Excellent Roma Experience

Guest: Ann (New Mexico, USA)
Date of Stay: 01/03/12 Review Submitted: 01/30/12

We were planning our first trip to Italy and to Rome, and my son said he was most interested in being near the Coliseum, which led to me find Marmi and Casalilli. It could not have worked out better! We only had two days, and Marmi was a huge help before we ever got there. She set up our transfer from the train station, a driver to tour us around to many of the famous sights on our first day, obtained tickets and an excellent guide for the Vatican our second day, and our transfer to the airport when we left. About the apartment, Casalilli. It is exactly as described but it was a lot more spacious than I imagined. All the rooms were very generously sized. The apartment is very pretty, nicely and comfortably furnished, and really shows how much thought Marmi has given to making it comfortable for her renters. We were two couple traveling together, and it was perfect, particularly having the second bathroom. The apartment is very well situated, on a quiet street and easy walking distance to the Coliseum. Our driver was waiting when we got off the train, and Marmi was waiting at the apartment when we got there to show us around the apartment. A special touch is that she bought us a very delicious Panettone that came in very handy for snack and breakfast. The kitchen was very well outfitted, though we didn’t do more than have coffee and tea because we wanted to try the local restaurants. Our touring days were incredible. Luga was our driver the first day, and he obviously knows his way around very well and took us to many interesting sites that we were able to tour without having the worry about being with a large group or having to navigate Rome. That was very well worth the cost, which was not prohibitive anyway. We told him we hoped to get into the Coliseum that afternoon so he left us at one of the lesser used entrances which allowed us to bypass the long main line at the Coliseum. Our second day Marmi arranged for a driver to take us to the Vatican where we were met by our tour guide. She had the tickets and we were able to enter without waiting in any line, and 30 minutes before the general public. She was extremely knowledgeable about the Vatican, the Sistene Chapel, St. Peter’s Cathedral, and St. Peter’s Square, and we all learned so much and came away with a great appreciation of the history. In summary, while Casalilli was a perfect place to stay, it was all made better because of Marmi’s great sense of how best to spend our time.

Owner response:Thank you Ann. I am glad that your 2 day stay in Rome was intense and memorable. A well planned stay even just for 2 days could be more gratifying than a long stay and doing things on your own. Rome has so much to offer and it is in my interest that our guests have the best the beautiful city has to offer. I hope to welcome you back again.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Exceptional location, lovely owner !

Guest: Sam (Belgium)
Date of Stay: 01/25/11 Review Submitted: 01/03/12

My husband and I loved staying in Casa Lilli for it's amazing location near the Colosseum and quaint restaurants. And Marmi, the owner is a lovely host who takes care of your every need. The friendliest you'll ever meet! The apartment is well furnished and impeccably clean. I always recommend this place to my friends and family in Belgium. All of them have come back very satisfied. Congratulations Marmi, keep up the good work ! Regards from Belgium, Samantha Van Besauw

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

Can't wait to come back to Rome and CasaLilli

Guest: Jimbo (Dasmarinas, Cavite, Philippines)
Date of Stay: 10/30/11 Review Submitted: 12/31/11

First of all, Marmi and her daughter, Francesca, have to be two of the most charming and enchanting women in Rome. They welcomed me warmly into their clean, spacious, and tasteful apartment. I was immediately at home. They also took me on a short walking tour of the immediate neighborhood, pointing out interesting sites, restaurants, cafes, banks, etc. I later took walks on my own and was pleased to discover that CasaLilli is located right in the heart of Rome, spitting distance from iconic landmarks like the Colosseo, and the Foro Romano, among others, but tucked away in a quiet little enclave. It was a joy to come home to the apartment after a day exploring the city. I especially liked relaxing and taking my meals al fresco in the balcony, enjoying the balmy air and listening to the sounds of the neighborhood. This is the life! My stay couldn't have been more perfect. Can't wait to come back. Thank you so much, Marmi!

