Unicum Roma Suites

The room was stylish and clean, the bed was comfortable, and the bathroom had everything we needed. It was cleaned daily, and the service was excellent. Marco and Davide were amazing hosts, with perfect communication. We had no trouble finding the place, and they helped us explore beautiful Rome. We’ll definitely return and book here again. Highly recommend!

The photos gave me the impression we’d have breakfast in robes, but there was no robe, and breakfast was arranged through a nearby cafe. That’s one example of how misleading the listing felt. This isn’t a real hotel, just a room off a hallway with cameras. I felt watched but not looked after, and I didn’t speak to anyone in person during my stay. There was no dead bolt on the door, and getting to the airport from this neighborhood was very inconvenient. For the same price, or even less, you could stay at an actual hotel in a more central part of Rome. I’m convinced the good reviews are fake. They fooled me.

We paid over 200 euros a night, yet a taxi to Rome’s attractions cost around 30 euros. After studying hotel management for four years, I feel confident saying this is a homestay, not the hotel advertised online. It has just four rooms on the second floor of an old residential building. The elevator is a very old residential lift where you open and close the door yourself. The supposed 24-hour front desk just sends WhatsApp messages. There’s no actual reception, and on our first day we waited half an hour for someone to show up and help us check in. Taxes and fees had to be paid in cash, with no card payment accepted. The cleaning staff and the person who checked us in didn’t speak English, so communication was very difficult. The room was very clean after the cleaning lady had been through, but the arrangements were a problem. We were told she had to clean at 10 in the morning, otherwise the room wouldn’t be cleaned that day. After a late night, you couldn’t sleep in if you wanted it cleaned. We were messaged at 10, while we were still getting ready. The landlord had told us cleaning could happen between 10 and 1, so we planned to leave at 11:30. He said leaving earlier would be better, but the cleaner wouldn’t agree to come later. She said she had to leave after work, so the landlord’s claim about 11:30 wasn’t true. If we didn’t let her clean then, she wouldn’t clean that day. Checkout at 9am felt suffocating. The landlord kept monitoring us and messaging reminders to leave at 9. As soon as we left, they asked whether we’d left the keys in the room. It was also the first homestay I’d seen that charged for luggage storage. The walls were so thin we could clearly hear our neighbor speaking, with no privacy. It wasn’t worth the price. Breakfast didn’t match the promotional picture. We were given a three-euro voucher each day, and if we wanted more, we had to pay ourselves. The breakfast was so unsatisfying that it felt like having none. People can look at the pictures. The landlord’s response to negative Google reviews was that one reviewer admitted not knowing the guest, even though the guest’s photo showed the place where breakfast was served. I’ll write about this place on Chinese social media and travel apps. The landlord is willing to charge such a high price, and I hope Chinese travelers don’t make the same mistake.

The pictures and description are misleading. The greenery they show is fenced off, so don’t expect the quiet, natural setting in the photos. Breakfast is a three-euro voucher for coffee and a croissant at some bar on the same street. It’s nothing like the breakfast pictured or described. All in all, it’s overpriced and misleading.