Rome- Three apt choices; Trip Advisor and RomeLofts
 

Rome trip in the Spring. Three apartment choices now and need some guidance in terms of what to expect from rental agencies and then an idea if these are in good locations. I read that around Piazza Navonna is desired.

I'm interested in renting this first apartment but have some questions. After I sent an inquiry the manager sent a reply to my inbox within an hour but did not restate the apartment details. Nothing about damage deposit or anything, only the payment due and due date. I found it on TripAdvisor and this apartment has the "Pay on TripAdvisor" symbol so I don't have to wire money and am "covered" under TripAdvisor's/FlipKey if anything is not as it should be. The only cash to give is a 3.50 Euro per person upon arrival. They require 50% down now and 50% in a few months before our trip. Not so unusual.

I've been searching for 2 bedroom apartments with real beds for the family of four around Piazza Navona. This first one is nice looking and fits the bill but there are no reviews on TripAdvisor. I looked at the apartment's parent company, RomeLofts, and there are maybe six reviews- mostly favorable. The Trip Advisor has a pretty good description of the apartment but not so much in the details portion compared to other apartments. Maybe that's not such a big deal or is this an unusual presentation? I feel a bit wary but since the TripAdvisor symbol is next to their apartment listing I have a bit of trust. Do you ever rent without a review or several? Also, has anyone used RomeLofts before? This is the apartment's management company. I read one Fodors post about it from a couple of years back and don't see this listed on SlowTrav site.

Orso House
http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationR...ome_Lazio.html

Pantheon Charming
Here's a second apartment with a bunch of reviews plus a TA Certificate of Excellence:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationR...ome_Lazio.html

I contacted these people and the apartment is available. There were mostly favorable reviews relating to service but a couple of comments a while back about bathroom cleanliness and no duvet covers. Also, I just noticed that it says to ASK about smoking. We definitely want a non smoking apartment so that might be a deal breaker.

And the third apartment is right on Piazza Navona- or a tiny bit away as pictured from a bedroom window. Will that be noisy? And downside is only one bedroom with two sofa like beds but it is available.

The Crown
http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationR...ome_Lazio.html

Thank you,

finecheapboxofwine

Another one just popped up on my inbox on the Via dei Coronari. That neighborhood looks lovely. Any opinions?

Lovely neighborhood except for after I Googled for more information this property came up as something totally different and now the owner/manager says the Via dei Coronari property is this one: http://www.julietinrome.com/property...coronari-roma/

And not this one that I found on Trip Advisor and was interested in. She says she doesn't know anything about this since she pays to advertise the place on Holiday Lettings, not related to Trip Advisor...even though her name and all the info is on there.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationR...ome_Lazio.html

Now I know why people book hotels! Ok, I will have to sort this out and just pick a place. Thanks.

I sometimes rent apartments in Rome, especially when traveling with a family group, but unless there are such special circumstances, I much prefer a hotel. They're much easier to research, I usually pay in full when I check out, and, even though I consider myself a very experienced traveler, the hotel services are useful even for me.

Another issue with an apartment is that usually there is no place on the premises where you can leave luggage if you arrive before the check-in time, or want to do a little sightseeing after checking out. And I've always had to make an appointment with the agent, and give her a call just before I arrive. That could be a pain unless you have an Italian phone.

Finally, many of the apartments in Rome are being rented under the table, and haven't had the least inspection to see if they're safe for rentals.

I've never used the agency you mention. I once rented through Rome Sweet Home, an agency which has some pretty bad reviews, although I had no problem with them. I also once rented through laterooms.com but the apartment had serious safety issues.

Lately I've been looking for apartments on www.booking.com which is where I usually look for hotels. They don't have a huge selection, but at least the apartments I've rented through them are all above board, collect the city tax, and give a proper receipt, which makes me feel that they've been registered with the city and undergone an inspection. At least I've never seen any safety issues in these apartments.

I've never tried the Tripadvisor flip-key system, but if it allows you to pay with a credit card that's a big point in its favor, because carrying a lot of cash is something that I'm not enthusiastic about.

When in the spring are you traveling?

The first one only has air conditioning in the bedrooms. And a washer. You could ask if that means washer/dryer. But it's nice to have a washing machine, especially when traveling with kids. BTW, don't bring jeans; they take forever to dry in European dryers. Also is there WiFi and is it free? Internet wireless access could be just a cable.

The sitting area in the second apartment doesn't look very comfortable.

Ditto on the washer in the third apartment. Is it a washer-dryer.

I'd avoid the whole Coronari mix-up.

Your first 3 choices are all very well-located for sight-seeing. As for noise, you can't expect perfect silence in Rome; it's a noisy city. Bring ear plugs, always a good idea when traveling.

We stayed in this apartment just off Piazza Navona this June, we loved the place, apt was clean and as described, about 60 sq m, our dealings with Rental in Rome were perfect, no problems whatsoever. But there is just one bedroom, not a pull-out sofa bed in the the living room but two individual day beds, they can either be joined to form a single large bed or used separately. No washer though.

http://www.rentalinrome.com/piazzana...0611&numPers=4

I spent a week in Rome in August 2012 with my husband and two nieces. We rented this apartment and loved it. Great location, fabulous air conditioning, 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms with plenty of space and privacy.

http://romecapitalapartments.com/apa.../Boccaccio-140

Have a great trip!

Thank you for the advice, everyone. Mimar I did decide against the Coronari apartments, just felt uneasy about it. Bvienci, your comment got me thinking and I was really vacillating back and forth between a hotel room and apartment after reading your comments. But in the end I booked a quiet apartment with many excellent reviews through VRBO in the Campo neighborhood not far from my first choice, Navona. It felt like I recycled through the same list of hotels on booking.com and nothing new was turning up so found a place after reading some posts and recommendations online. Tracilee, that apartment you posted was fully booked in April. Geetika, your apt, was really nice but I really wanted four real beds and no sofa bed sleeping. It's always a relief after so much research. Am looking forward to a nice holiday in April!