Owner response:Dear Xavier, First of all, I would like to greet you and yours a Happy New Year! Secondly, thank you for taking time to write this much appreciated comment. I hope to welcome you back soon to Rome and to CasaLilli. Best regards, Marmi

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Live among the locals

Guest: sandi (Newark, Ca)
Date of Stay: 05/06/10 Review Submitted: 11/15/11

This enchanting little apartment is darling, We have stayed there two times now, and would definitley stay again next visit. The hostess is most accomodating and such a sweetheart. There is nothing like sipping vino on the spacious balcony while listening to the local in a nearby suite sing o'sol a mio . The apartment is very roomy where you are not bumping into each other, everything for cooking is there, and the location is first rate. Would highly recommend staying here.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

The CassaLilli Has Wilted

Guest: ERIK (Philadelphia--USA)
Date of Stay: 10/26/11 Review Submitted: 11/12/11

First off, Marmi is charming, professional and was perfectly easy to deal with. That being said--the listed description was not quite up to our expectations. Examples: The unit is on the 2nd floor of a 5 story building WITH NO ELEVATOR. The Air Conditioning, as listed, IS ONLY IN THE BEDROOMS. If you go in the dead of summer--expect one window in the living and one door in the kitchen for ventilation. The door has 4 padlocks on it for a "safe and secure neighborhood". Marmi was sure to point out the electrical box "in case the circuit breaker trips". The first morning upon turning on the blow dryer, sure enough--the power tripped and no lights. This happened several more times with the microwave and the washer. Each time, the washer must've reset and ended up running 2 hours until we forced it into two rinses and one spin--then--had to unplug it in order to reset and get the door to open. The larger bathroom sink was slow to drain; the smaller shower was a pain in the a** in that the cheap shower curtain wouldn't stay secured so that it was unavoidable to flood the bathroom floor. Additionally, the water would go from steaming hot to freezing cold--rarely being regulated. We had the pleasure of the above apartment's laundry hanging down within a few feet of our space for over a day as well as someone walking in what sounded like wooden shoes. The sofa was hard as a rock, not comfortable. The beds--however, EXREMELY comfortable!! Lastly, our arranged-for driver was a NON-SPEAKING English -- Italian, nice man. But, we found it odd and a bit uncomfortable.

Owner response:Dear Todd This has surpised me a lot. First of all, it is mentioned in our listing that there is no elevator in the building and that the bedrooms are airconditioned. You were here in mid-autumn so you do not know what the apartmentt would be in the summer. I always tell my guests who come during the summer period that they can leave both airconditions on during the whole day to cool the whole apartment by leaving both bedroom doors open. The apartment is absolutely cool in the summer!!! About the 4 padlocks. You used only one key for the door and the bolt of this lock is about 5 inches long that goes into the wall. The other padlocks are not for use but are I had not wanted to remove them because they are antiques and they give a certain touch. The neighborhood is absolutely quiet and safe. It is one of the best areas in Rome. As for the electricity, I had explained to you that the building is more than 100 yrs old and has low voltage. I had requested you not to use the appliances at the same time to avoid short circuit. Besides, it was really simple to put the electricity back on. I never had any problem with past guests about this matter. I'm sorry about the "cheap shower curtain". But you can be sure that they are clean. They are always changed for every new guests. As for the nice driver for the airport, he was given direction to do his job to take you to the airport. If you had requested for a city tour then you are provided with a knowledgeable english speaking driver. In Italy it's not necessary that the driver spoke english when doing a transfer. However, Thank you.

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from Deirdre

Guest: Deirdre (-)
Date of Stay: 10/03/11 Review Submitted: 10/17/11

Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:26:44 +0100 Subject: Re: Inquiry from Deirdre Walsh - Oct 3 to 8 - Listing #72116 From: dfeehan1958@gmail.com To: casalilli@hotmail.com Dear Marmi, First of all let me apologise for the delay in writing to thank you. Just wanted to say that we really enjoyed our visit to rome. The apartment was in an exceptional location, well within easy reach of everything and the neighbourhood itself was really safe and very friendly. We found all we wanted right on our doorstep, including lovely restaurants and quirky little shops. We loved it. The terrace was a blessing, as we had unusually warm weather and made terrific use of the terrace for breakfast every day and lovely glass of wine to end the day. The apartment itself was very warm and welcoming and the accomodation spotlessly clean and comfortable. We would definately rent this apartment again and would highly recommend it. Should we return to Rome,(and we duly threw our three coins in the Trevi Fountain, to ensure it) we look forward to staying here again. Many thanks for your warm hospitality and welcome bowl of fruit. It was greatly appreciated. Our time in Rome flew by and we hope to return very soon. With best wishes, Deirdre, Gretta, Mary and Yvonne

