When I first saw this listing on Airbnb, I thought that "Palazzo" was a rhetorical flourish. It's not. This apartment is literally the top floor of a 14th century Italian palazzo, complete with its own wikipedia entry. On more than one occasion, we entered and exited the Palazzo to find tourists with guidebook in hand as they gestured at the building.

Words cannot describe the experience of waking up in this apartment. Exiting your bedroom to find yourself in an expansive stretch of marble floors and walls featuring centuries-old portraits, you walk across a study lined with books and classical albums to a window and throw open the shutters, hearing the morning sounds of Venice echoing up from the plaza below - the voices of school children, the competing tones of distant church bells, footsteps walking across stone. You are instantly transported away from the 21st century, to a timeless Venice.

Our host Orsola was highly communicative before our trip and very helpful in arranging water taxis for our arrival and departure.

The actual accoutrements of the apartment could stand to be modernized. The bedding and beds don't live up the luxuriousness of the building itself, and the tubs present logistical challenges in showering without soaking the surrounding room. And ultimately, a large amount of the apartment's space will go un-used for any visit.

But for a first introduction to the city of Venice, a stay at the Palazzo Albrizzi cannot be surpassed. You're guaranteed to make incredible memories at this one-of-a-kind property.