The room that we had booked was an interior room with a window looking into a courtyard. The bathroom was lovely with a large shower. Paolo gave us a choice of another room which faced the piazza, slightly larger but with a smaller bathroom. Since we prefer the noise of the piazza, we chose the other room-- but this might not be to everyone's liking. Be sure to specify which room in your inquiry before booking; Paolo offered us a second choice without even having to ask because it was available.
Access to the apartment is easy, just one flight of stairs by foot or by elevator. You'll find yourself in a secure location: it took two keys and two doors to enter the building and two more to access the apartment and the room. There is a small breakfast room; what the breakfast lacked in excitement was offset by the charm: hand-blown glass windows overlooking the small piazza full of trees, a chalkboard and three small tables for the guests which were set for breakfast. The DIY breakfast consisted of milquetoast (fette biscottate) and espresso made from tablets and a little marmalade to spread on toast. We hit the market around the corner on via Cola di Rienzo the night before, where we purchased some milk, ready-made breakfast treats for breakfast and some juice and water for breakfast the next morning since we knew we wanted to hang in to plan our day. There is a small refrigerator for common use of the guests. An electric moka pot was available to make espresso, and we heated the milk on the gas stovetop to make our own caffelatte. For our second morning and for an earlier start, we discovered a bar on via Cola di Rienzo called Route 66. Perfectly prepared cappuccino and the freshest breakfast breads. The 'croissant alla crema' was excellent: the consistency of the cream filling was perfect, infused with natural vanilla. Total of two cappuccino and two croissant: €4.
The location is perfect: just out of the ultra-touristy Centro Storico, the neighborhood has a distinctly local flavor. Piazza della Libertà sits just over the Tevere, the connecting bridge leads straight to Piazza del Popolo, linking the Villa Borghese with the Centro Storico. You'll find yourself at Piazza di Spagna to the east in 15 minutes and Piazza Cavour and Castel Sant'Angelo to the south in 10 and 15 minutes, respectively. San Pietro and the Vatican are just another 10 minutes beyond that. We found the closer metro station to be "Flaminio" (at Piazza del Popolo) rather than the indicated Lepanto. Paolo's recommendations for eateries were spot on. Close to the apartment was "Pizzeria San Marco", just four blocks down. Special mention goes to "'Gusto", a food mecca along the Tevere: cross the bridge and walk along the river until you reach the first piazza.
A great room that offered a really comfortable mattress, nicely appointed breakfast room and secure location.