Quiet, cosy and full of character, La Perla Rara proved to be the perfect Roman sanctuary on our family’s extended Italian holiday. Conveniently located in the city’s Prati district, the apartment is just a few paces from the Vatican, the Ottaviano metro station and convenience stores. The neighbourhood also has several excellent restaurants to help you unwind from a day’s hectic sightseeing. Don’t forget to pick up breakfast—paninis, pan pizzas, and muffins—from the bakery opposite the building.
If La Perla Rara is a “rare pearl” then superhost Franco is just as rare a gem. Warm, generous and helpful to a fault, he has anticipated a traveller’s every need and stocked the apartment with all the necessary amenities… and more! Franco personally received us when we arrived, intervening with our typically discourteous cabbie, and even helped haul our heavy suitcases from the kerb to the small lift that services the building. He is also a fount of knowledge and an invaluable resource for first-time visitors to Rome.