Saint Martin

As Asian guests, we felt we were being treated differently and unfairly at the front desk of Hotel St. Martin. The two staff members, whose names appeared to be Giulia and Chiara, spoke loudly in Italian in front of us, laughed together, and made us feel mocked and disrespected. Whether it was intentional or not, their behavior came across as discriminatory and deeply inappropriate. They were rude, impatient, dismissive, and unprofessional throughout the interaction. They rolled their eyes, shook their heads, delayed responses, and gave answers that were irrelevant or unhelpful. Their poor English communication made things even more frustrating for international guests. We stayed at several hotels during this trip, in Florence, Venice, Milan, and Rome, and this was by far the worst experience. Compared with the others, the service standard here was shockingly poor. In an international city like Rome, guests should be treated with basic respect, patience, and professionalism regardless of nationality or background. The front desk service fell far below acceptable standards. Based on what happened, I wouldn't recommend this hotel, especially to Asian travelers, unless management seriously reviews the front desk team's conduct, attitude, and communication.

The hotel and our room were exceptionally clean and smelled fresh, and the staff were friendly and helpful. It also feels much more modern than many other hotels in the area, where places can be dated. The location was decent, with most of Rome's main sights close enough to reach on foot. We could hear traffic and outside noise in the room at night, though we managed to sleep through it. Light sleepers may want to keep that in mind. In our opinion, the queen room bed was too small for two adults, especially if you're used to having more space. Early check-in wasn't available when we arrived, but they let us leave our luggage and return later.

The hotel is basic, with clean rooms but not much to do or many facilities on site. We noticed some cost cutting, like disposable paper cups for tea and coffee instead of proper cups or water glasses. We had a good stay otherwise. It's very close to Termini station, and the bus stop right in front of the station makes it easy to get to the main tourist spots. We didn't have breakfast.

The complimentary water was included, but we had to remind the staff to bring it each day. The bigger issue was the low-quality mattress protector on each bed, a thick, cellophane-like layer (see video). It rustled and folded up, making it really uncomfortable and even painful to sleep on. The rooms themselves were nice.