Saint Peters Keys

Prati was a great neighbourhood to discover, especially with the Vatican nearby, and the women who cleaned were lovely. The Wi-Fi worked well, and the owner suggested some good restaurants and arranged a good-value black cab to the airport for us. The place is a little old, though it’s been kept up well. There seem to be only four rooms, with a shared area. Breakfast was mostly sweet things and often not fresh. Our room was small but had AC and a good-sized bathroom. The bed wasn’t comfortable.

The place was spotless and always smelled nice. Breakfast in the morning was lovely, just simple coffee with sandwiches or toast. The owner was also incredibly friendly and helpful, with suggestions for restaurants and places to visit.

The location by the Vatican is lovely, with shops, restaurants and gelato places nearby. The couple hosting us were kind and welcoming. Breakfast was the usual Italian spread of cakes, tarts, cookies, white toast, jam and sweetened yoghurt. As a professional chef, I found it nutritionally uneducated, and packed with sugar. During our three-day stay, the cleaning lady used so much detergent when cleaning the room that I had allergic reactions and couldn’t stop sneezing. I normally don’t react to much, but it felt like she’d poured a bottle of soap in my face. Using all the cleaning products at once doesn’t make the room cleaner, and must cost far more than necessary. The hosts were nice, but I hope they tell her that. From a professional chef, that’s an obvious 40% cleaning job.

The apartments were really nice and the prices were very good. You can hear almost everything from the corridor, though, so the soundproofing inside isn’t great. The location is prime.