We found a great deal on airfare and headed to Rome with no preparation. I usually research my vacation well in advance. No worries, Francois & Melissa guided us through their city with ease. Being from Canada we found January in Rome warm. We still needed our coats but the temperature was perfect to explore the city on foot. The sights still had a lot of people but we learned the best times to avoid the crowds (can't imagine Rome with the summer crowds!). Thank you Melissa for the wonderful chocolate cake and to Francois for helping with our luggage. We promise to pack lighter on our next visit.

Nicolas Inn deserves a solid 4.5 stars but Tripadvisor does not allow half-star rating.

We stayed for 4 nights total in January. We stayed in a large room at the end of the B&B with blue tiles on the floor. Room came with a closet with safe, small (standard Italian size) bathroom with soap/shampoo, two twin beds put together to make a queen bed (seems to be an Italian thing? All 3 places we stayed at did the same), a small desk, and a small TV (but who wastes time on TV in Rome?) There was also a heater/AC.
Note: Nicolas is on the 1st floor (ground floor=zero, so 1 short flight of slippery marble stairs.) Pack light.

Pros:
1. Melissa! She's the sweetest, friendliest hostess and gave excellent tips on local restaurants, things to do, and museum times/hours. Make sure you try the seafood risotto at Mario's - you'll be in heaven. The pizza place right around the corner was also excellent.
2. Breakfast! No breakfast was provided at the B&B but breakfast vouchers (5am-10am) at a local cafe was provided (which was about a 30-second walk from the B&B). We actually really enjoyed watching the locals having their morning cup of coffee/cappuccino and pastries at the cafe, and the guy who served us breakfast each morning was super friendly. You get: one AMAZING cup of cappuccino, one small glass of orange juice, and a pastry of your choice. Ask your server for recommendation - we didn't know what to get on our first 2 days, so we just ordered random croissants and pastries. Our server voluntarily recommended something different to us on the 3rd day, and we really liked his recs!
3. Location: it was next to to the "ancient Rome" area - Colosseum, Roman and Trajan forums, Palatine Hills, and about 10-15-min from the Pantheon. Lots of restaurants nearby. (Melissa will tell you want to avoid and where to get great food.) It's also right next to the Colosseo metro station. Definitely walkable from the Termini train station if you're coming from the airport or other cities, but only if you don't have too much luggage.
4. Room was cleaned every day.

Neutral:
1. Free (but weak per picky hubby) WiFi
2. Map was provided but I found that one a little hard to read; I liked the free one that I picked up at the airport better.

Cons (minor issues):
1. Not sure why the towels smelled a little bit like vinegar.
2. Street noise: tolerable to us but light sleepers might have issues. Via Cavour was a busy street.

Our stay at the Nicolas Inn was wonderful. Francois & Melissa went above & beyond the call of duty to make our stay comfortable and to help us connect with other areas of interest. Melissa is an American, which put us at ease right away. They arranged a driver to take us to and from the airport, which is well worth the price. It alleviated all kinds of stress.
The Inn is located along Via Cavour which is right in the heart of Old Rome and exceedingly charming. It is not a quiet street, however, so bring your earplugs if noise at night is bothersome to you. I did so and had no problem sleeping. I recommend this B&B with two thumbs up.

The room and bathroom were clean, comfortable and well sized. It's not a luxury acommodation, but perfectly suited as a base for seeing Rome. Despite being on a main road, the thick walls and new windows kept out most of the street noise, and I was able to nap mid-day. The best part is the wonderfully friendly, helpful, English speaking hosts who steered us to good restaurants, helped us with a car to and from the airport, provided maps and helpful tips. I would gladly stay here again on our next trip to bella Roma!