This apartment was absolutely wonderful! There is something magical about pulling up in a water taxi to a private dock on the Canal Grande that sets the stage for an awesome vacation. My family was warmly greeted at the entrance to the Palazzo by Stefano. Stefano helped with our luggage and ensured we settled into the ground floor apartment before leaving for the evening.

This apartment is directly across the canal from the fish and produce markets and is a five minute walk from the Rialto bridge. A bonus water view comes from the fact the apartment is at the corner of the building. In addition to the sweeping views of the Canal Grande, there is a side canal that is viewed from the windows of the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and master bedroom. Staying at water level is a very different perspective from being several floors up in a hotel. It gives a very intimate view of Venice and one we loved from the moment we saw it. We also enjoyed using the terrace outside the apartment where we saw several sunsets and sunrises over the Canal Grande.

The apartment itself is in perfect order as it was completely renovated from the ground up. A fully stocked kitchen with quality cookware affords ample opportunity to make a great meal in-house from the fresh fish and produce from the market across the water. The windows are well insulated and we noticed very little noise from the traffic on the canals. The wager/dryer combo machine made it easy to have laundry done start to finish while out seeing the sights during the day. Finally, the beds were all new and firmly comfortable.

If you avail yourself of a reserved water taxi, make sure the water taxi company knows you are at Palazzo Smith Valmarana directly across from the fish and produce market. Also, as additional assurance, provide them the street address of the Palazzo as there is more than one Palazzo Valmarana in Venice. This is the Palazzo SMITH Valmarana.

It was nice having two full bathrooms and both bedrooms offer ample space. A family of 4-5 will be comfortable here. We had plenty of storage space to stash away our luggage and there is ample closet space.

Stefano was very quick to address any questions and also referred us to what turned out to be our best meal in Venice.

We will absolutely stay at this Palazzo on our next trip to Venice. Finding an apartment in such top level condition in Venice is no easy task. Combing that with a very welcoming host is the perfect match.