When we first arrived to Marco’s place we were a bit surprised by how different the apartment looked from the pictures. It seemed much more spacious in the pictures, and the TV looked much bigger. But once we got settled in and made our way around Venice we learned how lucky we were to stay directly on the Grand Canal. The location cannot get any better. The view was beautiful. There are several boat and gondola services within steps to the apartment. It was an 8-10 minute walk to the Rialto bridge, an 8 minute walk to the Market, and 10 minutes to the academia bridge. There were several delicious restaurants within minutes from the apartment. Location, location, location. $400 per night paid for the view and the location, as the amenities in the apartment were not deluxe. The bathroom was very small and uncomfortable, and one toilet was out of service. The TV was small. The beds were double beds, however, the blue one was extremely comfortable and had memory foam pillows. There was also a 2 in 1 washer and dryer which is near impossible to work. It washed clothes easily, but figuring out how to dry clothes was very difficult. It is necessary to turn the dial to “lava e ascigura” to wash and dry clothes or towels, and it will take about 3.5 hours. Nevertheless, we were grateful to have a washer/dryer that we finally figured out how to work. Marco could not help us because he said only the cleaning lady knows how to use it. Further, the air conditioning and wifi were also much appreciated. We had everything we needed - location, view, comfortable bed, washer/dryer, a good size refrigerator for leftovers, A/C, and wifi. The apartment itself is basic but it is worth the money for the view, necessary amenities, and location. Like everyone else has said, there are many stairs to climb to get to the top floor. However, it was a welcome climb after all the food and wine we consumed. I do not mind the work out at all, and Marco’s cousin carried our luggage up the stairs when we first arrived. All in all I give his place 5 stars and I would stay here again if I come to Venice.