We stayed at Rene's place for 3 nights during our stay in Rome.
Here are some helpful things for future guests!
Location: The location was perfect for us. It was three short blocks from a metro stop, which we only took once, to the Vatican. Otherwise, we walked everywhere. The Colosseum as most people have said is about a 10 min walk. There are plenty of restaurants nearby (see restaurants section below!), and there is also a laundromat where we did laundry once. We took a taxi a few times, and Rene helped us coordinate that.
Communication: Rene was very responsive and quick with all communication. He was there to help us with anything we needed and was also flexible with our unique schedule. He allowed us to check in and out when it was most convenient for us. He answered all messages quickly. He had lots of valuable recommendations about best pizza, spaghetti, and ice cream. And he was very friendly!
The room and bathroom: The room was nice. It had a refrigerator we could plug in and we used that to cool bottles of water. There was a table and closet with hangers to put things in. Clean towels every day if we needed them. There was also a fan, no AC. It got pretty warm a few nights in our room, but opening the window helped. There is a hair dryer. The two bathrooms were shared amongst the other guests, but they were always kept clean.
Restaurants:
- Vecchia Rome (one block away!): I did a search for the best spaghetti in Rome. One of the top 10 places is a block away from here. Spaghetti with marinara was the best we had in Italy.
- Gatsby Cafe (three blocks away): Right by the metro stop. It has 3 floors, decent wifi, great coffee. There was AC on the third floor.
- Formula 1 (10 min walk): Rene recommended this as a great place for pizza. The pizza had great thin, crispy crust. Not my fav place, but pretty good pizza and about 5 - 7 euros.
- Fassi Gelateria (7 min walk): Rene recommended this gelato place. Definitely worth it! It's one of the oldest gelato shops in Rome. Some of the best gelato we had in Rome. Also one of the cheapest. A small was 2 euros, I believe.
Overall, we really enjoyed our stay. The biggest things for us were location and price.