Acanto Room Suite

Acanto's location is a big plus. It's away from the centre, but near the metro, and much cheaper than places downtown. I think the price could still be lower. We stayed in a Camera Deluxe room. The place isn't a high standard, but we weren't expecting luxuries, so it wasn't a big disappointment. The sink leaks and should be fixed, and the carpets could be cleaned better. The host was helpful, informative, and quick to respond online. As he advised, we contacted him first about our problems and he sorted them out. At check-in, he mentioned extra stamp and service fees that hadn't been included in the online booking. After some discussion, he offered to cover them himself, though we didn't end up taking him up on it. I'd recommend the place.

This is a flat with rooms in a building, not a hotel. The rug in the bedroom was dirty and disgusting, and the place smelled bad. On arrival they charged us what seemed like a tax, though we'd already paid everything. I'm not sure why. Our flight was delayed by an hour, but we still arrived to check in at 10pm, and the person in charge charged an extra €30 for the delay. It was about 85€. I don't recommend it. She has hidden payments, and I didn't see anything anywhere about extra charges for late arrivals. The flight delay wasn't my fault, these things happen.

Acanto worked perfectly for a more independent traveler like me. It's a guesthouse, so don't expect a hotel experience. Simone, the manager, was quick to answer questions and extremely helpful. We had our own room and bathroom, and Simone upgraded us to a larger room at no cost because it was available. That was incredibly nice of him. The rooms were spacious and clean, with comfortable beds and Wi-Fi. Breakfast is available at a nearby bar for 2 € a day, which gets you a coffee and a scone. The subway is just around the corner and gets you into the city within 20 minutes. Shops nearby have what you need, and there are plenty of good dinner options around. If you can avoid arriving by car, do. Driving in Rome is a skill of its own, parking spaces are literally unavailable, and you'll have to pay to park in a nearby garage. The Wi-Fi could have been better. I've yet to find a hotel in Italy with decent Wi-Fi, so that was the only thing keeping this from a perfect stay.

The room was basically just a place to sleep, and the problems made the stay miserable. The shower drain was blocked before we arrived. Water rose to my ankles, then ran onto the floor, so I had to wait about 10 minutes before I could finish showering. We let the cleaners in for the first two or three days, but nothing was fixed. The air conditioner switched off after five seconds, and even after we found a remote in the second room, it still wouldn't run at night. The room was so warm it was hard to sleep. Wi-Fi was unreliable too, sometimes slow and sometimes not connecting at all. There was also a power cut one evening while the owner wasn't at the hotel. We weren't told what breakfast meant. It turned out to be coffee and cake at a café around the corner, which wasn't useful for me because I can't tolerate gluten. I had to find somewhere else to eat food that wouldn't harm my health. I had expected a choice like eggs, vegetables, or cornflakes, as at other hotels. When I asked Simon about an iron, he just said, “No, sorry.” I was told there was help available if we had a problem, but after that I stopped asking. We didn't receive an air-conditioning remote at first, either. In your response, please don't say you told me where I could iron my clothes. The only answer I got was “No, sorry.” I consider an iron a basic thing for a hotel that doesn't charge for it, and this place didn't meet that simple standard. The claim that we put up a “NO ENTRY, NO CLEANING ROOM” card every day is wrong. We let the cleaners in during the first two or three days. The shower was already clogged before we arrived, and they had those days to fix it, but it stayed the same. We didn't need daily cleaning that was just changing bedding, which we could do ourselves, and throwing out rubbish that didn't need to go every day. Besides, who was I meant to say hello to in the morning when there was nobody at the hotel? One evening the power went out and you weren't there. Do you know what good service looks like? I suggest you go on holiday and see for yourself. I don't know where you got the idea that I'm the only person who has left a bad review, but that's wrong. I'm not the only one. I wouldn't recommend staying here.