Rome Apartment #306
Colosseo / Via Urbana

September 2012

To start with, this was a perfect apartment for us and our 10th anniversary holiday. But I'd emphasise the words "for us", since there were a few small hiccups that might turn off a pickier traveler. Their loss, since this was a lively and down-to-earth location.

Monti is a beautiful and serene area in the very heart of Rome. Although it is becoming a bit more touristy, it has retained a lot of its original mix of bohemian and mundane. On Sundays one can hear the clanking of pots and pans, as families prepare for their dinners. Bakers, carpenters, metalsmiths and motorcycle repairmen share the street amicably with fine restaurants, chocolateries and bars.

The contact person Francesca had provided us with a list of stores and recommended restaurants, which was very helpful. In addition to those, there was a well-stocked supermarket just around the Santa Maria Maggiore church. It has a frech fish counter, in case you don't want to take the trip to a fish market. There's also a small fruits and vegetable street market every day on the close-by via Cesare Balbo.

Also, we heartily recommend the markethall near Piazza Vittorio, just one metro station from the Cavour station (very near the apartment). It has a huge selection of fish (just check that the price tag reads "fresco"), fresh produce, spices, textiles et cetera.

As to the apartment itself: It is smallish; quite enough for two persons, but we'd not recommend it for larger groups (although the sofa-bed is also quite comfortable). The kitchen is very small, but we were quite happy to cook even a three-course dinner there. A small balcony opens out from the kitchen, so you can get a refreshing draft whilst working at the stove. (If the kitchen were better equipped we would have definitely given the apartment the rating of five.)

The kitchen wasn't well stocked with utensils, as others have remarked. As we were there for a long time, we bought some necessities and left them there: a long cooking knife, a wooden ladle, a bottle opener (and cork opener), a frying pan, a cutting board & a peeler. So you should expect these items on your future visits.

We visited Rome on a fairly hot season, but we never suffered from heat in the apartment, as it has good A/C and also windows on both sides.

There is a washing machine on the kitchen balcony, and it worked perfectly. It was a real blessing on a long trip with hot weather.

The bathroom was very good, and everything worked very well.

Some people have complained about the locks of the front door and the apartments, but they work perfectly well: the direction of opening vs. back-locking is just reversed if compared to some countries. The security lock was impressive and made us feel safe to leave our things behind even during out-of-town trips.

The roof terrace was the absolute making of our journey. Albeit it is a bit rough around the edges, it was simply wonderful to be able to have coffee every morning in the open air, listening to Monti waking up, and enjoying the cooling evening under the stars.

Connections to the rest of the city were great through the Cavour metro station and the busslines on the nearby main streets (especially via Fori Imperiali). In that regard this was absolutely the best location so far (this was our fifth trip to Rome).

All in all, a great place to spend your time, and one where we could relax and feel at home. Finally we would especially like to recommend the neighbouring restaurant "Broccoletti", which offered some of our best dining experiences ever in Rome.

We would definitely like to return to this apartment on our next visit to Rome. Thank you!

August 2012

Great location in the city, on a lively but not crowded street, within walking distance to many Rome's attractions. Nearby supermarket and a couple of nice small restaurants on the street.
Rooms small but very cozy, air conditioning offering a pleasant welcome after a hot day. Just enough space for two young couples without the need for luxury. Private roof terrace ideal for a night with wine and olives. Downsides: entry-staircase-lift area apparently under long ongoing renovation.
We had a great time and we definitely recommend this apartment!

May 2012

The location is excellent, just down the street from the Cavour metro station.  Also, the neighborhood is fun, a lot of small restaurants...a true Italian experience.  I appreciated the information the apartment owner left for us of stores, restaurants, etc., in the neighborhood.  Also, we enjoyed sitting on the top floor terrace.  It would have been nice if the apartment owner had left us matches to light the stove.  Also other nice amenities would have been a hair dryer, bottle opener...items travelers don't usually travel with.  Finally, it was VERY difficult to unlock both the front door of the building and the apartment door. 

April 2012

The entryway looks like the building is  being demolished.  The lock on the apartment door was impossible and we finally just stopped using it.    We've never experienced a shower with no door or curtain and that made showering without spraying the whole bathroom very difficult.  Both the bed and the couch were very hard.  There was one tiny towel in the kitchen and no sharp knife and no microwave.  Also no wifi. The only blanket for the couch ws a huge down comforter.  The terrace upstairs (which was the biggest factor for us in selecting this unit) had one plastic chair and one chair with no arms that was very uncomfortable so we ended up spending very little time there.  The unit was quiet, very clean and very well located.  

