LIVE LIKE A LOCAL IN VENICE.

I’ve been to Venice close to 10 times at this point, my accommodation spanning the range from a pensione (a budget-friendly guesthouse or hotel) to grand hotel, to self-catering apartments. Since we now tend to stay more than three days at a time, and no longer require the assistance of a concierge, we have found the apartment rental is beneficial both on the wallet and comfort level — the apartments are larger than the average hotel room, plus they come with a washing machine making packing more efficient.

I’ve now rented three apartments through the agency Views on Venice, and have been happy with all the apartments as well as the service. Their website is easy to navigate — you can search for apartments by location, size, budget, and amenities such as a terrace, garden or canal view. The quality level of the apartments have been accurately portrayed, and we have been very pleased with the decor and condition in each of our rentals. On our most recent stay, we had an issue with the air-conditioning — Italy had a heat wave that week — but eventually it was fixed.

Also, we did experience a glitch in our initial booking schedule which required a move to a nearby apartment for the final two nights. Views on Venice admitted their mistake, and offered several incentives to compensate. Maybe if it had been our first time renting with them, it would have left a bad taste… but the benefits of staying and moving far outweighed looking elsewhere — their apartments are priced reasonably and the quality level quite good. Plus it’s Italy… things don’t always go smoothly like a visit to Disney World. But I will take the charm, beauty, and small inconveniences over perfection and sterility.

Our first rental was Ca’ Del Teatro, situated near Campo San Stefano in the San Marco sestiere (neighborhood). This is a gorgeous 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom apartment, recently renovated, with beautiful muted colors and fabric in the decor. It also comes with the benefit of a rooftop terrace — perfect for morning coffee or early evening aperitifs. The apartment location does require one to walk up four flights… no worries! It allows for more gelato intake given the caloric expenditure.

We have rented Ca’ Del Fontego two times now. This is a fabulous one bedroom apartment with 3(!) bathrooms, on the ground level with direct views onto the Grand Canal. Plus it is a stone’s throw from my favorite square — Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio. Again, completely renovated, lots of charm including original wooden beams across the ceiling, modern bathrooms, and even a Turkish bath and grand piano! It would still be perfect for a family of four because their is a second sitting room that can be partitioned off with two twin beds.

Ca’ Del Monastero 1 was our home for two nights recently due to our desired apartment was not available for our entire stay. It is right around the corner from Ca’ Del Fontego. This is a large stylish and renovated two bedroom/two bathroom. There are great French doors which open up to a terrace over a teeny campo. Another good choice for a small family.

Views on Venice always meets us promptly, shows how the apartment works thoroughly (there is also a house book in every apartment with instructions as well as great restaurant and other recommendations.