venice again in the future. It was a wonderful place and my family and I were very comfortable there. I'd highly recommend you consider this apartment.