We booked this place after reading the other rave reviews online, and we are so glad that we did! It was everything we had hoped for, and more. Franco was extremely generous with his time as he checked us in on the first day, and had hot pizza waiting for us when we arrived! He speaks English, and can give you tips about places nearby to get things.
If you are American and nervous about staying abroad in an Italian apartment, Franco's place is the one for you. It felt like home in a lot of ways. He provided items for us with labels in English (snacks, shampoo/soap, etc.) and he also thought of a lot of little touches like earplugs in the nightstand, travel packs of tissues, and a safe where we could lock up valuables (exactly like the ones back in the U.S. in hotel rooms.)
The apartment feels very modern, with a nice big fridge in the kitchen, dishwasher, and a washing machine. The bathroom is great too. He provides a hairdryer, q-tips, some toiletries to get started, and best of all, the hot water in the shower doesn't seem to run out! Water pressure is good too.
Location-wise, this place is perfect. You are a stone's throw away from the Vatican. We took advantage of this by waking up early one morning and walking to St. Peter's at 7am. That early, there was zero crowd which meant we got to experience the cathedral and the dome practically by ourselves. And this was early June, when tourists are usually crowding the place. It's also very close to the metro (about a five minute walk- 2 blocks) which means you can get to Termini train station or the Colosseum/Roman Forum very quickly.
I will definitely be booking this place again the next time I'm in Rome!