I didn't look into the history of the hotel, but it feels like it was an old mansion initially that was then renovated to be a hotel, with each bedroom being a room for guests. We got the one room on the top floor, which sounds really nice, and it was, but you have to walk up three flights of long stairs to get there, no elevators. It was fine for us because we're young and able-bodied, but I can't imagine it working for older couples. The room felt vintage, classic Italian, but just a tad dirty. There was some black mildew on the shower tiles and under the shower glass door. Service was kind and courteous, they took care of our bags going up all those stairs, which is appreciated more in this case compared to hotels with elevators. The hotel is located in a great section of Venice, away from the centralized tourist spots but close enough to be within 5-10 minutes of all the major attractions. The city is pretty small and can be covered on foot in any direction, so having a central location is a good way to start each day going in a different direction, or for circling around and ending back in the center.