Vaniglia ai Giardini Apartment, Venice - Review

Italy Heaven Review

We stayed in one of the Vaniglia ai Giardini apartments for four nights in November 2006. The flat we selected, which offered great value for money, was named rather simply the New Pink Apartment, and we were to discover how appropriately it was described.

Venice is like a warren, and the flat is hidden-away, but the directions provided by email made it a straightforward arrival. There was a brief delay as there was no-one there to let me in, but a quick call established that the manager was delayed but on his way. It was worth the wait, because Adriano, who manages the Vaniglia ai Giardini flats (which are all in this area) was chatty, welcoming and extremely helpful. He provided a map of Venice which he annotated with points of interest and offered tips for local restaurants, shops and even sunsets. He also recommended a free concert later in the week, and followed this up with a text message with more details.

The apartment is in the Castello area of Venice, at the eastern end of the island. It's a cheerful and unpretentious residential area which, unlike the grander parts of Venice, really feels like a community. Local people walk their dogs along the little canals and stand chatting outside grocery shops and bars. It's a very picturesque area, with laundry blowing outside faded and lived-in buildings.

The apartment is in a tiny yard, accessed through a little covered passage which leads from an attractive small piazza. A glazed external door leads straight into the flat's main living area.

The flat is a renovated ground-floor area nestled into a traditional old building. The location is very quiet indeed, although noises are sometimes audible from the family living above, who we presumed were permanent residents (more below).

Furnishings and fittings were mostly mismatching and this isn't the place to come if you want clean modern lines and brand new luxury (nor is Venice, for that matter). But the owners had painted and decorated to create a warm and welcoming feeling. The orange and pink colour theme might not be to everyone's taste but we thought it was lovely, and appreciated the effort that had gone into providing necessities and making everything look nice. For a budget holiday apartment, a lot of thought had gone into it.

The main living area had two brightly-covered sofas (one a sofa-bed) in the tv area (small tv set; Italian channels but a poor reception). The other end of the room was a kitchen/dining area, with a fridge, cooking and washing facilities along one wall, and a dining table with chairs. Cupboards and shelves contained a miscellany of kitchen equipment, washing-up liquid and foodstuffs including cereals, oil, salt, rice, milk (and soya milk), butter and even some chocolate truffles, perhaps abandoned by a diet-conscious past guest. There was no kettle, so we boiled water with a pan on the hobs. Although the selections and equipment were a random assortment, there was certainly a much wider range than you would normally find in a cheap holiday rental, and the food was very handy. On departure we left our own contributions to the stocks. As well as the contact details for the manager, we also had a collection of tourist leaflets, magazines and books, including a booklet full of photos of the famous 1966 flood.

A passageway led to the bedroom, with a storage area on the left and the bathroom on the right. The storage area contained cleaning equipment and an ironing board. The bathroom was a decent size with a shower which was adequate though lacking in pressure. The white-painted bedroom was small and minimal, with twin beds (request the bed configuration you require), a wardrobe with plenty of hangers and a chest of drawers. Towels and bedlinen were provided.

Being on the ground floor and off a small yard, the flat didn't get much natural light. Heating was operated by a simple switch and was very warm.

Overall we found the flat a very practical and comfortable place to stay. It wasn't a luxurious pad overlooking the Grand Canal, but it was a good affordable base for exploring Venice. Being at this residential end of town meant we had to walk or take a vaporetto to the main tourist attractions, but we enjoyed returning 'home' to this more authentic neighbourhood, buying food and wandering with local residents. Down on the waterfront in the morning I saw old men teaching young boys to fish in the lagoon. The views across the water from this area are fantastic, and the pink sunsets behind Venice were incredible.

Our only real reservation was the noise from above. The sound was normally slight, but on a couple of mornings a great din started at 6am (getting the children off to school, perhaps?), which was much earlier than we wished to be woken. On the other hand, the proximity of everyday family life made us feel part of Venetian life.

The flat can sleep four, but it would be quite cramped and lacking in privacy (there was a corridor but no door between the bedroom and living room). We found the public transport and the healthy walking fine, but this wouldn't be the best location for visitors who have their heart set upon being among grand palaces and on the doorsteps of expensive shops and museums.

We'd recommend the flat to travellers with a budget, and to those who'd prefer to avoid the noisy crowds of tourists and touts. We would happily return there again, particularly in summer when the open waterfront and nearby park would be a great advantage.

Apartment location: the flat is in the Castello area. Via Garibaldi, a few minutes away, is the main neighbourhood thoroughfare, where locals promenade and shop. There are several restaurants and bars, some touristy and others popular with locals. As well as grocery shops and a barge selling fruit and vegetables, there is a small Coop supermarket on the street. The nearest vaporetto stops are Giardini and Arsenale - ferries from the airport also stop at the latter.

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Vaniglia ai Giardini apartment review by an Italy Heaven editor.