Hotel Philia Rome

The room was cheap, but the stay was a mess. The air conditioning barely cooled things, even at its lowest setting, and took tens of minutes to make a difference. The hotel isn't cheap, yet it has just one old elevator that only fits two guests. When it broke, staff had to get it moving by knocking, and nearly every floor needed a knock. I was close to tears in there, and nobody apologized. The front desk was also extremely rude. On the first day they didn't explain how to open the public door when returning to the floor, and it was left open all day. When I came back the next day, it had changed. I called reception, and they rudely said I had to ring the bell first. I told them their colleague hadn't mentioned that the day before. This was my worst experience in Rome.

Our family of four had booked Hotel Philia about 44 days ahead and had a confirmed reservation. We got there around 11:00 am, before the 3:00 pm check-in. Reception asked us to pay the city tax by credit card, leave our luggage, and come back later, which was fine. I tried the guest toilet by reception while we waited. It hadn't been flushed and was very unhygienic, so I told staff. I also asked politely about checking in early, but accepted their answer that it wasn't possible. We went out and returned at about 4:10 pm. Then the staff and an older man who seemed to be the owner refused to give us a room, saying they didn't accept my behavior and referring to a review I'd posted briefly earlier. By then that comment had already been removed. We had a valid booking, but they left us waiting outside for around 50 minutes while trying to reach the booking agent. In the end they didn't honor the reservation, and we had to find another hotel with our luggage and kids. It was extremely stressful and disrupted our plans. They returned the city tax, but we had to pay for a different hotel at short notice and spend time relocating. Trip.com handled it professionally later and gave me a full refund and compensation. I appreciate their help. The hotel's refusal of a confirmed booking, especially with my family, was highly unprofessional and unacceptable. The basic cleanliness and service weren't there. Refusing a booking over a review and leaving guests stranded is unacceptable, so I'd advise others to be cautious. The owner later alleged that we damaged the toilet. That's a lie. I only opened the toilet door, saw that it was full of poo, closed it, told the receptionist, and left. Those false allegations make the hotel's reputation worse, and people won't trust them. Instead of making accusations, focus on providing proper service and respecting guests. The management's behavior started after I left a one-star review, having paid the tax and gone to visit colosseum. Don't just read my review, read the owner's reply too and see how they try to humiliate customers who leave bad reviews. Other people have posted bad reviews about this business too, though lots of people don't usually write reviews. I'm a regular Google reviewer, and Google has appreciated my reviews. I had no prior confrontational motive against this hotel. I have my Google timeline showing how long I spent there, and can share a screenshot to prove the hotel is lying. I have proof. I traveled around Europe for a month, and this was my only bad experience. In the end, the trouble led us to nice accommodation at a better price, and my agent gave great support and compensation. If I'd done something wrong, I don't think they would have supported me that much.

It's a decent spot if you want to be near Termini station, and the room was usable for sleeping, as it was for us. But everything felt dated and poorly cared for. The room was dirty and damp, with old switches and an old-fashioned elevator in the building. Towels, pillowcases, and sheets all had a strange acidic smell. The bathroom shower leaked everywhere, and its cabin was old and rusty. There was no hairdryer. Heating was also a problem: the air conditioner was set to 30°C, but seemed to blow air at barely 17-18°C by my estimate. Luckily it was warm outside then, so it wasn't crucial. If you only need a place for a few days and won't spend much time in the room, it's okay.

This is what the Double Standard Room looks like. It's not too bad, though you'll need to bring your own toothbrush. It cost just 1676TWD plus 6€, so don't expect great quality at that price. The location is handy, but I wouldn't call it an ideal place for a long stay.