We never met the host. We did meet someone who greeted us on behalf of the owner on arrival.
Very lively neighborhood - during the 4 nights we stayed our evenings consisted of walking and taking advantage of bars and restaurants close by.
For a tall person they might have a problem in the shower as it is quite low.
There is only one window - when it is open there is air and light - however lots of street noise. Bed is comfortable. Space is bigger than a hotel room, that is the main advantage, especially if your group is larger than the two of us (two couches downstairs). We did not find the room to be well served by buses (we waited a long time for a specific one and ended up taking a cab) -- there is a tram about 15 minutes away. The Vatican is about a 20 minute walk.