Being a regular traveler, I pay very serious attention to housing problems. And even more picky I am when I decide to stay somewhere for a long time. That is why when planning this 20-day trip to Rome/Italy I decided to book lodging in advance, when the choice was thorough enough.
The previous time in Rome my wife and I stayed in the very central part of the city, on Piazza Venezia, in a high-ranked hotel. And we could appreciate at its true value living close to all the main attractions. But we could not afford staying for three weeks in such a pricy hotel during high tourist season. Besides, most center-based hotels in Rome have very cramped rooms with tiny showers, leaving bruises on your elbows each time. Absence of kitchen and even comfortable place to eat in is also a problem. That is why the choice fell on St. John Villa.
And it was a wonderful choice! Cozy apartment with plenty of space, private bath, balcony, full-size kitchen, place to eat in (in addition to spacy shared breakfast room with beautiful citrus plant garden) was situated in rather uncommon for Rome quiet environment. (By the way, own kitchen is of great importance in the country, where most of the restaurants close for siesta at the time when the rest of the world prefers to have dinner and re-open at the time when serious tourists are preparing for bed.) In addition, proximity to the most interesting attractions and communications was very useful.