Hotel Balilla — Hotel in Rome

This is in response to the reply I received from the owner just a few hours ago on Booking, since I can't reply to his message... and it was so rude I couldn't just leave it. Please don't be fooled by the ratings. This is not even a place that should be called a 3-star hotel. More like a 2-star B&B at best. It seems that a lot of the good reviews here are fake, which is ironic considering how the owner calls all the bad reviews fake. Especially the ones saying this was "the cleanest hotel ever" and that their "towels were changed every day" and that the "location was great" seem funnily untrue. The owner's argument was that my review was "fake" and "untrue" and he would report me to the police because I didn't provide any pictures... Actually I DID take a picture of the broken sink and a little bug walking on the floor but it's too late for me to add those pictures to my review on Booking and sadly I'm also not able to add pictures here... Don't understand how I could take pictures of unchanged towels or the AC not working though? And what good would me asking about it do, I was there only for two nights... It's very sad to see a "hotel" owner be so unprofessional as to call someone "impolite", "incoherent", and, my favourite, "nonchalant", just because they gave an honest review. Although maybe he meant to have used different words but his English was clearly not sufficient... Additionally, whether a staff member was willing to assist with something or not does NOT change the fact that everything I wrote in my review was true and the willingness to help (which btw was not coming across from the owner) would not provide us with a working AC, a quiet and warm night, a safe area, or a change of towels. I have NO reason to write a fake review, I wrote an honest one NOT recommending this "hotel", if not for the unsatisfying conditions than for the unbelievably rude and unfriendly owner, which there is clear proof for - all you need to do is read his responses to all the bad reviews here. Best of luck to you Mr. Balilla, I hope one day soon you will go out of business with that horrible attitude and a complete lack of knowledge on how to run a business or treat people with respect.

EDIT: Oh your comment is funny! It's interesting how in the same sentence you said that I never stayed in your hotel and that you've sent all the documentation to the police. What documentation do you mean, my username here? You've just given me enough proof that I did in fact stay in your hotel, just a few days ago, and I hope that enough people see this and that will be enough for them to never want to book your hotel you liar. P.S. My friends stayed in another room of your hotel and they have not only taken pictures for your "proof" but also will leave their honest reviews soon. Feel free to report them to the police as well, I guess my friends will join me in...

I have been going on vacations for a long time but never have I experienced a level of disrespect and unprofessionalism before. Hotel Balilla is all that, and worst. ||Our whole experience started with the hotel owner Carlo, literally bickering at the front of the hotel with my friend’s sister who was just there to visit her brother. He came at her in a threatening manner accusing her of illegitimately staying in the hotel when we haven’t even spent the night yet. He refused to listen to her explanations and continued arguing in front of the guest. ||||Our reservation came with breakfast but only got to use it a couple of times due to scheduling limitations. The breakfast starts at 0730, which is too late in my opinion, especially if you’re a guest who’s wanting to travel early to other places in Italy. You’d have no access to drinking water if you need it as it’s just not offered. We managed to avail of the breakfast a few times we decided to have a late start but were treated differently for unknown reasons. We were denied seats saying the tables were “occupato” when there’s literally no one in the small breakfast area. My friend had to go upstairs in her room to have her breakfast the one time she went, while I had to insist on the seat I wanted. As a paying guest, I feel this is just flat out discrimination. I asked some of the guests if maybe I needed to make a reservation, but said they didn’t have to, which is how it should be! That part would just remain a mystery to me I guess, as the owner just spoke Italian to us the whole time, even though I managed to hear him speak a little English to another guest at one time. Oh and you’re not allowed to eat whatever he has prepared on the table. There were packaged pancakes, toast, etc, but all was offered was coffee and a croissant. ||||The bed was really uncomfortable and each guest only had one pillow (paper thin!) to use. ||||Overall, I do not recommend this place. The location is sketchy and seems unsafe as indicated by the need to constantly lock/secure the front door. Do your research and read the comments from other guests who’s had horrible experience from this place, as...

AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COST, AND DO NOT BE MISLED BY THE REVIEWS ON BOOKING, THEY ARE COMPLICITE IN THIS FARCE. 1.its not a hotel just a guest house.

2.located in one of the worst neighborhood in Rome.

3.Owner is the worst person you can even deal with, his unprofessional, rude, uncivilized, uneducated, no manners. My brother booked a room with two beds, when we get there the room has only one bed, when we complained to the girl at the front desk she said she won't be able to fix anything til her boss get there. When he came, he barged into our room, not knocking on the door or asking for permission to enter, he just pushed the door and started shouting in Italian, I was trying to explain to him what we need, but he started cursing and yelling and he asked as to leave the room not only that he grabbed our luggage and threw it down the stairs. Not only that but he also physically assaulted us by pushing and shoving us outside the guesthouse. The owner refused to compromise or even have a conversation about the situation and he called the police in hope to get us arrested, more than that we have been racially profiled and abused based on our place of origin(Morocco) as we noticed that he was mentally unstable and had anger management problem, we knew that we couldn't stay in this place anymore as we feared about our safety. The irony that when the police came and tried to find a solution for all the parties involved in this matter, however he wasn't pleased with outcome he called the police on them too 🙄 WE STRONGLY ADVISE YOU AGAINST STAYING IN THIS GUESTHOUSE OR THAT SKITCHY NEIBRHOOD OR EVEN DEALING WITH THE OWNER WHO IS THE MOST DESPICABLE HUMAN BEING WE HAVE EVER...