Hotel Roma Tor Vergata

The rooms were very small, and in Room No 114 the bathroom door was hanging off its hinges and wouldn’t shut properly. Our first key card was faulty: the power went off, came back when we removed and reinserted the card, then cut out again a few minutes later. We had to return to reception for a replacement. Breakfast was supposed to begin at 6am, but the doors didn’t open until after 6.30am, delaying both breakfast and checkout. The buffet wasn’t appetizing and offered few alternatives. Everyone was crowded together in one place and had to queue for food, even though specific tables had been assigned. The woman in charge of breakfast couldn’t speak or understand basic English, which made communication difficult for international guests. That day, thieves broke open our bus luggage lock and those on other buses too. We were lucky because we’d brought all our luggage up to our rooms that night. There were two police vans stationed at the hotel, yet the thieves still had many people involved in the job. It was very strange and unsettling.

The checkout tourist fees, along with the check-in process and the state of the hotel, made it feel like a jail cell. As someone from America, I thought calling this a “4-star” hotel was a joke. Breakfast was disgusting.

The common areas were really nice, and the staff were very friendly, though they seemed stressed. Our beds were good and the rooms clean, but we had some trouble with the bathrooms and electrical outlets. Breakfast wasn’t very good, though it did the job. This feels like a typical hotel for groups and business travelers. It’s on the Metro C corridor, which makes reaching the city fairly easy, but the hotel is far from most things. There are supermarkets and a few cultural institutions close by. Much of the neighborhood looks run down, with trash lying around.

The constant noise made it hard to rest. Guests, possibly children or teenagers, shouted and slammed doors beside my room every day, and nobody stepped in. Early in the morning, the cleaning staff were loud in the corridors too. At breakfast, the buffet staff were noisy and inattentive and didn’t even greet guests. The coffee and tea water was always cold, with no effort to fix it. When I arrived, the corridors had dust and bits of plastic bags on the floor. That’s unacceptable for a place advertising itself as four stars, especially in Rome. My first impression had been somewhat acceptable, and I tried to stay positive, but the reception staff, especially Sonia, and the cleaning staff showed little tact, professionalism, or basic courtesy. Other workers were polite and tried to be more welcoming, but the behavior of those key staff affected the whole stay. Despite trying to put these issues aside and enjoy my trip, the lack of attention, respect, and hospitality made the stay very unpleasant. The hotel falls far short of its advertised standards. I wouldn’t return or recommend it.