Gladiator Rose

This bold little place isn’t aimed at fans of neutral tones and understated design. Deep colours are everywhere, and they really help the apartment stand out from the crowd. It's not a huge space but it's extremely well laid-out and the lack of a seating area indoors is more than made up for by having a balcony with seats outside. The kitchenette is pretty well-equipped for its size and there's a little dining spot just for two. The host, Maria, really pushes the boat out when it comes to service – there’s a daily cleaning service, as well as free laundry, great breakfast options, and recommendations of all the places tourists don’t know about. If that wasn’t enough, it’s also only a couple of minutes walk from the Colosseum.

Home truths:
*When we visited, there was no lift and the apartment is on the fifth floor – although we were told one was due to be installed (speak to the host prior to booking if you're worried)
*There's only air conditioning in the bedroom but it's powerful enough to cool the whole place
*There is no living room here but there's seating in the kitchen and out on the balcony
*You may be lucky enough to find free on-street parking nearby, but the home is only 100m from a tram stop