A Casa di Penelope

The room's condition was terrible: scratched walls, thick dust in places, fungus in the bathroom, and several broken appliances or missing parts. Our tiny balcony was shared with another room and had no chair. The bathroom light didn't work, and neither did one of the lights beside the bed. After we reported it, the staff member said the bathroom light could be switched on without its button, using a screwdriver or pin. The manager later tried to fix it, but it stopped working altogether. He said there was no spare part, and that the small lamp over the mirror would have to do. It gave so little light that we showered almost in the dark. We asked to move rooms, but the alternative they showed us was much worse, so we declined. The staff were rude throughout. When we met the manager and another staff member talking loudly by our door, the manager said, “I see that you love to sleep a lot.” At checkout, the receptionist acted as though the broken light and dim mirror lamp were perfectly fine. When another guest asked what was going on, the receptionist said, “Do you think she will fix it for you if you tell her?” As I tried to explain my side, he said I was interrupting and that he was talking and I should just listen. That sort of arrogance toward a customer is beyond criticism. We took our deposit and left disgusted. These are only some of the problems, and I've added photos to back up what I'm saying. Getting there was a bad start too. There were no trains from the airport because of protests, so I had to take a bus. There was a fight near the bus, and I arrived late to check in after telling the hotel I'd be 30 minutes late. They showed no understanding and charged us an extra €20. I know that was in the terms and conditions, but I mean they showed no goodwill from the outset. On our last day, we felt unwell and had a late flight, so we asked to stay longer. The manager quoted €150 plus tax, which we thought was too much for those conditions. He then offered to lower the price by €20 if we stayed another day. We turned that down because €20 wasn't enough compensation for all the trouble. At checkout we heard that the switch had been replaced 14 years ago. It's not my problem that the Owner/Manager (Mr Abdul) doesn't look after the property or its guests and only wants to maximize income while ignoring quality. A working bathroom light should be included in a 3-star category. He didn't offer us another lamp to fix the problem or any money back. I spent a whole week here and have never stayed somewhere worse.

The location was decent, but you can find much better options for the same price or less. The booking photos are outdated, and a lot of the equipment was worn out or didn't work. The metal bed frames had an industrial look, walls were stained, and there was no soundproofing. Without a proper shower curtain, the floor was always wet, and the Wi-Fi was unreliable. When we asked staff to deal with noise from the hall or next room, they didn't come to help. Reception also tried to get extra money for check-in outside the stated hours and for storing luggage.

The staff were super friendly, and the location was perfect, within walking distance of the main sights in the centre and Villa Borghese on the other side. The rooms were clean and the AC worked well. But the facilities weren't well managed. Our fridge didn't work, which was a serious problem for one of us who has diabetes and needs to keep medicine in it. They should update the website and remove the fridge as an option. The shower pressure was weak, and the water kept getting hot.

It felt like a scam. This is a room in a flat with a bathroom added, and nothing was clean. The shower wasn't something you'd want to use. You could hear everything from the other people in the flat, especially if they were a family. The heater only came on when they chose to turn it on. In the morning it was cold, even though it was February and -2°C outside. Checkout was before 10:30, and part of the payment had to be in cash.