The Shelter in Rome

This is an apartment guesthouse with several rooms available to book. I stayed one night, and it suited my needs, though the room took a while to be ready. I arrived at 10 AM, when the co-host was waiting for me. Elena arrived shortly afterward and showed me to my room. Let them know your arrival time a few days ahead so they can be there. The cleaning lady was still getting the room ready, so I waited 25 minutes. She was very kind and happy to answer questions. There is a reception desk, but the cleaner and other staff are generally around only from about 10 to 11:30 AM. After that, the place is mostly unattended, though you can contact Elena if you need something. The guesthouse has decent facilities. Wi-Fi worked well, and there is a desk in the living room where you can use a laptop. I was able to stay there for a few hours after checkout and work, which helped since cafes where you can work are a bit hard to find in Rome. You can also leave your bags and pick them up later instead of paying for a station locker, but ask Elena first. The Termini area feels a little shady, as others have mentioned, but the guesthouse itself felt very safe. Its entrance door is locked, and there's another locked trellis before you get into the area. I wouldn't wander around after 8 PM. Take a taxi back. Two things kept this from being five stars. The shower was unreliable: sometimes the water turned cold even though it was set to hot, and it took a few minutes to warm up. Also, even the cheapest room, the Double Econony, was a bit pricey for a hostel at around 113 USD/104 EUR.

There was no water during our night here, which cost $150. When we complained, we were told to wait. After more than eight hours, we only got hot water for about 15 minutes, nowhere near enough to take a shower. I've never had such a bad stay. Be careful about booking this place, it could ruin your trip to beautiful Rome.

We stayed here for three nights, August 3-6, 2024, after finding a good deal on Agoda. The location is very handy, about a two-minute walk from Roma Termini and the Metro, with plenty of shops and restaurants nearby. It's easy to catch a train to the airport or other cities. Our room was clean, smelled nice, and was more spacious than expected, with a high ceiling and plenty of room for our things. We could hear the street noise, but still slept well each night. The bed was large and comfortable. The price was quite cheap, and they cleaned once during our stay, changing the towels and sheets. Ask the owner or staff ahead of time if you want daily cleaning. Wi-Fi was free and worked well in our room, with sockets in several places. The cash payment for the city tax was frustrating. We owed €30 for three nights, but the owner or staff member asked for cash and said she had to leave soon, so we rushed to an ATM. When we returned with €40, she had no change and asked us to go find smaller bills. We were exhausted from traveling and hungry, so we just let her keep the difference as a tip. A business should have change ready. A few other things could be better. There was no shampoo, just two small bars of soap, so we bought some nearby. We didn't expect much from a guesthouse or hostel, and at least there was a hair dryer. One morning, we had a problem with the hot water system and couldn't report it because nobody was there. It worked again that evening, but it could be awful in winter. The old air conditioner took a long time to cool the room in summer. They also didn't provide even one free bottle of water per day, which we expected as a standard service, and the key was hard to use when opening and locking the door. We rarely saw staff, so there was nobody to ask or report problems to. We just left the key when we checked out. If you'll spend most of your time out and just need somewhere to sleep, shower, and leave your things, it's a reasonable budget option. The room is fine for the price, but don't expect much service.

I don't usually leave bad reviews, but we were very unhappy with the service and wanted to share what happened. We had two awful nights. It was +40C outside, the AC didn't work at all, possibly because it had run out of gas, and the room reached +31C. There was no reception at this “hotel,” which is really just four rooms. We emailed the host about the heat, the bathroom door having no lock, and the missing breakfast. We had booked a room with breakfast, and there was also a note on the wall saying what was included. The host came and told us that since they were a family, there was no need to lock the bathroom, that the temperature was fine, and that breakfast wasn't included. Our son left behind his very expensive prescription glasses. We emailed asking them to send them back and said we'd pay the shipping. They ignored us. I sent three emails, tried calling, and sent messages, but heard nothing. I understand hosts aren't obligated to reply, but to me, that isn't a good sign. I can't recommend the place. Stay away from this “hotel” if you can.