Reviews For Colosseum area Holiday villa - Property 270

Holiday Rental Location: World, Europe, Italy, Rome & Lazio, Rome, Colosseum area
Apartment in spectacular villa at the top of the seventh hill in central Rome
Apartment in spectacular villa at the top of the seventh hill in central Rome
3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms sleeps 5
This charming apartment is in the picturesque, Villa Habsburg - which stands in the middle of the only remaining orchard within the walls of ancient Rome, and thus in the very heart of today's city. ...
 5/5

Fabulous, one-of-a-kind property

EKTTM&D from the U.S.   United States.
Date Submitted: November 13, 2011   Date of Stay: September 2011
Villa Habsburg is an absolute gem in the middle of Rome, and we still can't believe our luck in having found it online. It would be impossible to find anything remotely like this anywhere else in Rome. The gardens are lush and beautiful, with green lawns and towering umbrella pines framing the views of the Baths of Caracalla and other Roman landmarks. <br/> <br/>Our traveling group of three 50-something couples rented the "Piano Nobile" - a second-floor apartment with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining/sitting room, and a full kitchen. The bedrooms were huge, clean and lovely, with large windows and French doors onto the terraces. Every bedroom had its own terrace with table and chairs, and we enjoyed all three of them for breakfast, appetizers and late-night snacks (the terraces are large enough for six people to enjoy together). The views from the terraces are incredible, day or night. Even though it was very hot in Rome during our visit, the house stayed cool and comfortable, with great airflow thanks to all the windows. <br/> <br/>A wonderful grocery store is located just a couple of blocks away, so we stocked our kitchen with breakfast supplies plus pancetta, bresaola, cheeses (the selection was fantastic), figs, tomatoes and wine. We felt like royalty. <br/> <br/>The location of the house was excellent. We never used the buses, because we all love walking. We walked to several restaurants, to the Coliseum (a 10- to 15-minute walk), and even to the Vatican (about 45 to 50 minutes). When we opted for taxis a couple of times to give our feet a break, we found the cost pretty reasonable. <br/> <br/>One note for groups: An additional bedroom and bathroom are available as an add-on, and you might want to consider that if more than two couples are sharing the apartment and/or if you want a little more privacy. One of the bedrooms has its own en-suite bathroom, but the other two bedrooms share a bathroom - and those in the far bedroom have to walk through the center bedroom to get to the bathroom. In addition, this bathroom has a glass door - it's fogged, so you can't see details, but you can see in. We all knew each other well, so this wasn't an issue for us - we just agreed to look the other way when passing the bathroom door. But it's something to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to add the extra bed/bath unit. <br/> <br/>All in all, we loved our stay at Villa Habsburg and would recommend it enthusiastically. Twelve thumbs up from our group!

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Adventure Seekers, Girls Getaway, Age 55+, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers

Owners Response: Heavens I can scarcely recognise our own home, it sounds fabulous ! That has to be the nicest review of the many we have had over the years ! <br/> <br/>AND a piece of constructive criticism which is always useful especially when so charmingly expressed . <br/> <br/>It is true that one of the bathroom doors is glass- opaque , frosted glass: translucent, which lights up the rows of wardrobes in the anteroom. Very 1950´s, which was why we will leave it in place with a view to preserving the atmosphere of this extraordinary house. That has been our main concern from the beginning .Still it is true that in the 1950´s your ladies maid laid your clothes out in your bedroom, so nobody needed to go into the anteroom. Perhaps a slight update is in order at this point <br/> <br/>What we are now going to do, is to hang Venetian embroidered à jour curtains on the glass panels ,which will mean that though on the one hand guests passing through the anteroom will no longer have a front seat view of the equivalent of Renoir´s Les Baigneuses, on the other those actually taking the bath will have their privacy. If anyone wants to supply/enjoy an authenticated live art reproduction view of Les Baigneuses they will be able to push the curtains apart <br/> <br/>Thus one day we will attain perfection....meanwhile many thanks for such kind words
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Perfect week

valleycastle@compuserve.com   -.
Date Submitted: October 22, 2011   Date of Stay: August 2009
We had a most perfect week and loved your beautiful garden - the perfect place to come back to each afternoon for a siesta
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Sooth away the stress...

