The only better place is the palace itself... which is a stone's throw from the apartment. You can literally see it once you step out the front door of the building! Everything about this place is great.
The apartment is situated in a nice, safe area and it is quiet at night. There is a washer/dryer and air conditioning which are pluses. The apartment overall was very clean and cozy. There isn't a whole lot of sunlight that comes in through the day, but we didn't stay indoors during the day so it wasn't an issue. The Opera metro is an easy five minute walk. The hosts asked if we would like to arrange a ride to the airport through a taxi company to which we agreed to and the cab was on-time as promised... even at 0600! We loved this place and would come back again!