Guest House Fuori Dal Porto

The bed was the biggest problem. The mattress felt like a box spring and was very firm, and my partner woke up sore. The pillows were memory foam and not very forgiving, though the comforter was plush. The room itself was spacious and clean, with a queen bed, a bunk bed setup, nightstands, a luggage rack and a closet. The bathroom around the corner had a nice shower, sink, toilet and bidet. One shower door handle was loose, but it didn't get in the way, and the water pressure was good after about 30 seconds. The TV was connected to the owner's account, so we could watch free movies and Amazon Prime shows. WiFi worked well, with a speed test showing 33 megs download and 45 megs upload. The common area was nice, and all three guest rooms are on the second floor. From street level, which is level 0, it took 52 steps to reach them, effectively the third floor to me. There was no elevator. A young man with a crew cut, probably in his early 30s, came to help us with our bags and get us through the door. He arrived about 10 minutes after the owner called. The owner had called to check if we were okay, but we didn't know how to get to the room. I'd received around half a dozen messages, but none explained how to enter. They asked for a passport photo with me in it and for several forms to be filled out. I also emailed to ask about an elevator, only to learn there wasn't one. If I hadn't had phone service, I don't know how the owner would have reached me. The helper had a helmet, so I assume he came by scooter or motorcycle. He had a card key, though I'm not sure where he got it. It opened both the guesthouse door and our room, and had to be inserted in a wall reader to turn on the lights and air conditioning. Getting there from the train station was frustrating too. We arrived by train and walked from the platform to the station area, where taxi drivers were waiting. One driver offered to take us to the guesthouse for 20€. That felt like a rip-off since our last fare here was $6 to the cruise port, and the guesthouse is even closer to the station. What can you do? At the street entrance, you have to push a button to unlock the door. It was dark in the foyer when we arrived in the evening, and there's a step down of about three inches that you need to watch for. The light switch is on the left wall, with writing we couldn't read. We pushed it and the lights came on, but a motion sensor would have been better. I'd take off a point for no elevator, one for how difficult it was to get in, and one for the mattress. That's why I give it two points. It was a nice enough place, but I won't return.

These are newly renovated, upmarket apartments, within walking distance of both Civitavecchia Port and the town center.

The room was very clean and the location is excellent. It's only a five to ten minute walk to the free cruise shuttle. The one downside is the lack of an elevator, so you'll have to carry your luggage up two floors.