valleycastle@compuserve.com   -.
Date Submitted: October 22, 2011   Date of Stay: May 2010
Your house helped to make our Roman holiday special and sooth away the stress we were all under: Thank you
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Beautiful home

valleycastle@compuserve.com   -.
Date Submitted: October 22, 2011   Date of Stay: September 2010
We had a wonderful time in your beautiful home, thank you very much. We wish we were still there !
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Awesome !

valleycastle@compuserve.com   -.
Date Submitted: October 22, 2011   Date of Stay: August 2010
Thank you for all you did in getting us set up for this trip. Our stay was awesome !
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Helpful information

valleycastle@compuserve.com   -.
Date Submitted: October 22, 2011   Date of Stay: June 2009
We had such a lovely stay at your villa It was such a beautiful place and setting and we really enjoyed our time.<br/>Thank you for the information on restaurats, buses etc. It was very helpful and we really appreciated it. We will definitely pass on your information to any friends visiting Rome in the future
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Just what we needed.

valleycastle@compuserve.com   -.
Date Submitted: October 22, 2011   Date of Stay: May 2011
We had a lovely time in Rome and managed to see everything we wanted mainly on foot. We would therefore have no hesitation in recommending your property to others. Many thanks for all your help in enabling us to achieve such a good holiday-just what we needed
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Unbelievably beautiful

valleycastle@compuserve.com   -.
Date Submitted: October 22, 2011   Date of Stay: December 2009
I cannot begin to tell you how impressed we were with both the Villa and your hospitality in letting us stay in such an unbelievably beautiful residence . Thank you for the greatest week we have ever had - your villa is an experience most never get
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Helpful throughout

valleycastle@compuserve.com   -.
Date Submitted: October 22, 2011   Date of Stay: February 2011
Let me thank you again for your great help from beginning to end: you were most helpful and perfect throughout. We had an excellent Roman holiday once more and thought the house and gardens were lovely
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Spectacular

valleycastle@compuserve.com   -.
Date Submitted: October 22, 2011   Date of Stay: October 2009
We had a wonderful time in your lovely palazzo in Rome . It was spectacular to be right in the centre of our favourite city, overlooking Caracalla and in the middle of everything We will certainly be in touch again
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 4/5

An Oasis in the middle of Rome

Bernard P.   .
Date Submitted: August 19, 2011   Date of Stay: July 2011
When we arrived we could not really believe it. The villa was wonderful......... but the grounds were even better - just majestic. We visited Rome to show the children and let them experience some history, so it was fantastic to be able to be able to stay in a house with history in itself. We stayed in Guest house 2 which was was very nice. I'm sure the others were even better with views. It has been very tastefully decorated with Italian/European furnishings, clean, and comfortable. Odile sent instructions and keys through punctually. Upon initial review the instructions we got it all seemed perhaps a bit too detailed (however Odile does apologise for this and I understand there must be history behind them) but when you get there you do end up going back and reading them all and finding them of use. <br/> <br/>Only criticisms: Broadband-we could detect the wifi signal (with the 3 computers we had), but could not actually connect to broadband with any of them, which caused a big problem for us as we needed to do some work that could not be done at a Internet Cafe. We are quite computer literate so I unsuccessfully spent a long time (well over 5 hours - probably more) trying to resolve the problem. We have not had this problem anywhere else in the world so I think there is a problem there. Just don't go relying that the internet will be available - then you won't be disappointed - and don't waste too much precious time trying to fix it. Mosquitos: unfortunately for my wife and son who react badly there were some voracious mosquitos at night and we could not avoid them - take some repellant. <br/> <br/>Despite missing a few meetings and a few welts and tears in the family, I would recommend the villa to anyone. Rome itself was crowded, busy and hot so it was great to come home to this sanctuary so close to the centre of the city. All in all it was a wonderful, relaxing and educational experience.

