My place

The shared kitchen lobby had a free coffee machine and kettle, and the room also came with a balcony, air conditioning, automatic shutters, a roomy wardrobe, a spacious bathroom, and outlets beside the bed. There were plenty of good restaurants nearby, with Cipro metro station, the city, and public transport close at hand. The neighborhood felt safe and calm. A great bakery/restaurant in the building had good prices, and there was a Coop supermarket and pharmacy nearby. The cleaning ladies were there every day from 10 AM and checked whether we wanted the room cleaned or needed fresh towels or toilet paper. We used a face towel as a shower mat the first day, and they brought us a proper rug without being asked. The owner replied quickly on WhatsApp, and the self check-in instructions, sent after 1 PM, were easy to follow. A key in the room opened the street entrance during our stay, which made getting in easier. Room number 1 was clean and well organized when we arrived. A few things were missing: a full-length mirror, cutlery, a toothbrush cup, hand soap, more pillows, and a smart TV would've been useful.

The room was the biggest problem for me. The walls and wardrobes were marked, the curtains were stained, and the bed felt like very poor IKEA quality, creaking whenever we moved. The mattress was rock hard and the light fittings weren't secure. The window looked out onto shutters like the kind shops pull down at closing time. The bathroom smelled terrible. There was no sink plug, so we couldn't fill the basin, and water leaked from the pipe underneath because it ran too fast. The bathroom vent was left unfinished and completely exposed. The shower turned cold after a few minutes. Shampoo and shower gel came in little pouches, which were fine, although after the first night they only left shampoo. As fairly as I can put it, this seemed more like an apartment complex split into four rooms than a hotel or even a B&B. We never met the owner or anyone at reception. We had to call the number on booking.com to reach someone, who then texted instructions for entering the building. They weren't easy to follow. At our 1pm check-in time there was no staff member at the small desk by the entrance. The cleaner didn't speak English, so we used Google Translate to explain we were checking in, and she called someone I assume was the owner to find out which room was ours. It didn't feel welcoming or personal, and left us anxious about what else might happen. For transport, it was a quick 5-7 minute walk to the metro, then around 7 or 9 stops to the city centre, depending on where we wanted to go. If you expect to walk into the centre in 10 minutes, that's not going to happen. It also won't suit you if you're uncomfortable taking the metro and buying tickets in a foreign country. Rome itself is amazing, and briefly made us forget about the room we had to return to. I think it could work for a solo traveller, someone inter-railing, a person happy to manage everything independently, or anyone who won't spend much time in the room. If you're expecting a proper hotel stay on holiday, this isn't the place.

The location was great and easy to reach by train. My wife and I stayed for two nights, and our room was very clean. It would've helped to have slippers, since we needed to wear them when going into the bathroom or toilet.

Fine for a short visit, and the balcony was a lifesaver. But the walls are thin, so you hear everything. I would've preferred a coffee machine in the room instead of having to use one in a shared space. Still okay for a short stay.