http://www.romeloft.com/1896-banchi-vecchi-apartment/
Can anyone shed some light on this apartment? Good location?

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2493261...uests=3&s=64Hh
This one too as well

Hi

When are you going? I note the first one hasn't got air conditioning which may be an issue in the height of summer. I like the location and at that price its seems good value. The location of the second is not as convenient.

The first apartment doesn't seem to have any or hardly any windows. It does however have a washing machine or possibly a washer/dryer.

The second apartment has no washer, and not very many photos. So you can't see what the stair is like (a ladder?) or how high the ceiling is over the bed upstairs. I'd be a bit suspicious of the reviews.

<The second apartment has no washer, and not very many photos. So you can't see what the stair is like (a ladder?) or how high the ceiling is over the bed upstairs. I'd be a bit suspicious of the reviews.>

If you click on the picture it brings up a slideshow of 41 pics, more than half of the apt itself. No ladder for the stairs but a spiral staircase. I think it looks like a really nice apt.

I don't know what you're looking for exactly, but Banchi Vecchi is a great location for a first-time visit to Rome. Very central to sights most tourists want to see, but not usually a mobbed-with-big-tour-groups kind of street. A happy medium, in my opinion.

The location is excellent. We stayed just off Campo de Fiore in April. The area around there and Piazza Navona is our favorite neighborhood to stay in. Most points of interest as well as many great restaurants are within easy walking distance.

>>I'd be a bit suspicious of the reviews.<<

I wouldn't. Reviews on Airbnb are the lifeblood of the service. I would say they're the most trustworthy on the internet. From my experience I don't think it's possible to leave fake reviews on Airbnb's site. In order to have access to their review section, you need to actually stay in the Airbnb property and pay through their system. When your visit is over, customer members are only then invited to leave reviews for that specific property. Member users must use their member name to leave a review. No one else can be invited to leave a review. Owners cannot fake their own reviews. In a way, especially with the strength of their profile access, members cannot hide or create new usernames to write bad reviews. IMO, the design is very impressive. If only honest owners could get more government support.

For Rome, I've had great luck with Residenza San Pantaleo and Navona Garden Suites. Both locations are just off Piazza Navona and the double rooms I've stayed in were huge. Navona Garden has its own private outdoor patio for lounging and their rooms come with a small fridge. I always travel on a budget but I enjoy rooms with a lot of space and useful amenities. I don't speak Italian and the business of cell phones drives me crazy. I prefer to have a front-desk person available for help.

The second apartment is in Celio, the neighborhood directly behind the Colosseum, if you're walking from the city-center. I believe the one photo is of busy Via Labicana. There's nothing wrong with this neighborhood, except, people hang out at the Colosseum all day and night. It's just that kind of landmark. It's also a favorite spot for illegal immigrants to sell ridiculous tourist-trap type items, many of which glow in the dark. Useless garbage. Via dei Fori Imperiali is famous for child groups who pickpocket. You need to be street-smart if you're going to walk this street at all hours.

In ancient times, the Colosseum was the center of town. Not so much anymore. It's a healthy walk to the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and the Vatican from Celio.

Looks like the other apartment has no windows, which always explains why indoor lights are on full-blast in the internet photos. I must have lots of daylight, so that would be a deal-breaker for me. Other people seem to function just fine in artificial light.

I have stayed on Banchi Vecchi and think the location is ideal. As others have stated, you'd be close to major sites including the Vatican, and near public bus routes too. It's slightly off the main drag, in a good way.