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Adventure Seekers, Girls Getaway, Age 55+, Families with Young Children, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers

Owners Response: I would like to thank these guests- though I can´t for the life of me identify them(!?) for what I consider to be a fair, sensible and objective review <br/> <br/>The only thing I might suggest, as I do to anyone who expresses reserves about one or the other aspect of our amenities: why on earth not tell the housekeeper immediately? Our personnel has been with us in some cases for forty years, in all for more than twenty. For the WIFI any of them would have called our very own Leonardo to whom we pay a massive monthly retainer to come instantly when the very unreliable Roman infrastructure gives up the on- line ghost . This is a regrettably frequent occurrence. Quite a lot of the time the head gardner will fix the problem in half a minute (er, no, not five hours ) but it has also to be said that Leonardo himself , poor dear , will turn up at the drop of a hat (or a telephone call) because his workshop is just down the drive. Among other things he minds about his retainer. He has another from the Angolan Embassy, our delightful neighbours, who have the same problems. I think he must spend half his life with us, half with them, fixing the reception for one, which takes on average one second, on the one hand, and imbibing industrial quantities of coke until he gets a desperate call from the other. The bottom line is, please please, future guests should address any problem, WIFI, whatever,to the staff the minute it arises. We hope this does not encourage constant approach to busy members of our personnel to settle fatuous questions , but WIFI certainly does not count as fatuous Essential commodity Like hot water . <br/> <br/>All that said, and since I become quite hysterical if the WIFI signal disappears even for a moment , when I go to Italy I have my PC programmed for Roaming. You are then completely independent of the often lamentable local level of technology: no I do not advertise for Roaming. But I do find it indispensable both in Rome and Venice to have a fall back position <br/> <br/>Mosquitos. Again I am not Autan´s advertising agent, but our local chemist (perfect English , just up the road) would have supplied a spray for 4 € :That causes mosquitos instantly to throw a fit and disappear. There are far too many windows for nets to be effective - a fact which, incidentally, is mentioned in my precious if much maligned instructions for all to see
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 5/5

Wow!!!

David   Aberdeen.
Date Submitted: July 19, 2011   Date of Stay: July 2011
This is just a stupendous apartment set in the heart of Rome. It's gorgeously furnished, close to many of the main attractions (Colosseum is a 15 minute walk) and close to some great eating venues. The drive is steep and winding so it might present some problems to people with mobility issues. Maybe not the cheapest place you'll ever stay in, but it's a bit special and worth the extra outlay.

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Sightseeing

Owners Response: This is a very nice review- I think it is sensible to mention the drive. Although in my view it is not that steep it is bit of a walk (200 metres ) especially after a day´s sightseeing . Take heart, taxis will willingly come right up to the house if you ask them to. Motor bikes may be rented in Rome now, if you are particularly courageous (or foolhardy) , and you may park them safely in front of your door free of charge . <br/> <br/>Regarding the expense: this group were charged 40GBP per person per night , in the high season . That did not seem to me to be excessive- The thing is, we have to pay the gardeners at the end of the month! Paradise has its price ! <br/> <br/>Anyway the main thing was that our guests were happy, and had a good time. We thought they were charming and hope to see them or their friends again. Meanwhile we wish to thank them for posting their review
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 5/5

Hotel Fantastico

Guat B.   london.
Date Submitted: May 15, 2011   Date of Stay: April 2011
You would never want Hotel Fantastico to be anything more than it is at the moment. Room service would utterly prevent the need to leave the house. Despite Rome's many attractions, the only thing that drove us outside the walls was hunger - without that we would barely of glimpsed the city we all purport to be so fond. <br/> <br/> <br/>Fabulous heavenly place.

Recommended for: Pet-friendly, Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Adventure Seekers, Girls Getaway, Age 55+, Families with Young Children, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers

Owners Response: The voice of youth ! Delighted that the Hotel Fantastico appeals to them as well as to us oldies!
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 5/5

The most beautiful place in Rome!

