Hotel Domus Sessoriana

We stayed five nights in March. Two people in our party ran the Rome Marathon and both finished, and it was my birthday too! The hotel is a unique, slightly eccentric place in a converted monastery beside a nunnery and working church. The location was good value for us. San Giovanni station, on Lines A and C, is about a 10-minute walk through a pleasant park with a nice outdoor café. Buses and Tram 3 pass the front, and there are good restaurants and bars nearby. Our street-facing room, number 223, was a bit noisy with the window open at night. Rooms facing the gardens are quieter. The rooms are austere, with basic furniture and sheets and blankets, but clean and functional. The power sockets are old style, though we found a couple of modern European sockets by unplugging the TV and a lamp. WiFi didn't work in our room, but worked in most other parts of the hotel. There are no facilities for making drinks in the room, so bring a travel kettle, mugs, and tea or coffee if you want them. Vending machines for drinks and snacks are in the lower-ground communal seating area. Staff were pleasant and friendly, and spoke pretty good English. The fourth-floor terrace was closed for refurbishment, but there is a smaller terrace on the second floor. Breakfast, usually served on the fourth-floor terrace, was moved to a windowless lower-ground room with a TV showing pop videos. The continental spread was reasonable, with pastries, cakes, bread, ham, cheese, jams, cereal, yoghurt, juice, apples and oranges, tea, and coffee. There wasn't any variety from day to day, though, so it was the same breakfast each morning.

The hotel’s history is incredible, and there’s still a basilica in the middle that’s in use. I’d seen mixed reviews, but we had a fabulous stay. Our room was clean and comfortable, and breakfast had ham, cheese, bread, cereal, and toast. The area was lovely, with local cafes and a supermarket just across the road. I’d happily recommend it and come back.

It’s a neat place, with clean rooms and an air conditioner that worked well. The room was very basic, though it had a mini fridge, and the beds are quite firm. The hot water could’ve been hotter for my taste. I’m used to washcloths, but haven’t found any in Italy so far. They provide tiny bars of soap and shampoo, so I’d bring personal-size or single-use ones. There’s a lift and a light breakfast in the morning. The woman who checked us in was really nice and spoke English well. The location works if you want to stay away from the tourist areas, though walking to them isn’t ideal.

There are some fantastic restaurants just a few minutes from the hotel, and the location works if you’re okay with a 20-minute walk to the train station, 20 minutes to the Colosseum, and over 30 to Trevi and beyond. It’s a unique place, and our room had a nice view. The rooftop terrace could be great, but it’s bare and barely used. A rooftop bar would make sense, but there isn’t one. The rooms are very basic, with no tea or coffee setup, no air conditioning, just one pillow each, and furniture that feels rustic. They could use a fresh coat of paint too. Drinks are only available from a vending machine, though there are plenty of shops and supermarkets nearby. We didn’t hear much from outside, but the walls are thin. We could hear a phone alarm, people moving around in the next room, and even snoring. I still slept well. Breakfast was disappointing, with very little choice and freshness.