I stayed in Valentina's apartment for 1 month in October. It is a brilliant apartment and a great place to stay; I would definitely recommend it. It suited me perfectly while I worked remotely. Having been there for a full month these were the things that stood out to me:
Pros (there are many):
- The apartment is beautiful. The ceilings are very high and the rooms are really big so the place feels massive and airy while the old building itself is lovely. The completely private terrace is huge too and is a lovely addition to be able to eat meals outside.
- The location is amazing. It is only a 20-25 minute walk to basically every main attraction (the Forum, Colosseum, Circus Maximus, Pantheon, St. Peter's, Castle Saint Angelo etc). The city feels very walkable from Valentina's apartment and yet you are removed from the tourist hustle and bustle by being in the beautiful and quaint Trastevere (which is famous for the amazing collection of restaurants and cafés). It feels very local and you are right at the heart of it all.
- The communication was top notch. Valentina had a lovely girl who was representing her. She helped us to check in very late on the evening we arrived (around 11pm), she regularly texted to make sure everything was ok and any time we had trouble with Wifi or sheets or questions she was there to help us. Communication was really excellent.
- WiFi was reliable. This was important to me for working remotely. The host has thoughtfully included a backup WiFi source by leaving an iPhone with an Italian SIM card in it so if the main Wifi is slow guests can switch over to the hotspot. This was a really nice touch and it meant we had very few difficulties working from home. The wifi may not be as fast as other places but it was reliable.
Minor cons:
- At the time of year we were there no direct sunlight reached the patio. This is probably a welcome relief in the height of summer but it is just something to be aware of. It is very pleasant to eat out or read a book but it wouldn't be possible to sunbath out there if that is your thing.
- I think sleeping 6 people for a long time would be a tight squeeze. It would certainly be ok for a weekend as there are 3 double beds but if you were staying for a week I think it would be too tight. Two of the double beds are in the same room (one downstairs and one on the mezzanine). There is only one toilet in the apartment and it is right beside the main bed so sharing that with 6 people for a week might not be ideal. There is definitely space to do so but it just might not be as pleasant.
- Similar to the previous point, the kitchen area is very small and having 2 people cooking at once is very tight. It is ideal for one person or 2 people max.
- Trastevere is a busy area and you can hear some noise through the walls at night on Fridays and Saturdays. It is very quiet during the week but at the weekends it can be noisy if you are a light sleeper.
Things the host could improve:
- As we were staying for a full month it might have been nice to have some more of the essentials in the apartment before we arrived. I understand that this may not be feasible for every short stay guest but for longer visitors having a decent supply of things like soap, toilet paper and lighter fluid for the hob would make a big difference upon arrival.
All in all the Pros heavily outweigh the cons for Valentina's place and I would highly recommend staying here!