Unbelievably friendly and warm staff who gladly gave expert travel advice and recommendations that only a Roman would normally be privy to. - Loic Diels
I LOVE this website and will gladly recommend it to anyone headed this way. Nothing disappointed us! - Mary-Iris Taylor
I have been using Cross-Pollinate for about 10 years now. The service is consistently great and I can always find just the kind of apartment we like, at the right price. - Hirani Himona
A really great idea - with a network of hand picked little rooms/guesthouses. If only we could have this in more city destinations! - Zoe Buck
I love Cross-Pollinate and every time we go to a new city I look to see whether they have some accommodations over there. - Arantza Aldea
The two places I have stayed at from Cross-Pollinate have been among the best across Europe. Highly recommended. - Nicholas Burn
Thanks a lot to Cross-Pollinate for the opportunity to experience a city as an insider! We really enjoyed our stay in Rome and Venice and look forward to more. - Tatiana Marchenko
Cross-Pollinate was very helpful when the owner of the B&B wanted to charge us for the baby under 2 y o. It would have been difficult without them since the owners did not speak any english. - Yulia Pichugina
This was our only stay with a C-P apartment and we were very pleased with the entire process. Will look to use them again on our next Europe trip! - Anthony Giglio
Great web site and quick response from the team a CP made the whole experience easy and hassle free. I have already recommended CP to quite of few of my airline industry colleagues and I'm sure they will make use of their excellent service. - Shane Pickles
Cross-Pollinate was extremely helpful! They found us a place to stay in our price range when many other places of business couldn't help us. - Sarah Seminutin
Cross-Pollinate was very easy to use, and it is so much better to stay in places like these than big corporate hotels; you get a much better feel for the place. - Kaspar Deane
Very straight forward. Well done. Definitely would use it again. Love these type of alternatives to hotels! - John White
Cross-Pollinate was fantastic and easy to use. We used Cross-Pollinate to book a room in Florence (the second leg of our trip), which was everything I thought it would be. We have recommended Cross-Pollinate to our friends. - Barbara Carlin
Cross-Pollinate are great - the descriptions are accurate and they are very responsive to questions. - Dominique Bayne
Cross Pollinate was just the best. I had tried a couple of places before coming upon them. As soon as I sent the first email I stopped looking for any more websites. I just wish they expanded to every city in Europe. Their knowledge, helpfulness, etc. was second to none. - Caroline Collis
B & B Al Gelsomino
First and foremost, it should be noted that this Bed & Breakfast is NOT in Venice, but in Mestre, a town about 15 minutes by bus from Venice. Guests who book should be aware that they will be staying outside Venice and need to make a short commute to and from the B & B. We don't normally work with places outside the city in question, but this B & B was such a great price and value we couldn't resist adding it to our network of properties. Venice is a very expensive city where it is decidedly hard to find budget accommodations, so in our opinion staying a little farther away in exchange for having a reasonably priced, charming accommodation is well worth the bus ride for many travelers. For those who can afford to spend a little more and would prefer to be in the heart of town with easy access for mid-day siestas and evening strolls to San Marco square, this is NOT the place for you. But for budget travelers who plan on spending all day out and about anyway, only heading back to the B & B when your busy day of touring and enjoying Venice is done, this could be an excellent option for you. The bus stop is just 100 meters from the B & B and the bus to Venice (and back) leaves frequently.

The B & B is actually located in a small independent villa owned by a family who rent out the lower floor to guests. It's sort of a cross between a private apartment and a B & B: the space itself is independent with its own entrance and more than one room, but the owners serve breakfast in the mornings like at a Bed & Breakfast. There is a separate bedroom with a queen-sized bed, and a sitting room area that has a fold-out queen-sized sofabed. Amenities include TV, mini-fridge, hair dryer, and use of kitchen. The whole space is recently renovated and a perfect option for families. There is also on-site parking available, a good option for guests who are driving around Italy (as you wouldn't be able to park your car at any accommodations in Venice). The highlight of Al Gelsomino (which means jasmine in Italian) is the lovely private garden/patio area, the perfect place for guests to enjoy breakfast outside or just sit and relax.
Amenities
  • breakfast included
  • linen and towels provided
  • mini-fridge
  • TV
  • on-site parking
  • hair dryer
  • use of kitchen
  • private garden
  • independent heating
  • ground floor
  • WiFi
Reviews
on Jul 2015:


The apartment was beautiful, with a huge bathroom, an enormous table, a lovely entrance and courtyard, and we were served delicious muffins among other breakfast items.
The location is a drive or bus ride from the Mestre Station, but the owner will pick you and your luggage up for 10€ which worked well for us.
Cross-Pollinate was incredibly helpful and indispensable with all our arrangements coordinating accommodations in 5 cities.
Donna on Oct 2014:


Everything. Nice people, great spot, quiet and cozy. Buses super close and easy.
Credit card machine didnt work. Left us short of cash. Pillows were flat, but bed was fine otherwise.
Great with cross pollinate. Still using them.
Karen on Jun 2014:


plenty of room
Very skimpy breakfast. Instant coffee. Difficult to communicate with owner the day we were preparing to leave No WiFi. VISA machine "wasn't working"
excellent
David Goldstraw on Oct 2013:


Large comfortable space throughout in living room with good bedroom and bathroom. Easy access from station by bus and by bus to and from Venice itself despite the transport strike that meant an early start and finish, and no boat trips.
Did not think of anything, but was only there 2 nights, and out all the time.
Excellent and will definitely use again and have already recommended to others.
Rebecca on Oct 2012:


The facilities were excellent! The lady that owns the accommodation was also exceedingly helpful, giving us information and providing pick up and drop off to the train terminal. Wish we could've stayed longer here!
It's location was outside of the central Venice, so needed to understand public transport to get around.
Easy to use and communicate with accommodation owner/staff/host.
David on Apr 2013:


B&B very large and clean, and with exceptional cooking/eating amenities. The bed was also superb - large and firm with first-rate pillows providing very restful sleeps.
The location is a bit of an issue, but this isn't something that can be corrected. The transit system, while generally reliable, failed miserably on our departure day, almost leaving us stranded. Could use an easily accessible backup in such situations.
Very helpful and useful to the self-serve, budget-minded traveller.
Cheryl on Oct 2012:
Excellent location and value. Very clean with plenty of room. Was very easy for us to find and within easy walking distance to the Colosseum. From there you can catch the metro anywhere around town. My wife and I would highly recommend staying here.
Ratings
average score
4.8 / 5.0
Price/Value
4.8
Comfort
5.0
Cleanliness
5.0
Accuracy of listing
4.8
Location
3.7
Helpfulness of owner / staff / host
4.8
Helpfulness of Cross-Pollinate
5.0
Booking details
Booking details: Bed & Breakfast (owner lives on premises), 1 guestroom, with private bathroom (ensuite)
Payment accepted: cash on arrival in euro, bank transfer, Visa, Mastercard
Minimum stay: no minimum stay
Cancellations allowed up to: 5 days before arrival
Occupancy: double
Bed options: 1 queen (160 cm) or 2 singles
Policies & Extra Charges: non-smoking, check-out time is 11 am, room will be ready by 2 pm for check-in, luggage can be held before check-in, luggage can be left after check-out, city tourist tax €1.50-2.50 per person per night, depending on season (not included in price)
Spoken Language(s):
Rates and Availability
Location
 B & B Al Gelsomino
A
Stazione Santa Lucia
B
Piazzale Roma
C
Piazza San Marco
D
Ponte di Rialto
E
Accademia
F
Peggy Guggenheim Museum