Overall our stay at Giovanna’s place was disappointing. I would give it 1 star, but Giovanna was very responsive throughout our stay, so I gave it 2 stars. I might recommend it as a crash pad (i.e. just a place to sleep) except that the bed itself is incredibly uncomfortable, and hotels nearby are the same price.
First, the positives:
- The apartment is in a prime location in the heart of Trastavere. It really is perfect for exploring Rome. Tons of bars and restaurants nearby.
Now, the negatives:
- The price to pay for the location: it’s super loud at night with all the people around. There’s a bar right below the window. Didn’t faze me, bu if noise bothers you while you’re trying to sleep, this isn’t a great option.
- The mattress is plain awful. I have never slept in a more uncomfortable bed, and I still have back and neck pain a week later.
- The couch is basically broken. The cushions are sunken in to the point where you can’t really sit on the couch as you normally would.
- The bedding and towels are pretty bad quality. There were dirty towels from previous guests left in the closet. When I asked about this, Giovanna had the towels promptly replaced but the new towels were straight from the store with the tags on them (not what I would deem clean).
In summary: I wanted to love this place, but I could have had a much better experience at a nearby hotel for the price tag. Giovanna was friendly, responsive and communicative, but did not go above and beyond to make our stay more comfortable.