LJH   England.
Date Submitted: May 09, 2011   Date of Stay: May 2011
Myself and a group of friends came to celebrate one of our party's 50th birthday and we stayed in the Piano Nobile apartment and had an amazing time!!! <br/> <br/>The apartment is beautiful, the rooms are huge with high ceilings, there were three double bedrooms - each with a gorgeous balcony and amazing views!! - a large dining room, two bathrooms and a very spacious and well equipped kitchen. The apartment is so light with incredible views from every window (the Vatican is clearly visible from one of the bedrooms) and huge picture windows. The gardens are breathtaking and so well kept. There is an orchard with lemons and oranges growing, beautiful flowers in all directions, jasmine growing on the balcony and fantastic trees everywhere. The garden is full of birdsong - parakeets came to visit us each morning! - and the place is idyllic. <br/> <br/>It's an easy 10 minute walk from the Colosseum, with shops, cafes and a supermarket nearby for essentials. <br/> <br/>The owner is very helpful and gives full instructions for everything. The house itself is full of character and quite idiosyncratic (as the owners say, it's not the Dubai Hilton for facilities!) but that is all part of its charm and makes it the most wonderful place to stay. <br/> <br/>Having stayed here, I feel that I am now spoilt for anywhere else in Rome, so I very much hope to return soon.

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Girls Getaway, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers

Owners Response: First and foremost we would like to thank this charming lady for her kind comments, and say that we return them .They were delightful guests-I never met them myself but was told by those on the spot- and we would love to have them again <br/> <br/>I take this opportunity of observing yet again in this illustrious forum , however, that give this obvious enthusiasm , how very upset we are by reviews such as the ones on April 4th 2011, and April 12th 2009. Any review has an element of beauty being in the eye of the beholder, but it is a pity - however rarely it happens to us - when people just throw down thoughtlessly nasty comments for reasons entirely independent of the premises themselves . We really do feel that with so many five star reviews , and team of staff who really do their utmost to make both guests and owners happy, such spiteful comments should be, please, disregarded by those reading them : for us, and for the credibility of this site .
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 1/5

Not a good choice

Lorrie   Freehold.
Date Submitted: April 04, 2011   Date of Stay: March 2011
I was extremely disappointed with this rental. It was not as advertised. It was also very dirty. And is not appropiate for seniors.
Owners Response: Thank you so much for expressing your opinion- albeit in extreme anonymity - to the extent at which I have no idea of who you are, or, indeed, whether you stayed with us at all. <br/> <br/>Since Internet mud slinging is not our style, however, forgive me if I pass up on this one
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 5/5

Rome 2010

Roos-shire   Scotland.
Date Submitted: March 22, 2010   Date of Stay: February 2010
Holiday in Rome was superb, weather good and the cultural experience inspiring, the apartment was very comfortable and the gardens a joy to strioll through. we would happily recommend a stay to our friends.

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Age 55+, Families with Young Children, Sightseeing

Owners Response: We do what we can and are delighted when it is a success many thanks
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 5/5

Villa Habsburg Review

Bex27   Lancashire, UK.
Date Submitted: March 04, 2010   Date of Stay: February 2010
We had a lovely break in the piano nobile and east tower apartments and hope to revisit in the not-to-distant future. The atmosphere was special and quite different from the usual self catering accommodation.

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Adventure Seekers, Girls Getaway, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers

Owners Response: Short but very sweet indeed, thanks !
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 5/5

Weekend in Rome

Sonko   Annandale, VA, USA.
Date Submitted: January 25, 2010   Date of Stay: December 2009
We cannot begin to say how impressed I and my brother were with both the villa (we had rooms in the Guest House 2, the west wing) and the hospitality of the owners letting us stay in such an unbelievable beautiful residence. <br/> <br/>The first off visit to Rome was more impressive than we could have imagined anyway, but to be living within the Roman Walls was an experience we shall never forget. It was the greatest weekend we have ever had.

