Renting an Apartment in Venice (with Roomorama)

I hadn’t considered staying in an apartment rental when I travel until I received some information from Roomorama a few months ago about their services. These folks provide short-term accommodation rentals for travelers by connecting them with homeowners. They are well-established in North America and Europe but are now expanding into Asia, South America and Africa.

With my trip to Italy on the horizon, I asked them for help in booking some nights during my stay. That’s where this beautiful apartment in Venice comes in 🙂

I chose this place based on its proximity to San Marco Square and (sadly) for the fact that it had wireless (important for me as I expected to be also working on this post-conference trip around Italy). Having made the reservation somewhat last minute, I was happy to find any available apartment, little did I know this was going to be SO beautiful.

Upon arrival in Venice, I was met by the property manager who showed me around the apartment and pointed out the local super markets and popular sites. Leaving me with a detailed map of Venice and a set of keys, the place was all mine 🙂

As you can see (photo above), it is quite spacious with a large living room and kitchen combo. This apartment also has a master bedroom with double bed and another bedroom with with a single bed (i.e. plenty of room to sleep 3). In addition to a large bathroom, it also has a rooftop deck! I lucked out with the weather and was able to spend an afternoon relaxing and reading in the sun while taking a break from walking around the city. The view was mainly rooftops, but it was lovely to be above the street level.

The kitchen was equipped with everything one would need for an apartment stay (coffee maker, wine bottle opener, fridge, microwave…) and it was delightful not to have to eat out for every meal. There are a number of grocery stories nearby so cheese and crackers made for a great snack and I had cereal and fruit each morning before heading out for a day of walking.

The booking process through Roomorama is relatively easy. You simply input your destination of choice and dates and start browsing for properties. You can narrow down your search based on property type (bedroom, apartment or house) and then the sort of amenities you’re looking for (WiFi, TV, pool, washing machine, etc.).

The only thing I found a bit difficult was that in some cases while searching, I had absolutely no response from property managers/owners with regards to availability. This led to a bit of nail biting as I awaited word.

Best advice?
* Book early so you have a wide range of options to choose from and you won’t have to fret if you don’t receive a response immediately about availability.
* Research locations well. While I totally lucked out with the Venice property, I can see how I might want to be more careful in the future by using Google Maps to figure out where exactly the property is located.
* Communicate with the property manager to determine exactly where and when you will meet to receive the keys. If you’re arriving in a city for the first time and you won’t have a cell phone, this can be confusing.

With so many accommodations to choose from, Roomorama is a totally doable option for women traveling solo (it’s very safe, ladies!), couples or families. Given the fact that you don’t have to spend money on every meal out, it can be a great value as well. While this property for 3 nights (including Roomorama booking fee) was just over $700 U.S. (a bit more than I might normally pay), it is right on par with hotels in the same neighborhood. And while you may have your towels changed every day in a hotel, nothing beats being able to meander around in an apartment, cooking up your own meals and hanging out on the roof with a homemade iced espresso!

Thank you, Roomorama!

Travel Well,

Beth

Related links:
Venice ~ Photo of the Day
Assisi, Italy ~ Photo of the Day
Life’s Short – Dessert in Italy