Valentina's apartment worked magically for us during our stay in Rome, where a group of us came together in between various forms of work and holiday travel, including one local Italian visitor from up North. We selected the apartment because we wanted to experience Monti, which seemed to us like a potentially ideal neighbourhood (this turned out to be a strong suspicion), the apartment seemed comfortable, spacious and well appointed (all also absolutely correct) and we loved the concept of a large, green terrace on which we could drink a morning coffee and eat a pastry and then sit down in the afternoon and evening to drink a refreshing spritz while we pondered the night's activities.
We were right on all accounts! Valentina's apartment in Monto turned out to the be the perfect set up for our needs and exceeded many of our expectations. One highlight is the size and charm of the terrace, which is quite literally HUGE, quiet because it is internal to the building, green with an abundance of luscious pot plants and creepers, very charming, and well set up with a table and chairs for outdoor dining. Amidst a mixture of dining out and dinning in, it enabled us to feel like the at-home meals and snacks were a relaxing pleasure in a charming and very local environment.
Also worth mentioning: the functional kitchen, which is well stocked with appliances and all you might require for whipping up a meal; Valentina's communication which was thorough, warm, welcoming, consistently fast and filled with very knowledgable local suggestions and highlights, many of which we tried out.
Above all else, the location of this apartment is perfect if you want to take an easy walk to see many of Rome's key attractions and sites (the Colosseum, for example, is about a 15 minute stroll away), but prefer not to stay in the thick of tourist centres where things are expensive. Monti is effortlessly cool, with many interesting shops and eateries, and yet very much a local area: a perfect mix of local and visitor attractions, easy to navigate, with excellent bars, trattoria, pasticerria, etc. just a stone's throw from the house. It's a delightful neighbourhood and Valentina's apartment is perfectly located within it.
The beds were comfortable, the bathroom is small but very functional, charming and clean, and the living room was well stocked with interesting books and games. Valentina has thought of everything, including umbrellas which we absolutely needed as we were in Rome during an incredible flash flood!
I very highly and sincerely recommend staying at Valentina's Monti apartment, and indeed, I will do so again, and we thank you Valentina for your graciousness, generosity and excellent hosting during our visit. Mille Grazie!