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Adventure Seekers, Girls Getaway, Age 55+, Families with Young Children, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers

Owners Response: That is so kind, we are delighted you enjoyed yourselves, and hope to have you again Actually you were extra lucky because the west wing was entirely redecorated last spring so, yes, it does look nice. Or at least, we think so! and clearly you did too
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 5/5

lovely Rome villa

THa   Cardiff.
Date Submitted: October 21, 2009   Date of Stay: October 2009
We had a marvellous time in Rome, and cannot imagine a nicer place to stay than the guest house. All arrangements went like clockwork, we had no problem with the keys, didn’t make friends with the cats, and very much appreciated the cherry liqueur and drink, also the delicious tea. Lovely, comfortable, characterful rooms, and good books to browse in.

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Adventure Seekers, Age 55+, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers

Owners Response: Many thanks for this commendation <br/> <br/>Guests after our heart, who appreciated our precious libraries and didn´t ask for Italian TV -though this is perhaps the time and place to say , that as from October 2009 we have had WIFI installed free for all guests
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 5/5

Wonderful

cooking taveller   Canada.
Date Submitted: September 23, 2009   Date of Stay: June 2009
The pictures on here do not do this place justice- I was fortunate to be able to stay in the West Tower in June - absolutely fell in love with Rome- especially this property. To be honest, I was reluctant to post a comment, as I am hoping to go back and stay here again. (And not have the issue of finding it unavailable!) The proximity to all that Rome has to offer, was magnificent. I think I would not be able to see everything in a month, there is so very much- and ALL within walking distance. WOW. We did have a little bit of a hard time connecting to the internet, but as I took some great advice, a Blackberry solved that issue. We were able to walk to an excellent market, and found wonderful restaurants (and a fruit stand) practically outside of the main gate. ***** Loved it here!

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Sightseeing

Owners Response: No worries about coming back: we love return visits and do not increase the price ever for those who do us the compliment of booking again.Even if more people do hear about us we always give precedence to former guests . <br/> <br/>And as from September 30 we have WIFI ! so no more connection problems, I agree, those were highly irritating in Rome, when one was in a hurry <br/> <br/> <br/>Thank you so much for taking the trouble to write . It is helpful not only to us but to prospective enquirers, it saves their time and ours for them to see whether this is right for them or not
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 5/5

Fabulous Stay

sil46   NYC, USA.
Date Submitted: July 19, 2009   Date of Stay: May 2009
We all absolutely loved our jasmine covered home(Guest House 1) in the villa. It couldn´t have been nicer and provided us with all and more than we could have wanted. It is a total joy in the garden to see all the fruit, vegetables and herbs growing and looking so happy. <br/>The recommendations we received with the instructions were fantastic and we really got a feel of Rome on all our different excursions. A wonderful, unusual haven perfect just as it is.

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Adventure Seekers, Girls Getaway, Age 55+, Families with Young Children, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers

Owners Response: Thank you so much Come again !
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 5/5

Amazing!!! Highly recommended!!!!!!

Constantinos   London, UK.
Date Submitted: April 27, 2009   Date of Stay: February 2009
We stayed at the this property from Feb.14th /Feb.20th 2009 ... <br/> <br/>The place is wonderful. We don't normally bother with reviews but were truly shocked to see the one dated April 12th from Philadelphia. The owners of the villa were nice to us and we simply want to set out some irrefutable objective facts to restore the balance <br/> <br/>The apartment must be about 180/200 square metres <br/> <br/>That means that the four main rooms - three double bedrooms and the sitting dining room, are on average at least 30m2 , and over three metres high, with French windows in each room as well as the other windows. Even if you shut them all winter- which the owners do not, they actually had waiting lists in mid February when we booked -it would be difficult for them to be musty. <br/>The materials are, in two rooms, floral cottons and linens ; in two others new chintzes respectively bright yellow with white birds, and white background with trailing branches and huge pink blooms . Colourful cushions everywhere ....Drab? <br/> <br/>The baths and sinks, like much of the furnishing and many pictures are museum pieces, huge. Difficult to find a large enough shower curtain to cover it all up. They are also impeccably kept, with new sets of taps and showers <br/> <br/>We were very happy , we had a lovely holiday, and we just want to say so. Clocks none, we told the time using the beautiful Roman light ! Radios: we had our own. Perfect reception as you are at the top of a hill. TV: the lack of one was not a problem. We didn't travel all the way to Rome to sit in front of the TV. <br/> <br/>We found somewhere very nice in Florence too, through your site.

