Hotel Pineta Palace

You’ll need a taxi or public transport to reach Rome’s historic center, since the hotel is set away from it. That works fine if you’re happy staying in a quieter residential area and want a practical, reasonably priced place. The rooms are clean and have the basics, with enough space and a decent bed, though the decor looks dated and nothing feels especially memorable. Staff are efficient and polite, and breakfast is a predictable European spread that’ll get you started. It’s an average, no-frills hotel that does the job without much charm or atmosphere.

We were a group of 19, and this was our second stay here. The rooms were perfect, and we enjoyed breakfast every day. The bar food and service were great, too. When our private bus was delayed, the hotel took good care of us while we waited. Antonio the manager and the front desk team went above and beyond, as did everyone working during our stay. The shuttle to the center arrived on time when we requested it, and the Wi-Fi was great. We’ll gladly stay again on our next visit.

The hotel’s location made getting into Rome a bit of a trek. By train it takes about 1-1.5 hours, while a taxi costs around €30 and takes about 40 minutes. It was also hard to find good daytime places to eat nearby, and most grocery stores closed early in the evening. The staff were excellent, very friendly, professional, and helpful, and the restaurant service, food, and drinks were very good. But the rooms and facilities felt more like a 3-star hotel, and the bathroom no higher than 2-star. Breakfast was limited and average in quality. It’s okay, but it doesn’t meet what I’d expect from a 4-star property.

This feels like a very low-budget place, not the modern, lovely 4* hotel it was billed as. The location is a long way out of Rome, in a rough-looking area with graffiti and rubbish. Inside, the lift was battered and dirty, the showers need replacing, and the patio glass was cracked. Food was mediocre at best. They served wine from the bar in a cheap plastic cup because, they said, “no one to wash the glasses!” The hospitality trays had been removed from the rooms, leaving only paper cups. Nothing here felt like a 4* hotel, maybe 2-star at a push.