Ari met us at the apartment (she lives on the other side of the Tiber) and gave us a full intro to the appliances and the facilities. She is completely charming and was helpful and available when we had a couple of questions later on.

Everything was as per the description. In fact the apartment is larger than it looks in the pictures and beautifully appointed. It's an older building, but the apartment looks brand new. Note the dramatic roof beams in the picture and the striking tile floors. All the appliances worked perfectly, and the apartment was extremely clean and well-kempt. Ari even provided a few basic food items to get us going. The bed was very comfortable. The WiFi is excellent. There is a large desk which can double as a dining table. The shower stall is small, but works just fine.

There is, of course, the potential issue of the 5 flights of stairs with each floor having high ceilings. But that was not a problem for us. Ari even assisted carrying one of our heavier bags up to the apartment.

The neighborhood is wonderfully active and safe, and funky shops abound (e.g., a tango clothing shop) along with many local eateries and alimentari. (Be sure to try the Taverna dei Fori Imperiali - reservations mandatory.) With windows open there is good ventilation, but with the windows closed and the two air conditioners turned on the street noise disappears and the apartment is cooled effectively.

The apartment is only blocks away from all the sights near the Forum and the Colosseum. The Cavour Metro station is 80 yards down the street. There is a taxi stand up the steps on Via Cavour at the Palatino hotel (though for more reliable taxi service go to the Colosseum stand on Via Nicola Salvi about 6 blocks away). Major shopping along the Via del Corso is within walking distance, as are the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Jewish Quarter and Termini Station.