We spent four nights and the better part of five days at Chiostro del Bramante. I can imagine no better place to experience Roma.
The private rooftop terrace provides an almost complete 360 degree view of the rooftops, spires and domes of the city, including the Pantheon, St. Peters, and numerous nearby churches. That alone is a dramatic and unique amenity.
The apartment itself is well furnished, the bedrooms generous but not expansive (you shouldn't be spending time there anyway!), the kitchen tiny and tucked under a staircase, but perfectly serviceable. As an apartment within the Chiostro del Bramante museum, you have access to the café and restaurant, just downstairs, as well as discounted access to the museum's exhibitions themselves.
The Piazza Navona is just steps away, with its Bernini Fountain of the Four Fivers (Fontana dei Fiumi), tourist-thronged plaza and restaurants, gelato shops and buskers thick as horseflies. Go the other way instead, wandering the narrow streets to restaurants that are both less-trafficked and far more charming. We recommend the Cucina del Teatro, Osteria dell'Anima, and the little Osteria on the Piazza di S. Simeone. The nearby boutiques are loaded with women's and men's fashion, modern accessories and antiques, and Vatican City is just a 20 minute walk over the river on the Ponte Sant'Angelo bridge and past Castel Sant'Angelo. Be sure to have sturdy, comfortable shoes for the trek across wobbly cobblestones.
Our host and hostess were on top of every detail, communicating frequently and preemptively in perfect English, and were most helpful in making arrangements for a pick-up from the airport and a long drive to Tuscany on our check-out. Wonderful, unobtrusive service.
Only one thing was overlooked — in the middle of a heat wave across Europe, we entered the apartment to working air conditioners — and every heater in the apartment also on full blast. We spent some time ensuring we had every radiator and towel warmer twisted to *off*, and every window latched closed and curtained so the modest air conditioners could make headway against Rome's numbing summer heat. If you visit in summer, be sure to check those heaters on your arrival.
In all, a superb spot to acclimate yourself to Roma on a first adventure or a return trip. You will not be disappointed.