Residenza Cavour

The location is good, but I’d only consider staying again if the price were half as much. They advertise this as a three-star hotel, though it felt more like a two-star B&B. There’s no receptionist, and finding the room means making your way down a long, dim corridor. You have to carry your luggage up staircases to reach a lift that looks like it was built in the 1950s. The room was very dirty and so small that there was barely space for luggage. The sink tap had no hot water, and the breakfast was just snacks. At night, the mini fridge made a constant strange noise. You also can’t lock the room door without a key. If someone in your group needs to leave, the door has to stay unlocked, so anyone could open it.

I booked directly through their website on July 21st for two nights in May 2026. The offer said “book now, pay later” with free cancellation, and after I entered my card it confirmed that nothing would be charged then and the card was only to hold the reservation. I have screenshots. No confirmation email arrived, which seemed odd. Then I saw the full amount had been charged, so I emailed them with the screenshots and explained that I’d received no confirmation. They acknowledged a system issue and offered either to waive the 6 Euro per day/per person fee or refund me. I chose the refund and asked again for an email confirmation. They said they couldn’t return the money to my card and needed my account number. That also seemed odd, but I provided it on July 25. Since then, I’ve followed up several times by email and heard nothing. I have no idea where things stand. My cruise itinerary has changed. I booked because the pay-later option gave me flexibility, but I still don’t know if I even have a reservation, since I never got a confirmation email.

The guesthouse is in the Vatican area, which felt quite safe even at night, and there are lots of restaurants nearby. They provide free snacks, water, and milk, with a coffee machine in the room and a microwave in the common area for heating instant food. The first-floor doorman was lovely and even carried my backpack to the room. Welcome to travel to China in the future!! This isn’t a hotel but a guesthouse, and check-in management was a real problem. I emailed before arriving in Rome but got no reply, then spent around 30-40 minutes trying to find the place during check-in. They could have included a map in the email to guide guests instead of leaving them to wander around.

The location was the best part, and I’ll stay here again when I return to Rome. My two friends and I came for our first trip to Italy, and the place exceeded our expectations. We felt very safe in the building and in our rooms, and the restroom was clean. Daily housekeeping was amazing, and the woman who looked after us was incredibly kind and sweet.