This place had a great feel to it. My friends and I spent 17 days in Italy and the 4 days spent here were our favorite and most memorable. The location was perfect. We were between the S Toma and the S Angelo Vaporetto stops but also had our own dock. Close enough to St Marco and to Rialto without having all the noise and crowds. There was several nice places to eat and also to buy food within a couple of blocks. The best part was having our morning coffee and evening wine on the dock watching all the boats go about their business. A couple of minor things almost prevented me from going with a 5 star rating, but since we loved it here I could not bring myself to deduct a star. These minor issues are characteristic of such an old building, i.e. a couple of the bathrooms had very low water pressure and if ANYTHING else was switched on while dryer ran the power went out and we had to reset breaker, which explains why most Venetians hang out their laundry. That being said, I would still stay here in a heartbeat and we enjoyed it tremendously. The manager, Marie Helene was extremely helpful throughout the entire rental process and was always quick to answer any questions that I had. The owner called after our arrival to greet us and check on things, which I thought was very nice and considerate.

It would be hard to find a more perfect place to stay in Venice! Several years ago, as we stood on the dock of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, watching the water traffic pass by, we vowed that, on our return, we would rent a place with a dock and similar wonderful views of the Grand Canal. And we found it in this lovely palazzo! The location of this property is truly superb, not only because of its water-front position but because of the easy accessibility to everywhere in Venice! It is 2 minutes’ walk to the traghetto to the opposite bank of the Canal (Guggenheim, Museum of Contemporary Art, etc.) and about a 4 minute walk to the vaporetto stop for Piazza San Marco, the Rialto, the train station, etc. The Alilaguna from to the airport ($17 p.p.) drops off/picks up at this stop and is a good alternative to a water taxi (which can be tricky and costs $110). About 1 minute's walk away there is a general store and Campo San Stefano (good restaurants and gelateria) and the Accademia bridge are a short stroll away. La Fenice for the Opera is also easy to reach on foot. The owners offer two rentals at this property: a main unit on the first floor (US “second floor”) and a ground floor (US “first floor”) honeymoon studio. The two rentals share the dock and a hallway to the dock. Although there were only three of us, we decided to rent the honeymoon studio, as well as the main unit, so that we so that we would have the whole place to ourselves and could spend late nights/early mornings on the dock without disturbing or intruding on others in the honeymoon studio. This was a great decision. This property is a far cry from a stark, cold rental property: it is clearly the owners’ much-loved second home. The prize feature of the main unit is the grand living room and dining room with a bank of tall casement windows which front onto the Grand Canal. When thrown open, these provide delightful cushioned window seats from which to view the gondolas and other boats passing below. We loved sitting there and watching and listening to all the activity on the Canal. The bedrooms in the main unit are at the rear and sides of the property, away from the Canal, so there are no water views but, at the same time, they are removed from the bustle of the water traffic and allow for a good night’s sleep. We loved our week in this spectacular palazzo and its warm, welcoming, homey, high-end accommodations and would return to it in a heartbeat.

This is the second time I’ve stayed in this amazing Palazzo, this time for a full month. The location is great – close to everything, without being in the tourist traffic pattern. There are many restaurants near by, with Le Café on Campo Santo Stefano being one of our favorites. When you stay here, you’re not only close to Piazza San Marco, but also Dorsoduro, via the San Toma traghetto or Accademia Bridge. On this trip, we took the opportunity to visit some of the quieter areas of Venice, including Cannaregio and the Giudecca,, and also took several day trips out of town, to Padua, Verona, Bologna, Ravenna, and even Vienna for two nights, all accessible by train. The Palazzo itself is very large, with two bedrooms and three baths. As others have mentioned, it is most enjoyable just to sit and look out over the Grand Canal, with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and watch the boats go by. Please note, however, this is someone’s home as well, and not solely a vacation rental. I find this more enjoyable that just staying in a rental only apartment, but it does require a bit of extra care. The individual touches are quite charming, and you get to live with amazing artworks and furnishings. Karen, the owner, was quite attentive, and called (and emailed) several times to make certain all was going well.

