Benjamin's flat would clearly be a 4/5 star rating were it not for the things largely out of his control - really the street / neighbor noise and stuffiness (because of the historic windows).

First, the positives, which are accurately reflected in nearly all the reviews. The host, Benjamin: wonderful and responsive. The location: fantastic, especially if you are a walker! The flat: beautiful and light-filled (those fotos are accurate). The amenities: as advertised. The building: secure.

What's not to love? Well...the noise really. If you sleep in the back bedroom, you're fine from the street noise. But you will be awakened every time a neighbor arrives home middle of the night (frequent on weekends) because every door (2 entry + 1 flat = 3) slams and their footsteps on the stairs and floors reverberate throughout the building and flat. This is a natural problem in an historic building, but if it means every night being awoken (til you learn to sleep through it), well that's not a recipe for rest after a long day of exploring. If you sleep in the front bedroom, your problems are worse. The flat is directly across from a popular restaurant, from which there was loud noise until shortly after midnight (it closed at 11 pm). Then there were the drunks passing by and breaking bottles (there was fresh glass on the sidewalk every morning). And this is despite all front windows being closed to attenuate the noise. Someone wrote in one of their reviews to bring ear plugs. Unfortunately, spot on, which is saying something since we're generally sound sleepers.

So with the windows closed the flat became stuffy at night, and the back bedroom windows didn't open. They were stuck, and no way was I ruining Benjamin's flat by forcing them open (well, I tried a bit). It's a shame because the temperature outside was great for sleeping - 15-20 degrees C. A tip for non-European travelers: bring a small flat sheet so that you don't have to sleep with the duvet. You'll overheat quickly since it's really for winter-time.

If you bring the earplugs - and can sleep with them in - this is clearly a place to stay! If you believe, as is likely, that the noise would be the same elsewhere in this lively historic center, then Benjamin would be the host I would recommend.

Happy Travels!