We thrashed around for ages trying to find a reliable, good-value and efficient apartment service in Rome for our week-long holiday at the end of October. From the very outset Palazzo Olivia delivered - and more.

Rome is always full of tourists and the internet is stuffed full of companies offering a range of services, but if you need to pay a hefty deposit and you don't know what you're walking into, you need to be sure. With Palazzo Olivia you can be.

The best thing about the apartments is their location, just about as close to the historical centre of Rome as you could want: 3 minutes from Piazza Navona, the same from Campo dei Fiori, and everything meaningful (Vatican, Colosseum etc) within 15 minutes. So as a base to explore Rome, it's probably second to none. The only thing it's not good for is the train to/from Termi station, but good value and reliable airport transfers are available.

The second good thing is the quietness of the apartments, especially given their location. We had the 'Figaro' (4th floor) with bedrooms away from the main road, and apart from the occasional ambulance we heard nothing - so a good sleep every night.

The pre-, during and post- rental service provided by Carla was exceptional, and you feel from the beginning that you are in safe hands. I wasn't keen to pay any hefty deposit beforehand (50% in our case), but PayPal worked smoothly and securely. There's a booklet in each apartment with details about nearby shops and facilities, as well as a selection of walking routes.

The apartments themselves are comfortable, if not overly spacious. As usual, it's best to check how many beds there actually are! But the excellent website, [--], has layouts of each apartment, so everything is clear from the outset. Each apartment has a direct-dial phone and a satellite TV, although the latter has little of interest to non-Italians. Ours had ceiling fans and air conditioners throughout - and a fierce central heating system for the cooler months.

The entrance to the apartments is discreet, the hall always cool, and a lift will take you straight to your floor.

The fact that there is an office in the building, manned for a few hours each day, means it is really easy to ask questions or to sort out problems. No absent, untraceable landlords, or a company handling thousands of enquiries each day...

Almost nothing to fault this establishment. It wasn't the cheapest we looked at, but it was unquestionably cheaper than two rooms in a comparable hotel in the same area - plus a lounge and kitchenette.