| About Us |
Who manages the apartments? What is your philosophy on service?
Really Rome is a family business, with each and every detail managed with
care and pride by Shelley, an American who studied Italian in Rome and
moved there permanently in 2001; and Alessandro, born and raised in Rome.
The apartments have been in the family for over 60 years and have only
recently been converted from Roman residential homes to vacation rentals.
Alessandro’s grandfather and father both used to run the restaurant
downstairs, which is now managed outside of the family.
Our philosophy of service is based on years of experience working in many
areas of the service sector prior to entering the hospitality side. Providing
personalized and friendly service is important to us, and our goal is to make
you feel like you have a comfortable home base to relax in during your stay.
We are frequent travelers ourselves and know how important it is to have a
welcoming place to go back to after a tiring day out exploring the city.
Before starting the business of the Really Rome apartments, Shelley was the
director of a busy study abroad center near the Pantheon, managing logistics
for the study abroad programs of several large American universities. She
and her full-time staff of four handled everything from housing to excursions
to culture shock issues and local information resources for approximately 300
students new to Rome each year.
Shelley is fluent in Italian and studied Italian after work at a community
college for about two years prior to her first trip to Rome. It took her about
six months of sink-or-swim living in Rome before she felt comfortable
conversing in most situations. She came to Rome by herself specifically so
that she wouldn't be tempted to fall into the comfortable trap of living in an
English-speaking-only "cocoon," and this is what has really made the
difference in becoming a local resident and participant in Italian life and
culture, rather than just a spectator.
In January of 2007, Shelley was interviewed by Expat Interviews.com; you
can read the interview here. She also gave an interview at Expats in Italy
here.
She appeared on a local radio morning show to chat about life as an
American here in Rome; you can see the photos and read about it here.
In addition to her primary work with the apartments, Shelley does freelance
travel writing on Rome and Italy and is a contributor for the travel website
Viator.com. (See an example of her writing with her 3-day suggested itinerary
for Rome visitors here.) Shelley's blog on daily life in Rome and Italy, At Home
in Rome, is usually updated at least three times a week, and is listed in many
online directories, including About.com's Italy for Visitors and Expats in Italy's
"Recommended Blogs."
Alessandro is a lawyer specializing in civil law, and when he isn't at the
Tribunale (courthouse), he is probably listening to classical music, playing the
piano, writing about and researching the history of the holy grail in Italy (he
has already written one book on this topic; you can read an article about our
trip to Naples to get a photo for the book here, read about when his book
came out here or visit his publisher's website here or studying to become a
notaio, a notary, which is quite a different role here in Italy than it is the US
(read an explanation of this truly mind-bogglingly difficult goal in his own
words here).
Our unique two-culture perspective and attention to hospitality will add a
priceless new dimension to your vacation. You will be able to live Rome not
only as a tourist but like an independent local. We look forward to sharing
with you all of our “secrets” about this magnificent city—from our favorite
places to eat out, to those little-known hidden jewels of Rome that you can
then explore for yourself.
Thank you for your interest in our apartments… we hope to see you
soon in Rome!
BACK TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS PAGE
Really Rome is a family business, with each and every detail managed with
care and pride by Shelley, an American who studied Italian in Rome and
moved there permanently in 2001; and Alessandro, born and raised in Rome.
The apartments have been in the family for over 60 years and have only
recently been converted from Roman residential homes to vacation rentals.
Alessandro’s grandfather and father both used to run the restaurant
downstairs, which is now managed outside of the family.
Our philosophy of service is based on years of experience working in many
areas of the service sector prior to entering the hospitality side. Providing
personalized and friendly service is important to us, and our goal is to make
you feel like you have a comfortable home base to relax in during your stay.
We are frequent travelers ourselves and know how important it is to have a
welcoming place to go back to after a tiring day out exploring the city.
Before starting the business of the Really Rome apartments, Shelley was the
director of a busy study abroad center near the Pantheon, managing logistics
for the study abroad programs of several large American universities. She
and her full-time staff of four handled everything from housing to excursions
to culture shock issues and local information resources for approximately 300
students new to Rome each year.
Shelley is fluent in Italian and studied Italian after work at a community
college for about two years prior to her first trip to Rome. It took her about
six months of sink-or-swim living in Rome before she felt comfortable
conversing in most situations. She came to Rome by herself specifically so
that she wouldn't be tempted to fall into the comfortable trap of living in an
English-speaking-only "cocoon," and this is what has really made the
difference in becoming a local resident and participant in Italian life and
culture, rather than just a spectator.
In January of 2007, Shelley was interviewed by Expat Interviews.com; you
can read the interview here. She also gave an interview at Expats in Italy
here.
She appeared on a local radio morning show to chat about life as an
American here in Rome; you can see the photos and read about it here.
In addition to her primary work with the apartments, Shelley does freelance
travel writing on Rome and Italy and is a contributor for the travel website
Viator.com. (See an example of her writing with her 3-day suggested itinerary
for Rome visitors here.) Shelley's blog on daily life in Rome and Italy, At Home
in Rome, is usually updated at least three times a week, and is listed in many
online directories, including About.com's Italy for Visitors and Expats in Italy's
"Recommended Blogs."
Alessandro is a lawyer specializing in civil law, and when he isn't at the
Tribunale (courthouse), he is probably listening to classical music, playing the
piano, writing about and researching the history of the holy grail in Italy (he
has already written one book on this topic; you can read an article about our
trip to Naples to get a photo for the book here, read about when his book
came out here or visit his publisher's website here or studying to become a
notaio, a notary, which is quite a different role here in Italy than it is the US
(read an explanation of this truly mind-bogglingly difficult goal in his own
words here).
Our unique two-culture perspective and attention to hospitality will add a
priceless new dimension to your vacation. You will be able to live Rome not
only as a tourist but like an independent local. We look forward to sharing
with you all of our “secrets” about this magnificent city—from our favorite
places to eat out, to those little-known hidden jewels of Rome that you can
then explore for yourself.
Thank you for your interest in our apartments… we hope to see you
soon in Rome!
BACK TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS PAGE
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| Shelley and Alessandro |
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Really Rome Holiday Apartments
Tel. +39 06 976 19276
(English and Italian spoken)
info@reallyrome.com
Tel. +39 06 976 19276
(English and Italian spoken)
info@reallyrome.com
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