Roma Imperiale's Guestbook

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Dear Initaly,

We could not have been happier with our experience with you. It started with the airport transfer service from Fiumicino into Rome. The driver was waiting for us when we emerged from the baggage area, and though we had booked the shared transfer option, we were the only two in the large and comfortable van. As we were driving into Rome, to our Roma Imperiale apartment we rented through you, I called Marco, as directed, and Hassan was waiting at the door to let us in and show us how everything worked. He even carried our rather heavy suitcases up three flights of stairs by himself!  All the business details were taken care of quickly and efficiently, as was the check out procedure a week later.

We absolutely loved the Roma Imperiale. It could not have been more comfortable or better equipped. We did three loads of laundry (we arrived in Rome from a week long bicycle tour in Sicily, so we put the washer through its paces!), slept very well in the comfortable bed, and thoroughly enjoyed the owner's fascinating collection of books, movies, and CDs (from classical to The Best of the Four Seasons!). Our only complaint, and it wasn't really a problem, was the rather low water pressure in the tub/shower, but if we wanted a bath, we just let the water run a little longer to fill the tub to a reasonable height. It didn't seem to be a problem in the sink or the washing machine. We didn't cook in the apartment (had planned to, but succumbed instead to the temptation of the many good restaurants in the area), but were impressed by how well the kitchen was equipped. We lacked for nothing.

We loved the neighborhood, and after a long day of sightseeing around Rome, it was a treat to come back to the Monti neighborhood and leave most of the tourists behind, yet still be so close to the Forum and the Colosseum, and within walking distance of just about everything we wanted to see in Rome. We ate dinner in several of the neighborhood restaurants and particularly enjoyed La Carbonara, which is almost directly across the street from the apartment. We had breakfast every morning at the Antico Caffe Brasile, around the corner on Via dei Serpenti, and found the gelato at the nearby Il Gelatone to be excellent!

Thanks for contributing so much to a wonderful vacation. We certainly plan to use your services in the future, and have already recommended you to some of our friends.

Connie W.

Dear In Italy,

Yes, we did have a wonderful trip. We loved the apartment!  It was immaculately clean when we arrived. The flat feels very much like a home and we were able to feel at home right away, which included preparing meals with friends, resting, web-surfing, video watching. Very nice bathrooms!  The feeling of the place made us like the owners, though we never met them. The InItaly people were very lovely and easy to arrange things with. We are in Italy every year and would stay here and work with InItaly any time. Though centrally located, the apartment was quiet, even with all the windows open. And though it was quite hot in Rome during that week, the apartment was comfortable with the fans that were supplied. Only one complaint:  MOSQUITOES at night.

FYI, the restaurant just next door to the building is terrific -- a very friendly place with interesting upscale Sicilian cuisine and interesting wines. And the little bakery on the corner at via dei Serpenti is FABULOUS.

Dana E.

Dear In Italy,

We loved our vacation time in Italy. For starters, having an apt. rental with close proximity to the coliseum and other sites was key. We were, however, surprised at how expensive all modes of transportation were and despite our bus passes for the week (which turned out to be a waste of money) taxis were quite expensive, but still necessary to get around and get the most out of touring.

Having an apt for a family of four gave us some nice flexibility with meals. Pizza and Panini for breakfast can get old very fast and sometimes you just want a quick cup of coffee with a roll and butter or even cereal/milk. I strongly recommend renting an apt.

We loved Trastevere and you might not think of going there if you only explore "old rome."

We also took a side trip to Venice, which while beautiful and well worth the trip, has some significant areas of detereoration due to the water rising and the moisture problems of building, particularly central Venice off the canal. Shopping is wonderful and we didn't find the prices much different from Rome even though the tour books said it was much more expensive there. The island of Murano is very gimmicky. If you are lead across in a boat -- don't go in the first building they lead you into. Walk up the street and visit the smaller shops -- their prices are much better for the same items.

That's all and thanks for giving us this opportunity to share some information with you.

David N.

Dear In Italy,

We stayed at the Roma Imperiale apartment in mid-April and then again in mid-May, and we really hated to leave. It was so well-furnished and appointed that anyone could stay there comfortably for six months! The owners are obviously very clever and artistic people because they have managed to utilize every square inch of space and fill it up with useful amenities as well as delightful paintings, watercolors, sculptures, loads of books, CDs, music tapes, and really comfy furniture. There’s a pretty long list of reasons we loved this place:

• The neighborhood is superlative! It is right in the heart of Old Rome and it seems like the only part of Old Rome that is not overrun with tourists. The buildings are utterly charming, dripping with sheets of dark green ivy, some of which even grows on the laundry lines and drapes across the street! There are loads of fabulous food stores (when we were there the second time there were TV crews interviewing the butcher and the greengrocer because they serve the newly elected President of the Republic, who lives around the corner!). There are also countless restaurants and bars. We could have had breakfast at home, of course, but we took our cappuccino and cornetto at the bar on the next block down. After the first morning, they treated us like we had lived there for 50 years. Everyone was generally very friendly in the area
• The building is immaculate, newly renovated and kept spotless every day
• Even though this is the heart of the city and there IS a lot of traffic on the street, the apartment faces the rear of the building so there is NO noise. We have stayed in a lot of city accommodations throughout Italy and this had to be the quietest ever. First of all, the bedroom faces a courtyard where we never heard one peep even though we always slept with the window open. And the BEST thing about this place is that the living room and the studio (which also offer sleeping arrangements) face onto a bamboo forest! We were just overwhelmed by this – there we were, right in the middle of the city and outside our windows, literally one foot away, was a huge bamboo stand and beyond that a row of huge old trees – all part of the government research gardens that are behind the building. You could hear a pin drop back there. Amazing!
• The apartment has tons of storage space. There are several large closets and numerous cabinets. Since we knew we’d be coming back, we left the contents of a whole suitcase in one cabinet and there was still more storage room left over than anyone would ever have needed
• Way more linens than you could ever use
• Loads and loads of dishes, glasses, cookware, silverware, even a whole array of herbs and spices if you felt like cooking. We did have a dinner party for 8 people one night and did not want for any utensils
• Your local reps were very helpful. We didn’t need them much, but when we arrived they showed us how everything worked and they gave us their cellphone numbers in case anything went wrong

The only thing I can think of to “complain” about was that the apartment was advertised as having a DSL line and, while it was there (we could see it blinking), we never managed to get it to work. We made do with the modem and checked our email every night using the laptop computer that the owners left for their guests. Otherwise, we highly recommend this apartment and would stay there again in a flash!

Thanks for all your help,
Wendy and Jack T.

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