Venice Apartment: La Rosa di Venezia

well, i haven't stayed there but I have stayed in a few apartments in Italy, and so far as one can tell from the photos it's pretty spacious. one thing to look out for is whether you can use more than one appliance at a time - some places the electrics are decidedly dodgy. but none of the references mention that as a problem so it's probably ok.

what I can't tell you is how noisy it really is especially in the mornings, which is mentioned in one of the peons of praise - our own Franco may be able to help you with that if you go onto his Venice accommodations thread.

the last point is the price - it's not cheap for a one-bedroomed apartment, [we're paying less than that for a 2 bedrooms in Rome for a week] so it ought to be good.

Slow Travel has some reviews of this property.

There used to be a guy that posted on here, for the life of me I can't remember his name, but he was an Italy expert. Especially an expert on Venice, and this was always his go to apartment.

If anyone can help me think of his name, I'd love to go back and read some of his posts, which were very in depth and had lots of information. Franco maybe???

Johanna

Found it!! Yes, his name is Franco. This should help give you an idea of the apartment.

Johanna

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/francos-favourite-venetian-accomodation.cfm

Hi, annhig:

Thanks for looking at the website! An experienced eye can view photos and read descriptions & reviews in a more discerning way! This may be our first apartment stay in Italy, so I appreciate your feedback.

We'll be looking for an apartment in Rome as well, primarily to find a more reasonably priced, well-situated place to stay. But, it will be our first time in Rome. We are wondering if we would be better off staying at a B&B or a hotel where there is someone who can answer questions, make dinner reservations or just be there for us? Your thoughts?

ellenem: Thanks! I found one review (October 2006) on Slow Travel. It gave a good description of the apartment, its amenities & the surrounding area! Very useful, indeed!

Johanna & annhig: You both mentioned Franco! It is interesting that Franco started the thread in April 2006 with favourable comments about La Rosa di Venezia! I have some interesting reading to do! Thanks for the reference!

We stayed at La Rosa and loved it. The bedroom (and living room) has lovely views from all windows but no door from the living room if that's important. The living room has a sofa, a chair and a dining table...it's not very large but certainly more room then a hotel. At the time we were there the small TV was on the floor - we weren't there to watch TV so not important. The bathroom and kitchen are narrow but we didn't have any problems. Bathroom had a tub which I loved. From what I remember the kitchen was well stocked, but we only cooked one meal. Location was superb and we loved the balcony with the gondolas going by.

We are not 'hard to please', are returning to Venice in the spring and if we weren't going with another couple I would certainly stay there again. Here's a link where you can see the outside and views.
http://www.pbase.com/caes/venice_2&page=2

If I can be of any further help, let me know.

We stayed there this past Sep for a week. We had mixed reviews. The location and view are wonderful, but we did find it to be small--especially the bathroom. Also, the agent that was to meet us sent a sub who did not speak a word of English. I would want more space next time.

Heer are some images of views from the balcony---the best feature of this apartment.
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/showgallery.php?cat=4440

My husband and I stayed there in Sept of 2008. It was fantastic! The location could not be beat. The price was half of that of the Columbia Hotel across the street. My favorite thing about the place was that there was a balcony. It is very small, but large enough for 2 people to sit on the balcony with a bottle of wine and watch the gondaliers go by. The bathroom seemed comparable to the other bathrooms I encountered in Italy. The kitchen was nice. My husband and I decided to buy an Italian cook book while there and cook a meal with fresh ingredients we purchased from the Rialto Market. It was a memorable experience, even though the meal tasted like dog food. I found the lady that brought us to our hotel, quiet but nice. She is only the "key-giver" not a B&B host, so I wasn't expecting much. My only complaint was that the room was VERY noisy starting around 4am. I am a light sleeper and had ear plugs in and still was awakened every morning. If you go, definitely bring some earplugs. Overall, I loved the place and thought it was quite a find. If I ever am lucky enough to go back, I would definitely stay here. You can't beat it for the price!

As far as a place in Rome, I stayed at a B&B near the colloseum called Nicolas Inn. I thought the owners were very friendly, yet not overbearing. The rooms were a good size and clean. They give you "breakfast passes" for a quaint cafe about 5 shops down the way.

Have a great time in Italy!!

