We had a very pleasant 3-night stay at Diego’s apartment.
Diego was a great host - very responsive via message before our arrival, including offering us the option of an airport pickup and bag storage (we didn’t take this up but it was helpful to have as an option). He met us at the apartment to show us how to use it, and offered numerous tips on where to visit (sites, best times, advice on tickets) and where to eat in the area.
The apartment is located in Testaccio, which is a very quiet neighbourhood that’s an easy 15-20 minute walk to Colosseum/Forum/Palatine, and also close to public transport (bus/train). The neighbourhood is not very touristy/busy and has lots of affordable and tasty dining options. But, it’s then easy to get to sites you might want to visit as a tourist.
The apartment was small but comfortable for 3 people for a short visit. There is a queen-sized bed that rolls out on the floor into the centre of the living area, which we used, and two futon couches that become double beds at night. They are all in the same room but if you’re comfy visiting with friends, it’s easy to be in the same space. It has an excellent view from the balcony terrace to the outskirts of Rome and the local area, and is lovely to sit on and enjoy the view, day or night.
A couple things to note:
* The apartment is on the very top floor; there is an elevator that goes to the floor below the apartment, and it’s a short flight of steps up to the apartment.
* The apartment has air-conditioning, but as it’s on the top floor, it still gets very hot in the summer (we visited in mid-August) and the air conditioning sometimes struggled to keep the apartment very cold, especially with 3 people in it. It certainly helped take the edge off the Rome summer heat, but it was not the strongest air conditioner!
* The shower/bath plug was slow to drain, so filled the bath up with some water while taking a shower. The holder on the wall for the shower head also was a bit loose, so the shower head (which you can remove to spray on your body) would sometimes flick upwards and spray the wall of the shower and give you a bit of a fright!
These aren’t big issues, but worth pointing out. We would certainly stay in the apartment again! Thanks for having us, Diego.