Hotel Al SanPietrino

There's a tiny breakfast room with pastries and a machine for hot coffee and tea. The rooms are small and traditional, with a mid-20th-century feel. It's an old-school place near the Vatican and the restaurants in the Prati district. Osteria dell’Angelo, one of three amazing restaurants, is directly opposite. The hotel occupies one floor of a residential apartment building, with a little Pakistani grocery store just below that's handy for late-night snacks, drinks, and necessities. Staff don't get too involved in your stay, which can be nice if you prefer not to be fussed over.

We had a very bad stay, and if things had been any worse we would've had to change hotels. Reception was barely staffed. We arrived in the middle of the night, which cost extra, and after a few minutes ringing the bell, someone let us into the building. The hotel, really an apartment with several rooms, had its front door open and a key on a post-it with our name. Nobody was around to talk to once we got inside. The walls were thin, the place small, and room cleaning started very early. One day it began at 7am, and we were often woken by the noise. Our window faced a balcony used for laundry, so there was no natural light, little air circulation, and a loud machine nearby. On the second day we left the towels on a chair to ask for clean ones, since they hadn't been changed the first day and couldn't dry in the windowless bathroom. Instead, they were left in a wet pile in the bathroom sink, which hadn't been cleaned either. They were even wetter than before, and no one was around when we tried to ask for a change. There were other problems too: the mattress was a bit uncomfortable, the old shower head sprayed irregularly, and the only warm blanket was for a single bed, though our room had a double.

Giorgio, the owner, is a really nice, relaxed guy who was always helpful, and the staff were nice too. We could leave our bags at the hotel after checkout until our plane left. They provided free water, coffee, tea, and croissants every day. The hotel was clean, the rooms were cleaned daily, and the bed was comfortable. The shower was OK, though the water could've been a bit warmer. For a fair price, you get a nice room. I liked it.

Our group had three rooms, and the stay was bad for all of us. The rooms were old, dirty, and noisy, with water leaks and toilets upstairs that made enough noise to disturb our sleep whenever someone flushed. Hot water was inconsistent, and one day the rooms weren't cleaned because the only staff member didn't show up. It felt more like a hostel than a hotel. I know you get what you pay for, but these were more than minor annoyances, including the owner insisting on partial cash payments. I wouldn't recommend the place to anyone.