This host gets the gold star for their warm welcome and personal touches! Alda provided an overflowing bowl of fresh fruit (which my kids immediately dove into), ingredients to make a spaghetti dinner, a bottle of wine, and tons of chocolates. She and her son and daughter were so sweet and friendly, it felt like we were being welcomed by family!
The only issue we had with the apartment is that some of the features were a bit small and difficult for my tall husband (6'4"). This is no fault of the host of course, and I realize that the apartment is in an ancient building/city, and that it's normal for things to be proportionately smaller. But if you are a big person, you may find things to be a bit challenging. The master bed is about the size of an American full-sized bed, and had a metal footboard at the bottom, so my husband was very cramped. He ended up sleeping on the fold-out couch the whole time, so that he had room to stretch his legs. And the toilet in the bathroom sits super close to the sink, at a perpendicular angle, so you have to slide in sideways to sit on the toilet. Just something to keep in mind. But if you're a normal-sized person, none of this should be an issue.
The location of this apartment was good, close to the train station and a 15 minute walk to any of the main attractions. The city bus that takes you up to Piazalle Michaelangelo stops literally right around the corner, and so does the double decker tour bus, if that's something you want to do. There are several small stores in the neighborhood where you can buy groceries and necessities, and lots of good restaurants. Although, you shouldn't need to buy much, as the host provides literally EVERYTHING in terms of toiletries and laundry products.
Overall, this was a great apartment, and the hosts were SO NICE!