PS- Hi Bob The Navigator! You planned my trip and we had a great time! Thanks for suggesting La Rosa di Venezia. I am sorry you did not enjoy it as much as I did. Best wishes!

Kristen Wolf

Well, duh. I guess this will teach me to read through responses more thoroughly! I see now where Ann had mentioned Franco in her response. I need new glasses.

We stayed here in June of '08 and really enjoyed it and often had to force ourselves off the balcony (great people watching/listening). Knwolf gives good advice about earplugs: when we visited there there was construction across the canal and lots of morning deliveries. Kitchen is fine for preparing pasta, simple breakfasts, etc.

For Rome check out Palazzo Olivia a small palazzo with seven apartments. There's maid service and a terrific manager, Carla, on site during the day if you need help with restos, tours, etc.

http://www.palazzo-olivia.it/

Thanks for all your replies & photos! I can visualize us sitting on the small balcony watching the world go by!

Just a few more questions: Is there a telephone in the apartment? Is there a shop/market nearby to pick up basic provisions (coffee, milk, juice ...)?

mvor: I will check out Palazzo Olivia in Rome. It's good to know that there is someone on site during the day! Thanks for the link!

2010,

can't help about the phone [most europeans would expect you to have at least one cell-phone or in italy "telefonino"] but as for businesses, if you put the address into google maps, and then enter the type of business you are interested in, like "supermarket" you will get them marked on the map.

simples.

we are about to stay here in Rome :

www.lacasadiclelia.webs.com.

it's got 2 beds, but they have a smaller studio apartment as well. the owner has been very helpful so far, and I'm sure would help with any queries you have; she is french but writes excelent english so i assume she speaks it well too.

look out for my trip report in afew weeks time.

@Rosa: there's a small supermarket, wine shop (bring your own bottle w/refill directly adjacent to market), internet spot, and tiny produce market nearby. If I recall correctly there's a map in the room (or on the site) listing some of these spots. We carry our own phones so can't vouch for telephone in apt. There is dedicated laundry in the basement which was helpful for us on our 2 1/2 week trip.

If needed, I can dig out my notes. However, I found the owner to be very responsive to questions so I think you could ask him directly for specific addresses etc. in advance so you feel more comfortable about your selection. Best of luck.

annhig:

Do most N American travelers carry cell phones in Europe? Gosh, we used to buy telephone cards from the local tabac during our travels in France & using pay phones to call home! Guess we had better catch up with the technology!

Thanks for the reminder about using Google maps to locate nearby supermarkets!

Have a wonderful stay in La Casa di Cledia & enjoy your up-coming trip! Looking forward to your trip report!

mvor:

Thanks for the information! It's helpful & good to know that there are small markets & shops in the vicinity of the apartment. I'm sure that I can get more details from the owner at the time of booking.

BTW - I checked out the website for Palazzo Olivia. The Rosina apartment looks especially charming & comfortable for a one-week stay!

hi 2010,

I think that a lot of americans do carry "mobiles" [UK speak] in europe and there have been a no. of threads about how to do this - buying/bringing an old one and buying a local simcard to go in it. it probably doesn't make much sense if you're only here for a short while and/or only once every few years. but if you are a frequent visitor to Europe, it might well be cost efficient. it's certaily easier than trying to find phone boxes!

an alternative of course is to find an internet cafe and send messages/keep in touch that way.

thanks for your good wishes - I'll be sure to report back.

