Locanda Ai Santi Apostoli by Jamie Dunford Wood

Once you have located the entrance to this locanda and braved the stone flagged stairs, you emerge into a one-floored hostelry with some fine, if occasional, views over the Grand Canal. As the brochure says, it does have something of the feel of a ‘patrician home’, being one floor of an old palazzo - with old beams in the rooms, oil paintings and elegant Chinese themed fabrics. (there must be a story here, but we haven’t discovered it). Only two of the 11 rooms overlook the Grand Canal, and contrary to the brochure image, breakfast cannot be taken overlooking it, unless you have a fine sense of balance. But most of the rooms are of a good size. The two standards with bathtubs are the largest. One family suite caters for larger groups.