There are only great things to say about Gabriella' s place, but the greatest of them all (to be mentioned even before the price and her personality) is probably the gorgeous view of Venice and San Marco that you get when sipping your morning coffee in her kitchen (or, having an opulent breakfast...).
Gabriella, your host, is a young-at-heart woman living on her own who's only recently started renting out one or two rooms (depending on period) to Venice visitors. She likes doing it, and her guests are grateful she does!
During the day, Gabriella works outside the house and in the evenings she mostly keeps to her private room, but she's very happy to generously share all common areas of her home, such as the kitchen, living room and studio, with her guests.
We have heard only good things about her place: impeccably clean, comfortable, and the possibility to discover a 'different' side of Venice while still being able to get to San Marco in less than 30 minutes.
She likes to tell the story of how Venice was 'born', so in case you're missing that piece of history, keep your ears tuned!
About the area: Many people don't know that there's a part of town that is as much Venice as it's not: the Venice Lido. Detached from the rest of the city by more than just the Grand Canal but also the lagoon, it's still only about a 10-15 minute ride on the vaporetto to reach most attractions. But here, on the Lido, you get: cars, buses, newer buildings, elevators, a real beach, and the true feeling of an island (which it is).
Obviously, there's two sides to it: you might not feel the full magic of the canals and small streets and the uniqueness of a place such as Venice as much, but you get the commodities of modern life and are still able to travel back in time (in only 10 minutes!) and live the Venice experience.
Lido is great for people who love to do sports (all kind of them available here!), for kids (beach beach beach!) and for those who have difficulty moving or walking a lot (did I mention that here you can take a bus and a elevator?)
Please note: Gabriella does smoke, but only in her own room, which she airs out frequently. Guests are discouraged from smoking in the rooms.