Harmony & Comfort at the Vatican Museum

The location is great for sightseeing, the housekeeping staff do their best, and the bed and pillows are comfortable. Netflix and breakfast are included, which is a nice bonus. But there are several problems. The bathroom smells of mold and urine, the bidet faces the toilet, and the shower's fancy functions don't work properly. The drain is slow too, taking about ten minutes after a five-minute shower. The bunk ladder is rickety and couldn't support my 14-year-old son, so our youngest had to sleep with us while his brother took the lower bunk. The fancy sink works for washing your face or brushing your teeth, but isn't practical for washing dishes. The induction stove only works if you pop off the dial and turn the knob with your fingertips; otherwise it cooks at a very high temperature. It's not a bad room if all you need is somewhere to sleep.

I booked more than a month ahead and had seen that late check-in might be arranged by contacting the hotel. The day after I booked, they asked when I'd arrive and whether I needed a taxi. Once I gave them my arrival time, they said they absolutely wouldn't check anyone in after 9:30 pm, even though their information said arrivals after 9 could be arranged with the hotel. That left only a 30-minute window, despite flights arriving in the city late at night. I asked to cancel because I knew they wouldn't let me check in, and then they charged me a huge $183 cancellation fee. The two-night stay would have cost about $210, so I practically gave my money away to a hotel unwilling to accommodate tourists arriving late. I've never heard of a hotel refusing late check-in and then charging that much when the cancellation was because they wouldn't allow it, not because I'd simply changed my mind.

The location is fantastic, right next to Vatican, and everything was very clean. Breakfast comes as a coupon for coffee and a croissant at a nearby cafe, which was fine. There's also as much coffee and tea as you want in the room. My only reason for not giving five stars is the poor check-in communication. Nobody told us we had to call the owner to get inside. A very friendly cleaning lady helped us with everything. Overall, a good experience.

I told them my arrival time when I booked online. Just 30 minutes before I was due to arrive, they messaged that check-in after 9 pm wasn't allowed and advised me to find somewhere else. I scrambled to find a place to sleep for that night. Then, to my surprise, I got an email saying I was a no-show and was charged the full amount. It's pathetic to stop me from checking in and then charge the whole stay as a no-show.