M&J Place Hostel Rome

I ended up here after booking at the last minute, and it was a bad experience. The location is right next to the train station, which could be a plus or a minus depending on what you want, but the bad reviews were accurate. The room was old, and I walked into a shared suite without knowing which beds were free, so I had to guess. I couldn't tell whether the sheets were clean or fresh. The shower didn't work, and the wardrobe, if you could call it that, was rusting. I also had to pay on arrival, but they charged my card as well. I learned two things from this: don't be cheap, and don't book at the last minute.

The staff were the one good part of this hostel. They were lovely, always smiling and helpful. But I worked there for five weeks, and I know that most of the rooms have bedbugs because the bed bases go unchanged for ages. They don't even replace the blankets, which is disgusting. If you have a problem with your room, the boss won't refund your money. If the hostel is still going, it's because of the nice staff, not the boss. Don't even consider staying here.

The staff were really nice, and the beds were okay, but the price is still quite high for what you get. The place was renovated once, yet it still isn't well kept. When I went into the bathroom, the water tap came off in my hand. The kitchen was just a cupboard on a tiny balcony. It was badly equipped, not hygienic at all, and the water didn't even run consistently.

The location is good, and the cafe downstairs is friendly, but the aftermath hardly seems worth it. I left with bites all over and brought bedbugs back to the UK, where I'm still getting bitten. The beds are disgusting, and charging extra for linen is a joke when it comes with extra guests tucked in the sheets. Some of the bugs are big enough to see. The water was freezing cold, never hot, which made washing my hair miserable. The staff didn't seem to care about that, though they were happy to help with things to see and do. This was the last stop on my three-week trip in Italy, and it put a real damper on the whole holiday. I couldn't wait to pack up and leave.