Living Like A Local With Roomorama: Venice Edition pt. 2.

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Photo taken on the Rialto Bridge. My sister Bridgette makes the fantastic Adventure Awaits garland that you see above. If you like it you can check out more of them at Earmark Invitations.

This is the second review out of two Venetian rentals. Don’t forget to check out our other Venice apartment review for a review of a completely different property and to read about our fantastic host!

Apartment #2: Rialto Bridge Skyline

Because the first apartment was only available for one night Stefy suggested we stay in this Venice short term rental for the remainder of our time. A friend of hers owns this apartment and she handles all the bookings for them. She mentioned that this apartment was more authentic Venetian in its furnishings which some people love and others don’t love as much. The location of this apartment is UNREAL. Literally in the heart of Venice – if you love to be in the thick of things you can’t beat this spot.

The Apartment

It’s HUGE. If you like large rooms in your holiday homes then this apartment will satiate your thirst for space. The apartment is very spacious. It’s a two bedroom/1 bath on the 3rd floor (4th floor for our American readers). Keeping with the typical Venetian style there are huge windows in each room complete with large beautiful Italian wooden shutters. There is actually a TON of light in this apartment. The photos on the Roomorama site do not give an accurate vision of the apartment because they make the apartment look really dark which it is not. It is bright and airy and the large windows provide great views to the life buzzing below. I am actually giving all the photos I took to Stefy so she can replace the current ones. She knows that the photos she has currently on Roomorama really don’t do it justice.

The kitchen is perfect. It’s modern and has everything you need from spices to pots and pans. I loved the kitchen in this apartment and we did a lot of cooking here. We also saved a ton of money by cooking most of our meals here. We would pick up fresh fruits and vegetables at the Rialto Market which was only about a minute away for just a few Euro a day. There are also two dining tables – one in the kitchen and then an additional room in the living room. It was perfect for us because we used the one in the living room as our ‘office’.

What you need to know before you book: We really liked this apartment but….Have you ever heard the term ‘Venetian Clean’? This apartment is a perfect example of the term. Venetian buildings are old. They are beautiful and charming but they aren’t new. They embody the things everyone loves about Venice – crumbling, gorgeous and aged. Expect dust.

I want to point out that the most important parts of this apartment were very clean – the kitchen and the bathroom were spotless. The linens and towels were all very clean. We both felt that the apartment overall was clean but that it was just a bit aged and dusty.

The other issue that detracts from this apartment is the fact that it looks a bit cluttered. For instance there are 17 chairs in this apartment. If you want to invite 16 of your closest friends over for a get together then it’s perfect but other than that there is no need to have so many chairs. There is just an overall abundance of furniture and given the large space of the apartment it doesn’t take up too much room but it just looks like the owners had a bunch of extra furniture and put it all in here. There are two T.V.’s in the living room – I have no idea why. They both appeared to be working when we were there.

The last thing I want to point out is that the listing says it can accommodate 5 people using the couch as an extra bed). Really that’s not accurate. The couch is a sectional (that separates easily) and is more the size of a love seat. A small child could sleep on it but that’s about it.

I don’t want to dissuade you from booking this place. Given the space and location it is a STEAL. I’m just pointing these things out to give you a realistic expectation of the flat. It’s still a great apartment. We would book it again in a heartbeat based on the location (read below for how much we loved it and why this apartment really won us over) and if you’re looking for a well priced flat in the heart of Venice it’s unbeatable. However, if you have a dust allergy or want to stay in a place that is more modern you will probably want to stick with the other apartment.

Currently, it’s perfect for a group on a budget that cares more about location that aesthetics. A young family, college kids or a group of backpackers would be the perfect target audience for this apartment as is.

Stefy has also asked us for our help with this apartment. She said it is very typical Venetian but she wants to know what she can do to make it more attractive to renters, in particular to more Americans. We’re helping her by putting together a list of the changes we would make if we owned the place (we wish!). A new paint job, a thorough cleaning, new linens, removal of extra furniture and updated accessories (lampshades, picture frames & throw pillows) would make this place a star in the Venetian holiday rental community. I’m not kidding either. With updates, the large space and the unbelievable location of this apartment you could probably tack another 75-100 Euro/night onto the cost of this place. A little work and this place would be shining like a new dime. It would most likely be booked every single week of the year.

