La Vite Vaticana

We had three people in one room, with a double and a single bed, and still had plenty of room for our bags and clothes. The hotel is right outside Vatican City, close to lots of restaurants and just a short walk from the metro. JR was really friendly, and we loved unwinding on the roof terrace in the early evening.

We stayed in January, and the price was very reasonable. The room and bathroom were clean, the bed was comfortable, and everyone working there was extremely kind and helpful. It was a great spot for being near the Vatican, about five minutes from St. Peter’s basilica and right at the edge of Vatican City. I can’t fault the place, and I’ll definitely come back to La Vite Vaticana with my partner.

The location is hard to beat, but watch out for the steep late arrival charge. We were charged a “late arrival fee” unlike anything I’ve encountered at accommodation anywhere in the world, and it wasn’t disclosed when I booked through an online travel agent. The host said he “knows it's popular to save money on flights by taking late night flights,” even though our late arrival was caused by a flight delay. Then, when we were asked to pay, the card machine was supposedly “broken,” so we had to use cash and lost the option of disputing the charge through the bank.

We loved our stay, and the hotel was close to all the places we wanted to go, with easy transport connections. The staff were lovely and more than helpful when my girlfriend and I ran into trouble because our holiday provider hadn’t given us enough information. I owe the staff at la Vite Vaticana an apology for that situation. One thing for future guests: check-in closes at 7 pm. If you’ll arrive later, tell the hotel before 7 so they can make arrangements. We weren’t given all that information ourselves.