October 2011

The lokation of the appartment vas very fine. Nice with a elevator.
The size of the rooms was ok. 
The kitchens equiptment  was in poor condition (almost not existend).

October 2011

Francesca is a landlord and she is very kind. She was very helpful to us when we arrived there by pointing some good restaurants and other stuff. Anyway, the apartment is clean, and have everything that you need during you short vacation in amazing Rome.

October 2010

The neighborhood was nice and the flat bright, clean and cosy. The kitchen on the other hand was unpractical and poorly supplied with cooking utilities. The boiler seemed to be too weak as the warm water got cold after only one short shower. The bed quilts were soft and nice though the madrases were a bit hard.
Manager's reply :
we made some works in the apartment and solved some problems
now there is a new heating system with unlimited hot water
and we changed the sofa bed with a more comfortable one.

October 2010

Tiny but very clean and adequate for two people; can't imagine two couples sharing this space. Lift was not working upon arrival but Francesca had it repaired by early next morning. Loved the large bathtub! Fun little area with many great local restaurants in neighborhood. No wifi in apartment but internet point was a few doors down. Close to Cavour Metro and Termini Rail Station.

September 2010

Great apartment, Lovely having a shaded roof terrace to sit on for meals and relaxing. Apartment stayed cool and had everything you needed. Smallish shop about 3 minutes walk away for food and any essentials. Easy walking distance to tourist attractions and also a couple of good restaurants just up the road. One very small minor point, the steps up to the roof terrace were quite steep, didn’t matter for us, we just watched our footing. A great apartment definitely worth looking at. 

June 2010

If you want to do like the Romans, when in Rome (as the saying goes), this apartment is a great place to do it from! First, location. The apartment couldn’t be in a better place, within easy walking distance from the Forum and the Colosseum but also, in a cool neighborhood that has restaurants, boutiques and bars while remaining a neighborhood where “real” Romans live and go about their daily lives. It is steps away from the Cavour metro station, which is itself one-stop down from Rome Termini train station. Location is important because, in summer, it’s good to go out early, have a nap during the heat of the day and go out again in the evening. Second, you can quickly settle in to the illusion that you live in Rome, buying food at the local supermarket or fruit & vegetable shops - and, best of all, eating some of your meals on the appartment’s own rooftop terrace! (Up a steep staircase, however, although the apartment – on the 5th floor - has an elevator.) The view of the rooftops is lovely. Third, this place is quiet! Except for an occasional Vespa cracking the silence to remind you that you are in Rome, after all, the apartment is amazingly quiet. We slept with the windows open behind the closed shutters. Fourth, the place is nicely equipped and very clean. Good towels and sheets. A great queen-sized bed. Now, to quibble. I rated this place “good” instead of “excellent” only because the sofa-bed is not very comfortable. Our kids slept on it. For now, I can’t recommend the appartment for two couples for that reason but the owner did say that they were thinking of changing it. Otherwise, and quibbling again, I would recommend that the owners put some flower and herb pots on the terrace – just to make it more welcoming. Great place and great value for money!

June 2010

The apartment met all our needs. The location was very convenient as a base to visit the various sites around the city. It was quiet close to shops and restaurants. The Cavour underground station was only a 2 minute walk away. Our landlady was most accommodating, and was available for any queries we had during our stay. I would definitely recommend this apartment to anyone holidaying in Rome.

May 2010

Bright, comfortable apartment with nice terrace. Owners were very helpful and speedy in providing what was needed or missing (e.g. a new washing machine)

April 2007

The was an excellent apartment, well presented with all the facilities you need. It also has a fantastic terrace at the back which was great for settling down in the evening with a bottle of wine watching the sun go down. There are very good transport links into the centre of Rome, and there are markets, restaurants and bars nearby. All in all I would be very happy to stay in this apartment again. I would thoroughly recommend it.

April 2007

Although tucked away on a quiet sidestreet this apartment is very ahndy for local amenities with eateries and shops within walking distance and bar quite literally on the doorstep. The transport links into San Giovanni and the city centre are also excellent with a bus service and tram stops nearby. The apartment itself is great with a well stocked kitchen and extremely comfortable bedroom, the terrace is also great for sitting out with a bottle of wine. Overall i'd thoroughly recommend it.