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Adventure Seekers, Families with Young Children, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers

Owners Response: We are grateful to the guests for setting the record right- obviously everyone sees things differently , we welcome criticism because often it gives us good ideas . Still actual hard facts are hard facts, and we could not understand why the April 12th persons had wished to describe the apartment as they did. The bottom line is we want everyone to have a nice holiday with and are very unhappy when they don´t especially if we do not feel we could have done anything about it
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 5/5

Amazing location, great property

Myrrhanda   Fareham, UK.
Date Submitted: April 12, 2009   Date of Stay: March 2009
We spent a week here at the end of March / beginning of April. The bedrooms are huge and each one has a balcony with lovely views of the city. The balcony for our room was covered in rosemary and jasmine which must smell amazing in the summer. <br/> <br/>The apartment also has a large, well-equipped kitchen-diner and a comfortable sitting / dining room. It really is just 10 minutes walk from the Colosseum, yet surrounded by beautiful gardens. Nearby shops stock everything you'll need, and there are lots of restaurants within walking distance. Several bus services pass within a couple of minutes' walk, and we found the buses to be regular and reliable. <br/> <br/>The owner has left notes around the apartment to help you deal with plumbing, electricity etc. We followed the instructions and had no problems.

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Age 55+, Families with Young Children, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers

Owners Response: We want to thank these guests for their kind words;for being so considerate to everyone on the estate during their stay and for leaving the apartment so beautifully. We really hope to have them again one day
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 2/5

Beautiful setting, Outdated home

traavelers   Pennsylvania, USA.
Date Submitted: April 12, 2009   Date of Stay: April 2009
We stayed in the Piano Noble apartment recently and were very disappointed. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and maintained meticulously. Unfortunately, the home is not. It needs extensive updating in all rooms. There is no shower, only tub and hand held sprayer with no curtain. Most furniture is stained and linens are musty and well-worn. There is no TV, radio or clocks. Overall appearance is drab, worn and uninviting. Truly a shame, considering stunning location. This will be the first time using Homeaway that we have had a disappointing experience.
Owners Response: We cannnot understand this . We feel very hurt by this review, we work extremely hard to make things nice, and we believe it simply does not correspond to the truth . For a start how can one possibly claim that five huge rooms with a total of seven windows all looking south over the Baths of Caracalla,St Peter´s and the Roman Campagna, and the city of Rome , appear "drab" or "musty"? They absolutely sparkle...unless perhaps they were left untidy - that is always drab to come back to after a tiring day´s sight seeing, but it is not our fault ! And even then ! <br/> <br/>To reply to other points raised: - there are two massive Venetian mosaic bathrooms with huge baths , taps and showers- no curtains because guests pulled them down. Anyway the baths are so large that curtains are not necessary we never had them when we lived there. Indeed I do not have them in my own house . The furniture is antique of course , belonged to our aunt and is well kept and absolutely beautiful .The upholstery in many cases is Colefax & Fowler vintage which would be the envy of the National Trust ! The linens are fine and hand ironed .I am so sorry this was not appreciated . I could not agree with the adjectives drab, and musty: perhaps well worn in some cases but brand new in others. We adore them like that ! There are indeed no radios or clocks- most people bring their own ! or TV, though a portable TV may be requested of the housekeeper. In this case it was not <br/> <br/>I think the answer is, that this very special atmosphere of a European country house belonging to an old family, was not what these guests were looking for. I could have told them , had they enquired, that we do not purvey fitted carpets, Jamie Oliver kitchens or power showers. On the telephone they sounded very enthusiastic though I did describe the premises as I invariably do, and even mentioned that very often it was not what the American market enjoys. I regret they did not and hope their holiday was nevertheless a success (we provided among other things one of the best guides in Italy, the present editor of the Companion Guide to Rome) <br/>Beyond that, we would like to say that apparently their children were beautifully behaved and charming . We are sorry-it appears- we will not be seeing them again
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 4/5