This apartment does not have wifi but because Stefy is such a gracious host she let us use her personal mifi USB and helped us set it up so if you need wifi just ask her and she can help you out.

The keys and a view out of the living room window:

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The kitchen & some of the yummy food we cooked:

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The living room, hallway and bathroom:

The Bedrooms:

(Note: You need to walk through the bedroom pictured below to reach the room with the double beds.)

The views:

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The Location

If you want to stay in the heart of Venice this is your place.

The reason we fell in love with this place was the location. It’s superb. It’s a one minute walk from the Rialto Bridge and the famous Rialto market! Talk about ideal. You know all those famous photos you see of the Grand Canal? Those were taken atop of the Rialto Bridge. Dream about buying fresh produce for your daily meals and conversing with locals as you shop for fruits, veggies and fish? Head over to the famous Rialto Market. You don’t need to walk far – everything is right at your fingertips. We loved going to the market for food and even more we loved that the apartment was tucked away just enough to be surrounded by local hang outs.

One thing Stefy pointed out to us on our walk around the neighborhood was the square right next to the Rialto Market. She said that on Saturday a lot of locals come to this square. They order wine from the wine shop and they buy some cheese from the cheese shop next store. Then everyone just stands around the square drinking, eating, flirting and laughing. The next day was a Saturday and sure enough she was right. The square was full of happy Venetians enjoying life. Had we not known this little tip ahead of time we wouldn’t have known the protocol and we’ve probably would’ve just walked right past it. Armed with our insider information we decided to join in on the fun.

We walked up to the wine bar, then we hit up the cheese shop. We hung out in the square sipping wine, noshing on cheese and letting the carefree atmosphere unwind our knots from the road. It was probably one of the most relaxing and enjoyable experiences of our entire trip in Europe. It was Venice as Venice was supposed to be and I remember feeling truly happy. In fact, the next time we head to Venice I will be sure to schedule our time around a Saturday just so I can do it again.

Another thing I want to note about the location was the auditory awesomeness that came with it. One thing I love about Venice is the moveable soundtrack. People laughing, neighbors catching up, kids running around, laundry flapping in the breeze, boats buzzing by, friends drinking and lovers dining–it follows you throughout the streets and it’s beautiful. This apartment had it in droves. I couldn’t get enough of it and once we left I missed it tremendously. All I needed to do was open the windows to hear the beauty of life going on around me. It was never very loud but just enough that I could hear the neighborhood gossip (unfortunately I couldn’t understand it) and hear people washing their dishes. As it turned out there was a bar below the apartment where locals gathered after work for aperitifs and conversation. It was sublime. It was also convenient – all we had to do was walk downstairs and order a drink. Perfect! The bar closed down around 8 – 9pm each night so it was always quiet when we went to sleep and to be honest, it was never loud to begin with – just murmurs of quiet conversation.

Even though it’s in a very touristy area and the apartment is a bit dusty we really ended up falling in love with this place. In the end it was the location, the relaxing atmosphere and the moveable soundtrack that captured our hearts and kept us from wanting to leave.

The street the apartment is on showing the local hangout shown at night and by day:

(The doorway shown in the photo on the left is the doorway to the apartment building.)

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Aperitifs from the above hangout:

The Rialto Bridge:

Fresh food from the Rialto Market:

(All this was about 8 Euro and we had more than a couple meals from it.)

Randy enjoying the local square on Saturday. The wine shop Al Merca is shown behind him:

Our apartments in Venice were provided by the good folks at Roomorama who have short term rentals all across the world. If you would like to stay in the flat mentioned in this story you can find it online here: Venice Holiday Rental

Editors note: This is the fourth review of our stays with Roomorama. Headed to Prague or Istanbul? Be sure to check out our reviews for those two fantastic cities as well!

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*Please remember all photos on this website, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted and property of Beers and Beans Travel Website, Nariko’ s Nest Weddings & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you do want to use one of them please contact me first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!