BDB Luxury Rooms Navona Angeli

For the price, this was very disappointing. The pictures online show a different room, and reception said they were just for advertising. We booked expecting a second bed upstairs, but the beds were side by side and there was no upstairs. The manager said rooms are assigned at random. I've never booked a hotel room where the pictures during booking showed a different room. You can hear people above you even though the description says there's soundproofing, and it also claims there is a city view.

There are plenty of bars and restaurants nearby for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and the location is great, just a stone's throw from Piazza Navona on a narrow, quiet street. I liked the room's decor. It was quiet, reasonably clean, and adequate, but only had a fridge. There's no kettle or coffee machine, and the closet and bathroom are both very small. There are only six rooms in the building. We had one on the 1st floor, and getting there meant climbing narrow stairs to reception and then more stairs to the room, which was annoying with luggage. The tiny elevator wasn't working when we arrived, though luckily we didn't have much to carry. Reception is open during the day. I'd recommend it for the location and fair price, but I think I'd stay elsewhere next time.

The room was okay for the price, but the receptionist made the stay a very bad experience. When we arrived, the front door was locked and we hadn't been told how to get in. Other guests said they'd received an email with a password. The receptionist, who also seemed to be the cleaner, was very busy, and either racist or just plain rude. When we asked about the missing entry instructions, she blamed us and said she was there and there was a doorbell outside. But she was cleaning, there were no clear directions, and the doorbell had at least 10 buttons. She went outside to show us it worked, which missed the point entirely. We still didn't know which button to use without instructions. By then I was exhausted from arguing in the hot weather. She never apologized or showed any regret, and kept saying it was completely our fault for not pressing the doorbell, despite the lack of directions. Her behavior was unprofessional and unacceptable.

We didn't meet any employees, but they replied to our messages quickly and were incredibly helpful when we needed to extend our stay or print things. The room was spacious and clean, and had a nice rooftop terrace. There's a small elevator, but you still have to climb at least one flight of very narrow, steep stairs, so keep that in mind if you have mobility issues. Everything we wanted to see in Rome was within walking distance, as long as you don't mind walking. There are lots of little streets nearby with restaurants, cafes, shops, pastry shops, and gelato places. We walked to all the main sights during our week and never needed public transport, though buses and trams run close by. There's also a handy taxi stand across the street. I highly recommend staying here.