Fond Memories of Rome

Traveling Enthusiast   LOs Angeles, California, USA .
Date Submitted: August 05, 2008   Date of Stay: August 2007
Friends from Belgium invited us from Los Angeles, CA to spend the week with them at the villa. We found it to be beautiful, well maintained, lovely gardens and spectular views of the Baths of Caracolla. For history buffs, a large part of the old Roman city wall runs along one side of the property. The apartment was large and easily accommodated the four of us. There was no air conditioning but the floor fans worked very well. We enjoyed the garden patio for breakfast every morning. We found if very private, secure and quiet. Our visit to this charming villa was a unique experience and a place we will remember fondly.

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Adventure Seekers, Girls Getaway, Age 55+, Families with Young Children, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers

Owners Response: That was a very jolly party we adored having them and the person organising it from Belgium was simply a dream to deal with
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 5/5

Roman Holiday

Arabella   London, UK.
Date Submitted: July 23, 2008   Date of Stay: June 2008
21-28 June 2008 <br/> <br/>"We absolutely loved our stay on the Piano Nobile a few weeks ago . The wonderful garden and fabulous views of Rome made it unforgettable. We hope to visit again in the future and have already recommended it to our friends."

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Sightseeing

Owners Response: Equally we would recommend these guests as ideal visitors: so appreciative, so careful of everything...we too hope they will come back
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 4/5

Stay in Guest House I - 2/12 june 2008

Romano   Bristol, United Kingdom.
Date Submitted: July 18, 2008   Date of Stay: June 2008
Wonderful to return here yet again, to find this oasis of peace and tranquillity - with the very comfortable accomodation and splendid situation, including the delightful gardens.

Recommended for: Tourists without a Car, Age 55+, Sightseeing

Owners Response: These guests are a fixture, they come time and again. so we must be doing something right !.
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 4/5

Peaceful Oasis

Stonehaven   Aberdeen.
Date Submitted: June 15, 2008   Date of Stay: May 2008
We had a wonderful time in Rome wandering around the amazing sites, our minds thinking abut the peaceful oasis we returned to each evenng with the balcony overlooking the lovely garden with birds (and parrots!) flying by: Happy memories "

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Age 55+, Sightseeing

Owners Response: an oasis- that is how we try to keep it, I am pleased that on occasion we actually succeed !
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 5/5

re. 270

McFast   UK.
Date Submitted: June 02, 2008   Date of Stay: May 2008
Hey there! <br/> <br/>I am just recovering from the Whitsun weekend which, prior to <br/>proceeding to Lampedusa to film, a colleague and I spent in Paradise <br/> <br/>Paradise took the form of the east side of the Viilla Habsburg in <br/>Rome. Talk about rooms with views . Right in the center of town this <br/>one looked over rolling hillocks not unlike the Sussex Downs, but <br/>surrounded- incongruously, albeit at an acceptable distance -by, <br/>of all things, nineteen fifties apartment blocks and the baroque <br/>statues on the roof of S. Giovanni Laterano.. <br/> <br/>The paradoxical sense of country in the town is unique The <br/>sunrise streamed through the windows over the pine trees - <br/>unfortunately leaving us no excuse but to get up on time . The <br/>house is impeccably kept : squeaky clean, old fashioned charm, <br/>family furniture and pictures all left out for guests to enjoy , <br/>welcoming staff. .-not to speak of space put at our disposal free of <br/>charge by the owners for our- to say the least unwieldy- equipment <br/>in the cellar ! <br/> <br/>The gardens are simply breathtaking, kept by a head gardener from <br/>the Zurich School of Horticulture , the Swiss Kew . And it shows. <br/>The sad end of that story is, we did have to get up and depart . <br/>Next time round I´m filming there. And staying And staying And <br/>staying . For what it is, it is not even expensive <br/> <br/>Thanks so much again, <br/> <br/>Ewan

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Girls Getaway, Age 55+, Families with Young Children, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers