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Pleasant Stay

Guest: Sam and Dawn (Oxford, MS, USA)
Date of Stay: 09/09/11 Review Submitted: 10/06/11

The apartment was lovely and comfortable. Marmi was very nice and showed us how to use everything. Our plane arrived early in the morning and she was kind enough to let us leave our baggage at the apt while it was being cleaned. Loved having WiFi. The best things were the balcony and the bathtub. We were all so very sore after the uphill walking so the nightly soak in the bath was wonderful. We had breakfast outside on the balcony each morning. Nearby grocery store to pick up a few things. We would stay here again. Friendly neighborhood.

Owner response:Hi Sam, Thanks for this review. I look forward to having you stay with us again. I'll let you find bigger canolies next time!!! My warm regards to Dawn and all.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Italian life

Guest: Martine&Claude (Vancouver, Canada)
Date of Stay: 09/19/11 Review Submitted: 09/24/11

Nice apartment located in the historic centre of Rome, within a walking distance from the things you want to see. There are grocery stores around and restaurants. From the balcony you have a sense of the life in the neighbourhood which was nice. We have enjoyed our stay there.

Owner response:Hello Martine, Thanks for this. Hope to have you back with us again.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, age 55+.

Great Location, Great Experience

Guest: Robert (Walnut Creek)
Date of Stay: 08/03/11 Review Submitted: 08/26/11

First, let me thank Marmi and Teresa for a wonderful stay in Rome. Our family of 5 stayed enjoyed Casalili on our first visit to Italy. Marmi arranged for our pickup from the airport and gave us a great overview of what to see in Rome. She also introduced us to our eventual tour guide for a day of Ancient Rome! Thank you Teresa for a wonderful time! We loved the location, the ability to walk to the bus stop (85 or 850) to get anywhere on Via del Corso, gelato at the corner (welcome after a long day of walking), and a great restaurant suggestion (naumachia; try the Shrimp risotto). Marmi will really take care of you and make your stay enjoyable. We loved that we could spread out in one location and our three kids (13, 11, and 7) loved the setup. Our son loved the sofa bed! You cannot beat the location (a few blocks from the Colosseo) and in a very safe area. From a convenience perspective, there is a carrefour store around the corner, the Gastronomia Twins bar (due cappuccino in the morning), and taxi stand close by (Follow Via Capo D'Africa towards the Colosseo). Marmi also arranged for our pickup (transfer) to the train station so we could avoid the hassle of trying to find a taxi to carry 5 with luggage and ensure we arrived at the train station early enough so we could find our way. We really felt at home and staying at a friends place. Marmi - we miss you and your wonderful apartment. Already wishing we were back in Rome!!

Owner response:Hi Robert, Thank you so much for this wonderful review. I hope to have the pleasure to welcome you all back to Rome and to CasaLilli again.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guest: Arja (-)
Date of Stay: 05/24/11 Review Submitted: 05/28/11

Dear Marmi, We are home again - the flight was delayed but now I´m home and Riitta and Mamsoon - they travell to North of Finland, Lapland. I´d like to thank You an excellent and lovely casa what we had there!The Casalilli is so nice, and it was so easy to get everywhere from there. I surely can recommend Casalilli to everyone! Also I´d like to thanks our last day - meaning the tour you advised to us.To get outside of Rome was nearly the best part of our travell! Please, tell thanks to our driver too - I dont remember his name. Hetells nicely of everything what we saw there. Hope that we will see again - sometimes!Hope You have a wonderfull summertime ! Yours,Arja (and Riitta e Eine too)

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