Relais Merulana Guesthouse

Everything is easy to reach on foot or by metro or bus, and the area felt very safe with lots of people around. The rooms were very clean, with great facilities, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Perfect location! We'll definitely come back.

The location was the one good thing about this stay. I chose the more expensive WiFi option because I was on a business trip, paid about 100 euros extra, and even messaged beforehand to say reliable internet was essential. They assured me it was great, but the connection was so poor I couldn't manage a Zoom call, even without video or screen sharing. Speedtest showed 8.25, which hardly seemed like fast WiFi, or even decent WiFi. I showed them the booking page and complained that the extra service I'd paid for wasn't provided, but they couldn't test the connection properly, offered no help, and returned no money. Booking here was a big mistake. The doorbell also shrieked late at night, which was really inconsiderate.

Marina, the host, was very helpful and arranged an airport taxi when we couldn't manage it without a working mobile phone. The location was what we wanted too, within walking distance of the Colosseum. Our room was basic but did the job, though the bed was very hard and close to the floor. The air conditioner kept turning itself off, and the outlet beside the bed didn't work. There's an inexpensive, tasty Chinese restaurant nearby and a supermarket across the street.

The building was in really poor shape. The elevator was dark, cramped, and had no room for luggage, and the hallways were dark too. It didn't look or smell clean, so I wouldn't recommend staying here. Also, when you're in Rome without internet, there's no way to contact the hotel. Anyone in an office in the building can buzz you in, which didn't feel very secure.