Paola was a great host. Her place is old and in need of painting, but it worked well for us as a base from which to explore Rome. it was safe as well. You will definitely need earplugs at night as the sound from the street travels upward. We kept the windows closed and used the ceiling fan to move the air in the room. The apartment itself is very quiet, it's just people and scooters outside that are noisy. The little kitchen was great and we were able to eat in a couple of nights.