Alessandro met us at the apartment with a big smile, very good English, and a basket full of oranges chilling in the refrigerator. He walked us through his newly refurbished loft-style apartment taking the time to explain everything from the hideaway bed to the espresso machine. All but the bathroom was new -- it and the weirdly oily glasses were the only things we could criticize, and even then that criticism is minor, detracting only slightly from our overall experience. Alessandro recommended a fantastic pizza place -- Piccola Ischia -- within a 5 minute walk. It was packed with locals yet they still found a seat for us immediately -- we were the only tourists. What delicious chaos for us Northern Europeans to spend an evening with a room full of boisterous Italian families.
Upon our return, the home theater projector was a real treat for the kids who unwound with a Star Wars Blu-ray. Although the place is configured as an open loft, we had enough privacy so that we didn't feel exposed. The place was quiet except for a tram line that occasionally ran past the property (first noticed in the early morning). Non-city types might be annoyed by this (it didn't bother us).
Alessandro was an excellent communicator throughout the booking process and even followed up afterwards to see if we enjoyed the pizza. We'd definitely stay in his property again.