Relais Teatro Argentina

Our family of 11 spent four nights at Relais Teatro Argentina, and it's a stay we'll remember as a trip of a lifetime. The location made it easy to reach everything we wanted to see on foot, or by bus, and we recommend the Relais to anyone visiting Rome. Even when we returned late, we felt safe and glad we had chosen a place with a touch of elegance and quality. The six rooms were beautifully decorated and unexpectedly spacious, with lovely high ceilings that especially impressed my 6'7" son-in-law. Each room had an air conditioning unit, and the temperature was very comfortable. Breakfast was delicious, with something for everyone, and was served on the balcony or in our room. The staff were thoughtful, helpful, patient with the four children in our group, and easy to communicate with. We also really appreciated the excellent attention to cleanliness.

I booked at the last minute at night and arrived with two heavy suitcases. There were so many stairs, so I called the owner to explain that, as a thin girl, I couldn't carry them and asked to cancel. He got extremely angry on the phone. Another guest started helping me, and I managed to get the bags up. The owner then came to the property and angrily entered my room. As a woman traveling alone, I was really scared and uncomfortable. His behavior was completely against the spirit of hospitality. Hotel owners shouldn't be able to come into your room without permission just to show their anger. It was unacceptable, but I couldn't leave at that point. I don't recommend this place.

Thomas at reception was friendly and helpful while he was on duty, and management replied to inquiries promptly. Our room was clean, with a clean bathroom, and much larger than rooms in most newer hotels, with very high ceilings. Even with the good location, we won't return. The hotel is on the second floor and there's no elevator. The front office is staffed only from morning until early afternoon. We left early and had to haul our luggage down a long staircase, made longer by the very high ceilings on each floor. It also wasn't lit well enough.

We found our little sanctuary on one floor of an old building, beside the ruins where Julius Caesar was supposedly killed. We didn't even realize that until our second day. The room was quiet, clean, comfortable, and dark thanks to the blackout curtains. Its central location meant we could come back to our air-conditioned room for a break each afternoon before heading out again. Paulo and Tomas were gracious hosts. We loved the continental breakfast, whether we had it on the small terrace or in our room, and Tomas makes a fabulous cappuccino. The pipes are a little quirky, but that fits the charm of such an old building. We'll stay here again when we return to Rome.