This palazzo is a true Venetian experience. The location, the architecture of the building, and the facilities are "real" Venice. We were treated graciously by the owners and the manager, who took care of all our needs. I recommend this Palazzo to anyone looking for an opportunity to experience life on the Grand Canal in true Venice fashion.

We loved Alain and Karen's apartment on the Grand Canal. If you know Venice, you'll realize this is more or less the most perfect spot in the city to base yourself. We stayed for 8 days at the end of March 2016, and were happy with every minute. Our two kids (ages 6 and 8) spent hours in the window seats waving at passing vaporettos and counting the people who waved back. We loved sitting on the dock downstairs and watching the boats pass by. The place has a warm, lived in feel, not fancy, but everything you could want is there -- dishwasher, laundry, etc. Marie Helene manages the property for Alain and Karen, and was a delight to work with -- every question was promptly answered. Dioni, the on-site caretaker, was also wonderful. He met our water taxi from the airport (right to the dock!) and helped get us settled. We loved it.

Karen and Alain's, Palazzo on the Grand Canal is simply wonderful in every way. We enjoyed our stay immensely and will rerun as soon as we possibly can! Thank you Karen and Alain!

We can't say enough about this beautiful apartment. It is prime location. Awaking each morning to have coffee while sitting in the window and watching Venetian life is such a unique experience. The apartment is tastefully decorated and maintained. It's a secret hideaway that we would retreat to after shopping or visiting St. Marks square, galleries, and other sites. Every corner and turn in Venice is like a treasure hunt. And the this apartment was our biggest treasure find. We always felt in touch with the owners and caretakers at all times. Both parties text, use email, and voice. English was never a problem. This is an amazing secret treasure. I can't imagine staying in a sterile hotel. This is the way to experience the locale with a quiet retreat of your own.

Having been to Venice a few times before, we opted to find a nice place on the Grand Canal for about a week's stay. I searched and found this extraordinary palace, yes palace with a dock on the canal. To our right we saw the Rialto Bridge, acroos the canal a 'secret' place that was abuzz with quests arriving under cover of night. Two to four per shining white taxi. We counted at least 20 such taxis. We also witnessed 'Phantom of the Opera' production with the final scene in front of us. My husband loves to cook so naturally he made most of the food for the four of us. We toured and we toured. St Mark's was excellent as was a personal tour of the Murano factory. Yes, my husband did buy me a gift that I helped desgin. It will be at our doorstep in Arizona just before we get back home in mid-November. We had such a fun time on the dock, singing to the guests in gondolas and the many many passer-bys. The 'palace' was excellently maintained and the library shelves were well stocked. My husband enjoyed all the art work, especially the photo of an elderly lady and next to her the 'door into the past/future'. We did not have any problems once we figured things out. Overall it was an excellent apartment, fitting of our 'palace' in Venice.

OK, so you have decided to visit Venice. Next question is do you want a hotel room as a base and you spend days visiting the galleries and restaurants. We had done that option on previous trips but decided to upscale and spend a week in the burbs and live like a Venetian. It turns out, we went several steps better. This apartment overlooks the Grand Canal and we were two palazzos down from the George Clooney wedding and had front row seats to view the wedding party. That was an added bonus living right on the Grand Canal which is the artery that keeps this town going. This is the ONLY way to really enjoy this City. The local market and organic restaurant at the end of the street and the nearby square for afternoon spritzer are the way to live like a local and to give yourself some space from the packs of people on San Marco and Rialto. What a disservice they do to the real essence of this City. Owners were great to work with and communicated throughout our visit. They obviously have a passion for this apartment and the City. There are quirks to fitting a 21st century amenities into a 400 year old building but it is very comfortable and you sit at the windows overlooking the Canal and it becomes home very quickly. Have a splurge and pay a little extra to really enjoy Venice for what it can be rather than a 4 walled hotel room that could be anywhere.

