If you’re looking for a unique and authentic stay in Venice, stay at this place! It’s a piece of history, as the building dates back 1500 years. We wanted to stay in something different for our last leg of our trip to Italy and this place delivered! You’ll also be super grateful to be staying in a place that is out of the crowded areas of Venice, we loved the quiet and peaceful area of town we were in!
Marcella was a great host who met us at the boat stop (F.Neuvo). It is very easy to navigate to the flat from the train station (ACTV line 4.2 or 5.2) and Marcella maintained excellent communication with us throughout our stay. She went through the details of the suite with us and we really appreciated that she gave us a map! She marked great spots for us, even pointing out where the young people on the island liked to hang out. She also explained about the surrounding islands and how easy it was to navigate by vaperatto, if you have extra time, do these you won’t regret it! Thank you for your advice and tips, Marcella.
The suite is modernly decorated, and spacious for two people. It was nice and clean, with linens and towels waiting upon our arrival. There are lots of homey touches here: maps, books in Italian and English, kid friendly things, blankets, teas and decorations that really make this place feel lived in. It has a very nautical feel and reminded us of a cruise ship!
There are so many shelves and drawers to store your things as well. Marcella uses some of these for her own storage, cleaning supplies etc. but there is still tons of space to put your stuff.
The two AC units in the suite work great. There is one remote to control them and they made the place nice and cool during our stay. Be advised that since it’s an old building, the AC can leave things feeling a little damp throughout the suite.
The shower worked well with plenty of hot water. There is a hair dryer as well as shampoos, toilet paper and body washes provided which is a nice touch. Lots of drawers and shelves to store your toiletries.
The bed is very different than what we’re used to at home, but was still comfortable. You’re essentially sleeping flat on ground level so if you have mobility issues getting in or out of bed this wouldn’t be good for you. Extra blankets and linens are provided if you need them. The bedroom is nice and quiet and we had peaceful sleeps here!
As with other guests reviews, the wifi isn’t great but it’s functional. Since it’s piggybacked from another suite there isn’t much you can do besides unplug the wifi extender and hope for a better signal. Marcella did make sure we could connect to the wifi when we arrived, and gave us the password in case we got disconnected. We found that decent service happens in the living room area. However, the spotty wifi issue is very minor as we were really only in the suite during the evening and had good cell phone service in case we needed it. Marcella is always there to get a hold of as well, and she responds promptly which is always appreciated.
The suite can be somewhat dark. It’s facing a really neat courtyard, but it doesn’t let in a lot of light. If this is something that bothers you, you may not like it, but it adds to the unique feel of the flat. Remember you’re housed in a building that’s 1500 years old! There’s plenty of light switches and everything worked well, so it really didn’t bother us.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay at this palazzo. The area is away from the overcrowded streets of Venice, but still a close walk to all the action of St. Marks square and many shops, restaurants and cafes. It felt safe and inviting after our adventures outside and Marcella was there to answer any questions we may have had. Also the bonus of having a washing machine and a dishwasher is such a luxury! None of our others places during our stay in Italy had these, so that really added value to the place for us.
Marcella, thanks for being a great host and making our first trip to Venice a great one!