Hotel Demetra Capitolina

My best friend and I couldn't have picked a better hotel. The room was clean, with a private bathroom and shower, and it was cleaned with fresh towels every day. The location was great too: almost everything is walkable, and Termini station is nearby for taking a bus when needed. Staff were really friendly. Check-out is usually at 10, max 10:30, but we stayed in the room until just after 11 and nobody said anything. Special thanks to the young receptionist with the long, slicked-back hair. He welcomed us warmly, answered all our questions, and was very helpful. His English was very good, so there was no language barrier. If you like to sleep in, you can book breakfast at the hotel. I was very happy with my Rome stay and hotel choice. Top price-performance ratio.

The only good thing about this hotel was that they let us store our luggage after check-out. The area didn't feel safe to us, though it's close to the station, which is helpful. The man who checked us in was okay and helped when a hair dryer caused us to lose power, but two other male receptionists were so rude and seemed not to care about guests. One told us we couldn't sit on the sofa for more than an hour after check-out. I said that elsewhere you can normally stay around after checking out as long as you aren't in the room, but he kept interrupting me to say, "if you want to stay here you have to pay a room". Unbelievable. I'd never stay here again or recommend it. There are so many bad reviews below, so it's obvious to me that the owner doesn't care about the poor service the staff provide.

We were visiting from New Zealand and paid $250 NZD. Night, staying two nights in Room 311. It was dirty, with cockroaches, a terrible bed, rock-hard pillows, dust on the tiles, and damage around the room. The toilet had no seat or cover, just bare porcelain. There was no aircon, and the buttons had been removed so it couldn't be turned on. The old hotel smelled bad, and the lift didn't work. Doors slammed at all hours, so we barely slept. We saw five Italians in their 20’s stealing 10 iphones and smashing them, changing clothes to disguise their crimes. We also saw a drug addict heating meth on a spoon and smoking it, and homeless people sleeping outside, shouting and fighting all night. The tram beside the hotel woke us every couple hours. We realized the hotel backs onto a local hangout for thieves and drug dealers. Our Roma experience was terrible. The city itself seemed filthy, with rubbish and disgusting beggers / hagglers. The sights weren't worth it. We're never coming back.

Before booking, I sent three questions (demands), and they promised to fulfill everything. In reality, none of it was done. The room was dirty, and the bathroom in the hallway was even dirtier, if possible. The floor was slippery and uneven, which felt very dangerous. Since we arrived around midnight, we couldn't find another hotel until the next day. My best advice is to stay away. Better to sleep in a cardboard box on the street than use this hotel.