Monti Penthouse - Rome

Accommodates 4-5 — 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
Panoramic terrace - Partial A/C

Normally, I save the best for last in these descriptions, but not this time: Our Monti Penthouse has THE most glorious terrace, plenty big for outdoor eating and lounging, part covered, part open to the sky, with a beautiful view of Rome including the Colosseum.  So now you know the best.

Monti, where our penthouse is located, is the name of the neighborhood in which we ourselves would, ideally, like to live in Rome.  It’s absolutely central, with excellent public transport but also a short walk from the Forum, the Campidoglio, Piazza Venezia, the Colosseum, not to mention the subway and train station.  It’s just a slightly longer walk to the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Campo dei Fiori, and the Jewish quarter. 

Most important, Monti is an extremely charming neighborhood, with the feeling one used to get in the Spanish Steps/Piazza Navona area before they became truly overrun.  Streets are narrow and cobblestoned, with many art galleries, artisan shops, restaurants, coffee bars, internet points and everything else one wants or needs for daily living.  In the evening, it’s very lively but far more for Italians, young and old, than for tourists who head for more familiar names. 

Our Monti Penthouse is NOT, unfortunately, suitable for 2 couples.  Why?  Because it has one really good master bedroom, plus two quite nice but MUCH smaller bedrooms.  In one of these, there is one twin bed.  In the other, there are two twin beds placed touching each other end to end, against one wall; the beds cannot be placed parallel to each other or otherwise unified.  Thus, while it is THEORETICALLY possible to accommodate two couples here, one would want to think carefully about doing so before going forward.   On the other hand, it’s wonderful for a family, or indeed for a group composed of a couple and one or two other single adults, as each of these latter could have his/her own bedroom.

The penthouse, which is on the American sixth floor of an elevator building, has been beautifully furnished by its owners for themselves, with several pieces in the family for generations, and while children are welcome, they must be well-behaved and respectful of other people’s things.  

Elegant sunny living room with two sofas, several armchairs, and – unusual in Italy – a nice cart table for bridge.  Separate, roomy, less formal family room with comfy sofa and chairs plus satellite TV that you have to fiddle with.  The terrace is reached from this room via a flight of stairs.  Airy dining room with table easily seating 8.  Eat-in kitchen with breakfast corner.  Master bedroom with indivisible matrimonial bed (67 inches wide) and en-suite bathroom with shower over tub, plus separate shower stall.  The two smaller bedrooms share a second nearby hall bath (shower over tub).  Parquet floors and excellent lighting throughout.

Telephone (for outgoing calls only; therefore no internet connection possible; cell phone provided for incoming calls); satellite TV/VCR (PAL only)/DVD (Regions 0 and 2 only); CD player; dishwasher; washing machine; toaster; microwave; conventional 4-burner stovetop/oven; fridge/freezer.   There’s an air-conditioning unit in the master bedroom, plus a portable unit which can be placed where you want it: near the smaller bedrooms or in the living or family room.  For internet, you must use a dial-up connection via the telephone line and be able to do it yourself; it’s not difficult, but you have to have the right plugs.  Otherwise, the immediate neighborhood has many internet points. 

We love the Monti Penthouse.  It’s not cheap; nothing is cheap in Rome these days.  For a couple, it’s a dream: less expensive than a 4-star hotel, and look what you get in terms of space and amenities!  For a family or a small group of adults, it works beautifully as well.