Imperium

Imperium: Lazio

Around two millenniums ago, this address would have been in the centre of the Roman Empire's seat of power and there's evidence of that as soon you walk out the door. The remains of Foro di Augusto can be reached in a minute on foot and Foro Romano takes five, while the Colosseum is ten minutes' walk away. The home itself takes over the top two floors of a characterful apartment building and as such, benefits from a lovely plant-filled roof terrace from which it's possible to gaze over the city skyline and point out landmarks such as the Altare della Patria. There's also an electrically controlled awning so you can enjoy the space even if the weather has other ideas. The interior is certainly rustic-inspired, with a preponderance of wood in the ceiling beams, parquet flooring and kitchen surfaces. However, there are a few touches of decadence too, namely the four-poster bed and the chandeliers dotted throughout.

Home truths:
*The host has collaborated with a local luggage storage company and can offer guests discounts if they need to use their facilities after check-out
*The home building doesn't have a lift to reach the fourth and fifth floors, so this home might not be suitable for guests with limited mobility
*The stairs leading up to the home are rather steep
*At the full capacity of five, one of the guests will be sleeping on the single sofa-bed in the communal living space
*The kitchen lacks basic cleaning supplies, so you might want to bring your own
*Your host provides an initial supply of toiletries, but you might want to bring your own to top this up