Gigli d'Oro Suite

The room had several problems that went unaddressed. The shower's color-changing lights and the room phone didn't work, and other facilities were damaged or faulty. When we called their mobile at 6pm, the woman said she'd call back to help, but nobody returned or came to fix anything. The bathroom floor was damaged, and the floors weren't very clean. The location was good, but given the hotel's rating, I was disappointed and wouldn't recommend it to anyone with high standards.

Lara and Katalina made us feel so welcome, especially over breakfast. There was a lovely spread of meats, cheeses, salads, eggs, cereals and pastries, plus as much toast and coffee as we wanted. Lara made a fresh fruit salad just for me, and both she and Katalina spent time chatting with us about Rome and where to go. If you tell them in advance, they can cater for you really well. My husband and I spent three days here for my birthday. The hotel is in a quiet spot near lots of popular sights, and we didn't hear any noise at all. We got a top-floor room with a hot tub. It was clean and spacious, with an immaculate bathroom, plenty of towels and toiletries, and air conditioning that worked perfectly. My husband is very tall, so he had to watch out for the low wooden beam over one side of the bed. The little modern lift was cute, and we liked that the building was an old place dating from around the 15th century. We arrived before check-in, but they accommodated us. Katalina at reception was helpful, showed us how everything in the room worked, and gave us lots of tips about places to eat and visit. She and Lara made us feel very well looked after, almost like we had personal service.

We were in the top room, which had a bath and bed crammed into about five square metres. The chairs and table took up the rest of the space, your head hits the roof, and it's easy to smash your shins on the bed sticking out too far. You feel like you're living in the roof, and there's no lift to the third floor. After early evening there's no reception or security either. The noise and lack of privacy made this a terrible stay. You can hear couples next door, and other guests even came to tell us to be quiet when I was just talking with my wife. Reception said not to use the facilities after dark because they won't soundproof the doors. The only good thing was the location. Otherwise it felt like a bare-minimum place built to make money. I wouldn't recommend it unless you want a hostel experience. I'd rather rent a car and sleep in it for more privacy.

The late-night check-in was a rough start. It was done remotely through a video screen, and we had to wait for an attendant to cycle over. During the day, though, I usually saw staff on site. They were friendly and very helpful. We stayed in one of the two rooms on the top floor. It was quiet both day and night, cool, comfortable and clean. The room was spacious, with a nice painting, exposed rafters and roof tiles, accent lighting, and a huge new jetted hot tub. There are classic Roman touches throughout, including small statues in wall niches along the stone stairs. I don't understand the bad reviews, this felt like a four-star hotel to us. The room smelled fresh, but the bathroom had an unpleasant smell. Running water in the bidet seemed to help, and I think it came from the pipes. Breakfast wasn't included in the package we bought, and we didn't pay to try it.