Popolo Relax

If all you need is a private room to sleep in for a night or two, it's fine and beats a hostel dorm. I wouldn't want to stay a week, but the room was comfortable enough for a short stay. It's cheap accommodation in central Rome, and I don't mind the price for what you get. It's called popolo relax, but it doesn't really feel like a hotel. There are a couple of things to know: nobody is at reception, so you need to call for the entry codes. They didn't answer when we called at 14h, even though we'd said we'd arrive at 16h. When we called at 16h, they sent the codes straight away. You can also text your details on WhatsApp to get them. I don't like that system, and I understand the security concerns other reviewers raised. Still, I don't think someone would go to such lengths to steal my specific things in a city with so many opportunities for petty crime. I also usually don't travel with many valuables when I book very cheap accommodation, so I may be less worried about it. I've seen some very negative reviews and do sympathise with people who had a bad stay.

Getting in was a bit confusing because so many doors look alike. The owner gives you three codes: one for the building, one for the so-called hotel entrance and one for your room. No one is there at night. Check-in is flexible, though, and you can leave your bags if you provide the details beforehand, which I thought was very good. The building is neglected, and the big backyard looks like something from a horror movie. The room has a tiny bathroom with hot water and good pressure, but they hadn't left any soap, and there wasn't enough shampoo or shower gel. Those basic things were overlooked. The bed is old and needs replacing. I don't think the sheets and towels were clean enough, and both the room and building smelled damp. After cleaning the room, they left the door open while our belongings were inside. I hope this review helps.

After the second day, the internet went out for two full days, with no explanation of when it would return. When it came back, I tested it: around 0.04-0.11 Megabytes a second, compared with an average of 3-8. The fridge may have been the only thing that worked as it should. The website doesn't mention that there's no reception. I had to figure out that I needed to call an employee for the front door code. A cleaner will apparently hand out codes for doors anywhere, so it didn't feel safe. There's no physical lock on the room door, and I hoped the cleaner wouldn't give the codes to a stranger. The bedroom and bathroom both smelled like backed-up sewage. The shower curtain kept falling off, and only half the holes in the shower head worked. There was no black mold, at least, but given other reviews I wouldn't have been surprised. Avoid this place. You'd get the same experience sleeping on the street and keeping your money.

The kitchen just by the entrance was handy when I wanted to cook something. The kettle didn't work, but that was the only discomfort I ran into. I liked the fully remote setup: the email had clear instructions, so there was no need to rush to check in. They even cleaned between the two nights I stayed. After a whole day in the busy city, I felt calm here. The rooms were clean and well equipped, the location was good and the prices affordable. It seemed like a great option for a cozy, safe night in the Eternal City.