2010, they have a mobile phone at La Rosa di Venezia that you can borrow (buying your own reload card, so you just pay your calls, no rental fee). I know because once, I had forgotten my own mobile phone at home... But certainly, it's easier to bring your own - it's not unusual that you'd have to contact the "key-bringing" lady on arrival, i.e. before you could borrow their phone.
I've returned from my last visit only recently, so I can say there was a brandnew construction site nearby (certainly not the one knwolf was referring to above - don't remember that one, but there is no other now than the new one), and there was only some noise during the day (nothing to write home about) and none at all at night. But on noise in general, as I've told Venice travelers on several occasions, it's important to bear in mind that the canals are not primarily for the tourists and their gondola rides - they're the city's mainfares, and all deliveries, tools for construction sites, taxis and so on have to go along the canals. There are simply no streets that would allow any deliveries of any importance, just narrow alleyways. So you either have a (perhaps!) quiet location looking into some unattractive backyard; or you have a view, i.e. a canal, and that means you have some traffic, as well. So if you are a light sleeper and want a view nonetheless, the advice about the earplugs is certainly good. That said, I think the canal on which the Rosa di Venezia is located is pretty quiet for a canal, and though I'm never getting up early, I've never had any noise problems there.
What else? The sub spoke no English... that may have been bad luck. I got to know two subs over the years, one proudly told me she was attending an English class (I talked to her in Italian, of course), the other one was a foreigner (I don't remember where he came from... was it Hongkong?) whose English was so much better than his Italian that I preferred to talk English, in this particular case. And in any case, Bob, you are such an experienced Italian traveler that I'm surprised that you noticed at all that the sub spoke no English; don't you think it would have been polite, in Italy, to speak Italian with him anyway, without even trying to speak English? I agree with you, though, that the bathroom is small; narrow, above all. As far as the kitchen, it's certainly well-equipped (if somebody happens to know my "Venetian food" thread, almost all the recipes given there have been prepared by myself at La Rosa di Venezia); and the old TV set "on the floor" doesn't exist any longer, they have a flat screen now hanging on the wall.

Hi, Franco:

Thank you so much for the information regarding cell phones & contacts, apartment space/amenities and what's going on in the neighbourhood currently!

Regarding your comment on noise: On our first visit to Venice in September 2009, our bedroom faced the Orseolo Canal. I remember that first morning being awaken rather early by clatter & voices outside the window. To our surprise when we peeked through the curtains, the narrow canal was jammed with boats filled with deliveries for the local businesses! It was wonderful to be in the center of daily life in Venice! And it was so easy just to fall back into bed!

We are currently planning our next holiday to Italy where we will return to Venice & Tuscany; visit Umbria and venture into Rome. We are considering apartment stays in both Venice & Rome this time ... although I have left a question for you about locations of some hotels in Rome on your Rome accomodation thread!!!

Thanks again, Franco!

Yes, we stayed at this apartment in June 2008 and found it very agreeable. The location absolutely cannot be beat. You are minutes from St. Marks Square and close to grocery, bakery, cafes and so much more.

I believe the website speaks to the light in the apartment and that is true. There are three tall window sets in the apartment with wood shutters that close in addition to the glass. One of these windows is actually the balcony window. It has alot of light and it might be considered noisy, but I enjoyed hearing and watching the activity of those on the canal each morning. When we entered the apartment we were drawn to the windows. You have a view from two different sides of the apartment as it sits in the corner of a building.

The bathroom is not large, but it is not too small at all. The kitchen is small, but we didn't use it much. The "living" area is small and is an extension of the bedroom.

All in all we would definitely stay there again. I believe it is a great value!

Cindy, you're right about the bathroom - I didn't want to say it's uncomfortably small. It's perfectly spacious for one; just if you're planning on using it in two, it's getting cramped. But I respectfully disagree about the living area - I'm pretty much convinced it's larger than the bedroom!

We stayed here in July of 2009 and thoroughly enjoyed our time. We enjoyed sitting out on the balcony sipping wine and watching the world go by. We didn't cook anything as we wanted to explore and try different places and there are plenty of places to visit. One night my wife and I went out for pizza at this little take out place we passed earlier in the day. Our daughter said she was tired and wanted to stay in. When we got back we found out that she found the McDonald's just around the corner. I think we got the better deal.

Wine refills? Why didn't I know this while we were there! I'll have to make a note for next time. We loved the location of the apartment and would not want to stay anywhere else in Venice. There is a mystery though. Right across the canal was a flat where the window was always open, clothes were strewn on the bed and there were various things out on the window ledge (one item was a plant and then some plates). Everytime we looked across at the window we never saw anyone. We would go out, come back and we could see that things were moved around, but still no sign of anyone. It was pretty funny. We would take turns noticing whether we could see anyone. So if you stay here and look across the canal and see someone in the flat that has the window always open, be sure to wave hello to them for us. Thanks!

Cindywho: Thanks for speaking to the light, the space & the location of the apartment! You describe it well!

Vcrew: I love a good mystery! (I just finished reading Donna Leon's Faces which is set in Venice!) I shall keep a watch at the open window across the canal!