This apartment is huge and located perfectly. The host and the apartment manager were both very friendly. I’ll start with a couple minor issues and then go on to the good stuff.
My wife is very sensitive to perfumes and because a previous tenant had smoked in violation of their policy, they cleaned it with a Lysol type of cleaner with an overpowering scent. So we had the windows open to air that out most of our stay. If you’re sensitive, make sure you mention that in advance.
The closest water bus stop is not a very busy one, so there is no automated ticketing system there and no ticket booth. San Marco is 5-10 min walk and has all of that. If you board at the one closet to the apartment, I believe you have to pay cash to the captain, but we didn’t board there. Also, if you arrive late at night, it’s fairly lonely at that stop. We arrived at 10pm and not many other people were around.
The door to get into the apartment is a bit secluded, but you’ll notice a lot of that once you’re off the beaten path. It’s two fairly steep flights of steps to get to the apartment.
The location is fantastic. 10 min to San Marco square in one direction, 10 min to Rialto in the other. We walked to the train station in our way out (with 2 rolling bags and 2 backpacks). It took 45 min with multiple breathers but we wanted to see that side of Venice.
There’s a much less crowded and less expensive square to get a bite to eat or grab pizza and a beer around the corner (Piazza Morosino).
Also very close to Musica a Palazzo, which is a great sampling of Opera in a nearby palace.
The unit itself is very large with tall ceilings. The bathroom was small but functioned well. We used the combo washer/dryer which worked fine although it’s a pretty long cycle. Large refrigerator. The balcony off the bedroom was tiny but perfect. Big enough for two of us to have morning coffee and pastry. Or a late night drink. It looks out over a couple smaller rivers (not large enough to be called canals). There’s a gondolier stand not far away so you’ll get a few traveling through while you enjoy the view from the balcony.
It was very quiet, especially if you pull the shutters closed at night.
We accidentally locked ourselves out while leaving with our bags locked inside. I contacted the host through AirBnB application and the apartment manager arrived within 10 minutes. That was a relief!
All in all a great place and a great stay.