Good Life Monti

The walk-in closet was a nice feature, and the location was good. Breakfast was OK too. The rest felt poorly managed: the toilet wasn't clean, and when I showed reception that the shower was clogged, the guy did nothing. The room was extremely dark with no way to brighten it. The AC barely cooled the place, and its remote didn't work.

We lost the first night of our two-night Rome booking because our flight arrived after the hotel's check-in window. We had told them our ETA beforehand, but they said there was no way to check in late and no refund, so we had to pay for somewhere else that night. When we finally checked in the next day, the room had no glasses, the shower was faulty, and breakfast was poor. It ruined our long weekend. I'd avoid this place.

After a 20-hour trip, I got there at 1 a.m. and was told by the teenage girl at the desk that there'd be a late arrival charge. I was exhausted and didn't know the area, so I paid, just wanting to sleep and freshen up. Then she said they were out of rooms and had to upgrade me, which meant paying even more. I was upset, but agreed because I was so tired. The room felt haunted and freaky, and when I went back out to ask for another room or help, there was nobody at reception, no phone number posted, and no one to call. Apparently there's no desk service after 5 unless they know you're arriving late, and they charge extra without telling you until you get there. I checked out after 20 minutes and called the number on the website. The owners were rude and disrespectful about my leaving and said there'd be no refund. I'd paid almost $350 for two days and one night, really only until the next day because of my late arrival. I'd spoken to the owner the day before and was told arriving late was fine, with no mention of a fee. I even offered to settle for half back, but she said I wouldn't get any money because I'd already booked and arrived, and hadn't notified the front desk. How could I notify them? The girl left as soon as she showed me the room and told me where the keys were to lock up behind the desk. Anyone there could get access whenever. There was no staff, and no number on the desk phone or anywhere else. The woman who'd been nice when booking was a completely different person after charging my card when I arrived and stayed 20 minutes. She didn't speak English and wanted nothing to do with me. I spent an hour outside trying to explain the situation while arranging for a taxi to take me to another hotel across town. It was awful, from how the place looked and felt to the service. Don't come here. You'll regret walking in, especially once you see the rooms.

There are loads of good bars and restaurants nearby, and the Colosseum and Palatine Hill are only a few minutes away on foot. A great base close to central Rome.