Madame Butterfly

The neighborhood was quiet, and the locals were friendly. There’s a big grocery store less than a five-minute walk away, with a bowling alley just behind it. We stayed in Ciampino for several days and chose to extend our trip in a more residential area, but the property itself was a letdown. There were a few useful things: we could check in at noon, there was a clean kitchen for cooking, plus a fridge and self-serve pastries. But checkout at 10 a.m. was extremely early, and they knocked on the door to enforce it. The shower didn’t drain properly, its soap dispenser was empty, and the fridge was too warm for perishables. The kitchen also lacked basic equipment, including a proper knife. There was no coffee or kettle, just a microwave and one mug. Given the high prices at a hotel so far from Rome city center, that felt like a slap in the face. The air conditioner only “functioned” in the afternoon and evening, then shut off in the morning, even in extreme heat. We woke up sweating every day. The owner said it was turned off during morning cleaning, which didn’t make much sense, and even when it was on, it barely cooled the room. The owner refused one of our valid forms of ID, despite our submitting it. Other hotels in Rome, Ciampino, and elsewhere around the world have never had an issue with it. We were asked to email sensitive identification, and when we declined for security reasons, the owner came in person to photograph it on his cell phone and immediately reported us to the police. We can only hope he doesn’t keep that sensitive information on a private device. Unlike most hotels, they apparently report every guest to the authorities as soon as they collect their information. I wouldn’t recommend this place, and we won’t return.

We got good value here, with easy parking right out front and a simple breakfast in the kitchen. The room was very comfortable, and the location was excellent. Late check-in was easy, with clear instructions. I’ll definitely use it again.

The hotel was clean and good, and breakfast was self-service snacks like croissants, rusks, biscuits and crisps. I hadn’t realized it was self-catering, since the listing didn’t say so. It’s near Ciampino airport and stations including Casablanca and Acqua Acetosa, where trains into Rome cost €1.50 each way. Getting around late at night was the difficult part. I arrived at 9.25pm local time and took a bus from the airport to ciampino station, then walked to the B&B. It took 30 minutes, though it could have been longer if I’d stayed elsewhere. Uber and freenow couldn’t find a driver then, which was unusual as it wasn’t midnight yet. Public transport usually doesn’t run past 11pm, so I recommend flights arriving between 10am and 5pm local time. For my 6am return flight, the hotel manager booked a taxi for €25. Taxis are hard to find after midnight, so call a taxi number or ask Marco the hotel manager to book one.

There’s a large supermarket and a pizzeria nearby. The rooms were clean and spacious, and the service was friendly. Acqua Acetosa, the closest railway station, has hourly trains to Roma Termini.