Fragrance Hotel St. Peter

The rooftop terrace was a nice spot for drinks and a charcuterie board. Charges were added to the room, and we could sign the bill and pay at reception or at checkout. There's also outdoor access to a view of the love heart with the Vatican in the center. Breakfast was good during our five nights, with a couple of different dishes each morning, and we were both happy with it. The WiFi was a little temperamental, and we had to keep changing the network name. We arrived at noon on January 24, before the 2 p.m. check-in time, so we were worried we'd have to wait. Andrea greeted us and said our room was ready. He showed us in, let us settle, and had the beds changed from a double to twins. All the staff we met were friendly and said hello, but Andrea deserves a special mention. He was always up for a chat and gave us suggestions for places to go. We talked about Lady Gaga, too. What an asset to the fragrance team. Thanks for everything, Andrea. We'll miss you. We had a lovely stay at fragrance and would definitely come back.

The breakfast was well stocked and regularly replenished, with plenty of cups and glasses. Everyone was very friendly and helpful, and the room was nicely decorated, well maintained and cleaned daily. It had a fridge and safe, though my one gripe was that there was no milk with the tea and coffee. The hotel is around a 15-minute walk from Vatican City, with a bus stop about five minutes away and good connections to other parts of Rome.

The hotel has a delightful, comfortable and quirky feel. Our balcony looked out over St Peters basillica, which was pretty at night. The rooftop dining and breakfast room is cosy, and we treated ourselves to desserts there. Breakfast cost 10 euros and was a lovely way to start the day, with pastries, cakes, cereal, fruit, juice, coffee, sausages, scrambled eggs, cheese and toast. The staff were attentive and helpful, going the extra mile with requests. San Pietro train station is very close at the bottom of the street, with easy Metro connections to much of Rome. St Peters basillica, the Vatican museums and Sistine chapel are walkable, and there are several good places to eat nearby. There was some noise from adjoining rooms, but it didn't bother me. The bathroom had nowhere to put toiletries, and there were no bedroom drawers. There was a safe, hairdryer and TV, though the TV only had Italian channels. I wished there had been at least one English channel. There was also no milk for tea in the room. Highly recommend.

When my daughter got sick, Andrea helped us arrange for a doctor to come to our room. Everyone working during our three-night stay was incredibly helpful with anything we asked. The room was spacious and very clean, and the terrace restaurant was inviting. This is a small, cosy hotel in an excellent spot, close to St. Peter's Station and the Vatican. I'm grateful for the kindness and will remember this stay fondly. Thank you to the whole team.