My wife, two young daughters (ages 14 & 9) and I stayed at this wonderful apartment for two wonderful weeks and we enjoyed every second of it. The apartment is ideally located in a very quite Venice neighborhood where one can lose themselves living like a local or walk a mere 10 to 15 minutes to be right in the middle of the crazy tourist scene of San Marcos Square or the Rialto Bridge. The apartment has its own dock right on the Grand Canal so arrival from and departure to the airport is very easy (no lugging one’s luggage around Venice) and the dock is a wonderful place to enjoy a great bottle of wine and some cheese purchased at the local market only a 100 meters from the villa. The sights and sounds of being right on the Grand Canal can only be described as amazing, relaxing, wonderful and throughly enjoyable. The apartment is well equipped and allows one to make it their home away from home. The owner and their locally based staff were wonderful both prior to our arrival and during our stay. The owner and their staff made us feel right at home and were never more than a quick text or phone call away if we need any advice or suggestions on simple or complex requests. There are numerous cafes, markets and bakeries all within a minute to a five minute walk so one is never lacking for a range of choices to satisfy their requirements. The apartment is also very centrally located to multiple public water taxi stations and the canal crossing gondola service. The apartment is well appointed and very comfortable but it is a 400 year-old building (I believe I have the age correct) which has been completely redone but for those expecting the Four Seasons, you might be a little disappointed but for those who have traveled, understand and appreciate what old world Europe is all about you won’t be disappointed in the least!! The pictures on the website are accurate so if you like what you see you will love it!!!! We can’t wait to return and enjoy the villa once again and we’d highly recommend it to anyone who asks.

The spacious apartment is directly accessible by water taxi from the airport.(a huge plus even if you are traveling light).The views of the Grand Canal are addictive. Both the 1 & 2 vaporetto stops are near by plus the canal crossing gondola. The main attractions can also be easily reached on foot. The owner and assistants were available. The owner called from Paris to inquire of any needs or questions. The apartment is well appointed and comfortable. We were very pleased and satisfied with our stay.

Everywhere we go I always make sure to have the best view. The five windows in the apartment overlooking the Grand Canal lived up to my needs! Every morning and after every nap my almost 2 yr old daughter would get up to "watch boats" as she would say it. We would put the cushions in the window sill and watch boats together. She would wave to the vaporetto full of people and the whole boat of people would wave back. The apartment was full of wonderful art on every wall and the furniture and books in the main room was perfect for the setting. The apartment is quiet with the windows closed at nite and lively with the windows open in the day. The private dock is such an excellent way to get right into the apartment from a water taxi (you simply must take a water taxi here from the airport to truly appreciate coming into Venice). Our first nite down from the apartment walking into the streets we stopped at the first restaurant "Osteria" and sat down for dinner. It felt just amazing to be in Venice. Everything you need is in walking distance. It's only 15 minutes walk to St Marks, and about 10 minutes to the Rialto for the fresh fish market. Jump on a vaperetto to Lido at the landing around the corner and be at the beach in Lido in 45 minutes. If you have a small child you definately want to backpack them in Venice because a stroller is not the way to go on the cobblestone and many bridges that you will be crossing. I left my backpack at the airport so after getting to the apartment I had to go back for it. I called Karen's helper for the apartment and he came to me, then personally took me to a water taxi and driver (that he called in a favor for) and got the backpack. Later on in the trip we went to Florence but I left the passports in the room and I called Karen for help. With a ton of assistance and phone calls with Karen and her assistant and her coordination and translation with the concierges at our B&B in Florence and then Rome they got the passports to us by the time we got to Rome. Without Karen's help and concern we would have had a serious problem. Thank you so much Karen! We love your apartment, your courtesy, and your ability to make things happen! Thank you for having us.