Novotel Roma Est

The room had a great view, good shower pressure, and was well appointed. Staff in both reception and the restaurant were friendly, so it was a good stay overall. Some things need attention, though: the room safe wouldn’t open with any of the cards we tried, despite following the instructions, and maintenance couldn’t fix it. The air conditioning was fiddly and stopped when we tried to lower the temperature. Also, the photos are a bit deceiving.

We chose this hotel outside the city hoping for decent quality, but the rooms are dated. Our first room had an extremely dirty carpet, and the second had a wet one with a strong smell. The staff were helpful and moved us to a third room, but that still didn’t feel like a four-star hotel. Even on a December night the room was too warm, and when I asked to cool it down, they said that wasn’t possible. Opening the window was the only option, which is laughable for a four-star place. The toilet also kept smelling like a gutter. I don’t know how we’ll get through these horrible two nights. Never again. My relatives visiting from new Zealand are extremely disappointed.

Getting to the bus stop was part of the adventure, and we even picked and ate some blackberries on the way. The hotel’s a little hard to reach for some people, but I liked it. Our room looked out over fields and pretty hills, the pool was just right, and the facilities were amazing. I tried sparkling water for the first time and got it free, and the restaurant made my new favorite pasta, rigatoni. There was some kind of barbecue, so the lifeguard let us stay in the pool after hours. It was just perfect. Next time I go to Rome, I go to Roma Est.

The location is way out, in an area that felt scary and doggy. Don’t leave anything in the car because there’s a chance it’ll be stolen. The rooms are old and poorly maintained, and the tub was very worn and squeaky. I asked for the room condiments to be replenished, but housekeeping didn’t come until 9am, so there was no room service until then. They don’t provide free water bottles like other Novotel hotels, and the pool has access of chlorine. That’s the best I can say to help.