Four of us had the pleasure of staying at Massimo’s apartment for a month from late October to late November 2019.
Our experience started off nicely when we were picked up at the airport by one of Massimo’s drivers (the same was done at departure).
Max greeted us at the entrance of the building, showed us around the apartment and told us everything we needed to know. He was very gracious and even left us a big bowl of fruit, coffee, tea, champagne and a delicious pound cake! In addition, he provided an extensive list of his favorite restaurants, of which we took full advantage. A few of our favorites were Ginger (Piazza Eustachio), Emma (6 min walk south), Giggetto (Jewish Ghetto, 8 min walk), Il Lucano (2 min walk). and the open air rooftop restaurant/bar at Hotel Minerva (3 min walk).
As for the apartment itself, we could not have been happier. It was very spacious, comfortable and spotlessly clean. It really came to feel like our home away from home.
Among the notable amenities were USB ports at the bedsides. Lots of bathroom towels. Separate washer and dryer. Tons of hangers, closet space and drawers for clothes. There were even shoe racks.
The bathrooms were spotless and all three had shower stalls, with good water pressure and they never ran out of hot water!
The kitchen was spacious and had everything we needed to prepare meals. The huge fridge was an added bonus.
The only issues we had in our month long stay were the TV cable going out (fixed same day) and some noise from the neighborhood Martini bar that could be heard in the master bedroom on weekend nights (easily remedied with earplugs). In hindsight, I can’t believe we didn’t go there for drinks!!
The location of Max’s place was absolutely tremendous. We were literally in the middle of everything, in the heart of Ancient Rome’s winding streets. There were restaurants, shops and historic sights in every direction. All within a 20 minute stroll. Amazing.
In our immediate neighborhood was a post office (next door), an ATM machine (1/4 block), a grocery store (1/2 block), and a pharmacy (1 block).
A half block away was Piazza Eustachio. A vibrant neighborhood gathering place. It had a coffee shop, four restaurants, a pastry shop and a take-out pizza place. We found ourselves there at some point almost every day. Oh by the way, the Pantheon is a two minute walk.
If you want a place to exercise, Omega Fitness Club is just five blocks away. We got a month long pass for about 110 euro.
The main train station, Roma Termini, is just a mile away. That was our take off point for day trips. We used Italo, the privately run train service. Their trains were very nice and on time.
There is a taxi stand three blocks from Massimo’s place.
Uber does exist, but only the high end. So Uber costs about twice as much as a taxi.
Having said that, the absolute best way to discover and experience the ancient central city and its endless array of charming winding streets is on foot. We spent hours upon hours doing so throughout our month stay and it never got old.
In summary, we can’t say enough good things about Max, his place, its location and our experience. We whole heartedly suggest you stay here if you want to be immersed in the Italian lifestyle when you visit Rome.
Tom, Shelly, John and Mary