Veneziacentopercento La Forcola Apartment, next to Rialto bridge

Hotel Description

You know, I stumbled upon Veneziacentopercento La Forcola Apartment almost by accident last spring, right when Venice was shaking off the winter chill but before the summer hordes descended. Tucked away on Calle del Forno in Cannaregio – that’s the sestiere just north of the Grand Canal, where things feel a bit more lived-in than the polished chaos around San Marco – it’s literally steps from the Rialto Bridge. I mean, you can hear the market vendors haggling over fresh fish from your window if you time it right in the mornings. The address is 3856 Calle del Forno, and honestly, finding it the first time involved a bit of wandering those narrow calli, dodging laundry lines and the occasional cat, but that’s part of the charm in a city where GPS sometimes feels like a suggestion. No cars here, obviously – I arrived via vaporetto from Piazzale Roma, hauled my bag over a couple of bridges (watch those steps if you’re packing heavy), and the host met me at the door with a quick espresso and keys. It’s rated a solid 9.2 for a reason; this place isn’t some sterile hotel chain – it’s a proper apartment in an old palazzo, with those creaky wooden beams overhead and terra-cotta floors that stay cool even on muggy afternoons.

What really won me over, though, was how it balances that authentic Venetian vibe with just enough modern perks to make you forget you’re in a centuries-old building. The space is spacious for Venice standards – think high ceilings, a full kitchen where I whipped up pasta with ingredients from the Rialto market (pro tip: grab some squid ink from the fishmongers early, before the lines build), and a bedroom that overlooks a quiet rio, so you get that gentle lap of water against stone at night instead of street noise. Well, during the day, yeah, there’s the bustle from nearby Strada Nova, with its cicchetti bars and that little bakery on Campo Santi Apostoli where locals snag fresh bread – but come evening, it quiets down, especially off-season. I loved the details, like the antique forcola (that’s the oarlock on a gondola, fitting for the name) displayed in the living room, or the way the sunlight filters through lace curtains in the morning. It’s got air conditioning that actually works – a godsend in July humidity – and Wi-Fi that’s reliable enough for streaming, though why bother when you can people-watch from the balcony? One minor gripe: the bathroom’s on the smaller side, and those old pipes can be finicky with hot water if you’re showering right after someone else, but nothing that ruined the stay. Sensory-wise, it’s all there – the faint salty tang from the canal, the distant toll of bells from San Felice church, and that smooth, worn marble on the entry stairs that makes you feel like you’re stepping back in time.

Look, if you’re after a spot that lets you live like a Venetian rather than just visit, this is it. At four stars, it’s not over-the-top luxurious, but it’s got heart – and that prime spot means you’re a quick walk to the vaporetto for day trips to Murano or just wandering to hidden gems like the Jewish Ghetto nearby. I stayed a week and left feeling like I’d uncovered a secret; book it for shoulder season if you can, when the crowds thin out and you can really savor the place. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself when you’re sipping spritz on that balcony, watching the world float by.

Facilities