Owners Response: Well how flattering we love film people, the film about Enzo Ferrari was filmed in the house.... and the gardens and a bi of the house for the Westdeutsche Fernsehen not long ago
Did you find this review helpful?  Yes   No Helpful votes: 4/5
 5/5

Villa on the Roman wall with wonderful grounds

leopoldstadt   Vienna, Austria.
Date Submitted: May 13, 2008   Date of Stay: February 2008
We spent the week of 9/15 February 2008 in the west wing of the villa in Rome. The bedrooms accommodated us amply, us being a family of four with two young children, plus their grandmother. We much appreciated the decent-sized kitchen and the spacious living room with French windows to the shady private terrace. <br/> <br/>Much was done to help us settle in and immediately feel at home – first-class drinks and small eats to welcome us, pleasant and helpful staff, and an information sheet that was idiosyncratic in its style but full of practical information. <br/> <br/>A huge bonus were the extensive grounds: the high-lying front garden with its commanding views and true English lawn, the ‘back garden’ – some back garden! – with the Roman wall as a protective backdrop enclosing an abundance of citrus trees and palms. <br/> <br/>Beyond the mighty wall, a supermarket and excellent restaurants are within walking distance. Better still: the local take-aways offer excellent Italian fare to enjoy back at the villa. <br/> <br/>The 628 bus from the gate provides quick access to the historic city centre. The villa was the perfect haven after the bustle and rigors of the sights. We enjoyed every minute of our stay except the one when we had to leave – in a car to the station arranged by the owner.

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Age 55+, Families with Young Children, Sightseeing

Owners Response: and we enjoyed having you and your delightful family Come again
Did you find this review helpful?  Yes   No Helpful votes: 6/7
 5/5

A real oasis within the city.

Penfair   Newcastle, England.
Date Submitted: May 11, 2008   Date of Stay: August 2007
We enjoyed our stay so very much and the East tower was perfect for the two of us, providing magnificent views of the gardens and the city of Rome. <br/>The housekeeper was kind and helpful and pointed us in the right direction to find the catacombes. Such a nice lady. <br/>We felt it was a privilege to stay in such a beautiful villa and we definitely intend to return. <br/> <br/>We ate at a local restaurant "Romolo e Remo" several times during our stay- a recommendation from the comprehensive information sheet provided- and were impressed with the food, service, good value for money and real Italian atmosphere. It was also extremely handy after a long day of sightseeing. <br/> <br/>The approach/driveway to the villa is quite a steep walk for less active people, although it can be accessed by car .

Recommended for: Romantic Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Sightseeing

Owners Response: Some guests do find our notes exhausting but they are also exhaustive with addresses and advice based on...guest experience actually. You can indeed bring taxis up to the villa itself and for the elderly we always arrange for a parking space right in front of their door in case they have difficulty managing the driveway
Did you find this review helpful?  Yes   No Helpful votes: 5/6
 5/5

Comments from Owner Guestbook

'We had a wonderful time at your villa in Rome. It will be one of our favorite memories of the trip.' ~ Mrs Susan Wright. 'I can't wait to come back one day!' ~ Mrs Iola Fass (fax: +44 (0)131 447 7367) - 'Vielen Dank es hat alles super geklappt .- 'Your house is wonderful and we had a very happy visit. Bruno (the driver) was very efficient as were all your instructions. We hope to come to Venice next (see property 362) Mr James Douglas , Wiltshire. 'We had a wonderful time in Rome and were very pleased with the accomodation, again thank you for all the instructions and helpful advice you sent ' -Freda Lodge, Alton, Hampshire, 'Thank you so much .We had a great time in your wonderful house' Cains, Kinnersley Castle , ' Je tiens à vous remercier infiniment pour le weekend que nous avons passé chez vous à Rome J´ai pu admirer un nouvelle fois votre belle maison. La vue et le jardin sont exceptionels.L´organisation fut grace à vous absolument parfaite '
Did you find this review helpful?  Yes   No Helpful votes: 10/14
Reviews are the subjective opinions of Holiday-Rentals travellers and not of Holiday-Rentals Limited.