Luca was a terrific host. He sent clear instructions about how to pick a taxi at the Rome airport and to let him know when we were on our way. We arrived at the apartment a few minutes before Luca did, but we didn't wait long. Luca greeted us and oriented us to the apartment. He told us about the neighborhood and suggested restaurants. He asked for our passports and I realized I had lost mine or it had been stolen - no idea which. Luca made a call to the taxi company to let them know my passport might have been left in the cab. He then told me how to get a new passport, which, though that is for another story, was a generally painless process to get a passport.
The apartment was smaller than I had expected. It was on the first floor and was VERY easy to access. One short step up in to the building and one normal sized step down in to the apartment. The bed was FIRM, which I appreciate. The kitchen was fully appointed with dishes, pots, pans, silverware, olive oil, sugar, coffee, and a coffeepot. Having never used an Italian coffeepot before, printed instructions would have been helpful, but I drank coffee out at cafes. Luca also provided body wash and shampoo, which was appreciated.
Water pressure was great. Had HOT water pretty much instantly.
Toilet backed up one day and Luca was there the same day to take care of it.
Vicolo del Leopardo is in a lively and charming area. At night, it can get noisy because the apartment is in a building that has other long term tenants. Also, the area is full of restaurants. It is also NOT located near a taxi station. Taxis never just wander down this particular street. When I hired a taxi at the airport, the taxi driver said, "Oh, it is the little street." Taking the cab there was an adventure. I was sure we could not make the turns in this cramped neighborhood packed with cars and scooters, but we got there. When we left, we had to haul our suitcases over rough cobblestones to a taxi stand, perhaps, at most, a half mile away.
In summary, Vicolo del Leopardo #8, worked for us. We were rarely in the apartment, and when we were, we slept well at night. It has air conditioning, which we appreciated, because we both sleep better when it is cold. If you are looking for convenience and ease of access by taxi, this is not the place for you. However, if you want to really feel a part of Rome and it's daily life, this is a great place.
Final note: Lucas requested 21.00 Euro for "city tax". I was unaware prior to arrival that this was due. This information should be included in the write up of the rental.