Relais della Torre

Alberto was a big help with everything we needed, and Henry was there every morning, always kind and polite. Breakfast was fairly good. We spent three nights at the Relais and were very pleased. The room was good value, clean and spacious, with soft towels. It was also quite warm, which we appreciated in the cold weather. The neighborhood has everything and is very close to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Church. We've already recommended the place to friends planning a trip to Rome!

Henry was the reason I'm giving this place two stars. He was super friendly and kind, and made sure the rooms were very clean. The rest of the stay left us disappointed. We've visited Rome three times and Italy around 50 times, but haven't been this unhappy with accommodation before. We stayed five nights and paid €1180. The location was convenient for the Vatican, shops, and restaurants, and the small room was normal for Rome. Before booking, I asked about breakfast, a high chair for our daughter, and a kettle. Breakfast was as described, but it was mostly processed food: cereal, sweet biscuits, white toast, jam, Nutella, croissants, and coffee. I don't think it was worth paying for, since you can get a good panino and coffee in town for €5. The promised high chair never arrived, despite being told every day it would. The kettle was in the shared kitchen, not the room as we'd been told, and we needed one to make milk for our daughter at night. There were lots of unsafe objects and steps in the room, and the building lift was too small for a stroller, so it didn't feel suitable for a child. The bathroom needs renovating. The shower was nearly falling off the wall, the silicone between the tiles was black with mould, and the paint was peeling. The kitchen felt like a hostel. The electronic pass for the building was frustrating because it didn't always work. There were odd notes saying guests would be fined for taking things from the kitchen cupboards and couldn't take glasses to their rooms. Those rules felt strange for a hotel. Our room wasn't cleaned on the last day, which was odd. There was no breakfast on our last day either. The owner or manager showed up after breakfast time and said Henry was unwell, so we could have a voucher for coffee and a croissant at a nearby cafe. We were rushing to the central station, so that was frustrating. The owner said we'd get a better rate if we booked directly instead of through booking.com. After checkout, he promised several times to send a receipt. I had to message repeatedly, then was told we'd need to pay an extra €80 in taxes to get one. We eventually got it, but it took two weeks and was a very frustrating process.

Alberto and Henry were great, friendly and full of useful recommendations. The rooms were clean and air conditioned. The neighborhood is quiet and not touristy, despite being close to Castel Sant’Angelo and the Vatican. It's about a 5-7 minute walk to the metro, so getting around Rome is easy. I'd recommend staying here.

The apartment was clean, looked nice, and the owner was super nice. It seems like one apartment split into four rooms, with a small kitchen shared by all of them. You can hear everything from the other rooms, and there's a lot of light in yours. The price isn't high, but I'd pay a little more for somewhere better. The staff were sweet and the stay was nice, but I wouldn't come back since there are better options in the same price range.