THE HOST
The moment you meet Ari, you know she is a sunny and warm-hearted person. She makes you feel welcomed, special, at home, and exactly this is the feeling she has created in her place for you.
THE WELCOME
Ari welcomed us much earlier than the official check-in due to our morning flight. She was expecting us in the flat and took her time on this beautiful Sunday morning to give us all information we might need about a comfortable stay in her flat. There was a beautiful natural sunflower waiting for me on the bed, and also a bottle of great Italian red wine as welcome gifts. 🌻🍷
THE HOME 🏡
If there is a place in Rome where you will feel at home during your stay - this is definitely Ari's house! Everything was perfectly arranged. The whole flat has a very cozy flair, all rooms are decorated with love, every piece of furniture is carefully chosen. I could feel the harmony in her home. The place is equipped with everything you will need (and more 🙂) for a perfect stay with a feeling you live there! You clearly can bring just your clothes and yourself, everything else Ari has thought about.
THE ATMOSPHERE
For your stay, you will have a big roman flat with a huge bedroom. The ceilings are impressive! The old wooden table made me start thinking about completing another higher degree in Rome. Sitting at the wooden table and enjoying the sunlight in the room, I felt as if I lived in a different lifetime. There is so much inspiration in this place, so much positive energy. I can't describe it with words, it is truly unique 💕.
THE CLEANLINESS
Ari's home was spotless (considering that I am quite the Monk when it comes to cleanliness :) ) Everywhere in the flat was nice and tidy.
THE BED 🛌
The bed is more comfortable than the one we have at home! The mattress, oh the mattress.. :) We had to look for the brand, and we even asked Ari to give us information about where she bought it from. Eventually, we purchased the same mattress because it was so comfortable. Most of the people buy souvenirs from Rome, we bought a whole mattress 😃 (yes, I am crazy)
Ari even supported us with my crazy initiative by finding information about the store's location and the mattress's size. 🙂
THE DETAILS
I loved the towels' delicate scent, and I have to tell you - I enjoyed every detail in the flat - the wooden ceilings, the sunlight through the light of the elegant curtains... There are plenty of books, too. I simply love it when there are good books in the accommodations I stay in. We liked two books the most - Secret Rome (Local guides by local people) and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
THE KITCHEN 🍽
The kitchen is fully equipped, and moreover, Ari took plenty of time to explain to us how everything works, which button is for what. We spent 8 beautiful days in Ari's flat; we enjoyed the Moka coffee maker and the elegant teakettle. We cooked dinner on two occasions and had breakfast in the apartment almost every day. Therefore all the pots and essential ingredients for food preparation (olive oil, salt sugar, etc.) came in handy.
... oh the Giulietta balconies ❤️
The Giulietta balconies on the bedroom, oh the Giulietta balconies ❤️ , I loved the view of this fantastic street and the neighbourhood's vibe. The flat is very quiet despite its central location. Even with open windows, one can fully relax.
..and the LOCATION! 📌
The location of the apartment is beyond convenient; in 5 minutes walk, you are in front of Colosseo (and I'm not exaggerating :) )
Station Cavour is just 2 minutes away, and this is pretty much cool when you want to go to a more distant area.
Most of the places we visited on foot, sometimes we just came home for a short break and stretch the legs after the long walks - this makes the flat's golden location genuinely precious!
We truly enjoyed our stay at Ari's place and felt lucky to have stayed at Leonina Rome Holiday Apartment. 🍀🌻🍀
GOODBYE
Ari made us feel truly cared for. She let us stay a couple of hours later than the official checkout. She wished us a pleasant flight and even wrote to me in the evening to ask if we had arrived safely home. This made me very happy. Her kindness and a good heart are remarkable. 🙂💕
🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀
Recommendations for food and coffee when in Rome: 🥐🍝🍦☕️
Besides Ari's excellent recommendations we found some places on our own:
If you like markets:
We found an impressive local, covered market (Mercato di Testaccio) where we ate the most fantastic focaccia in Rome - in Casa Manco (Box 22 in the market). You simply gotta try it! It is located 10 minutes on foot from Piramide Station of the underground (with the B Line from Cavour, direction Laurentina).
If you are like me and like to visit the local supermarkets, Coop is definitely the better choice, compared to Carrefour express)
If you are a fan of Neapolitan coffee, Cafe 081 in Monti is the right place for you.
Gelato - definitely at Gelateria Elisa and also at Rivareno Gelato. Both are not touristy, inexpensive and excellent tastes! At Gelateria Elisa they offer also very tasty sfoggliatele and amazing coffee!
'Mr. 100 Tiramisu' is an excellent place to try tiramisu at its best, the wine selection there is also excellent.
To try the local pasta alla Carbonara and all' Amatriciana, we vote for Armando al Pantheon (make a reservation before you go)
We found a sweet and inexpensive coffee place next to Pantheon, Caffè Minerva - try cornetto with vanilla and chocolate cream :)
and last but not least, if you want to see St. Peter's Basilica through a keyhole, don't