Hotel Cecil Rome — Hotel in Rome

If you manage your expectations, you won't be disappointed. Let's call it 3.5 stars, rounding up for location.

I was in Rome for 8 nights, mostly for work at the Villa Medici near the Spanish Steps, and was looking for someplace clean, decent, yet affordable (under $250 a night in bustling, tourist-filled June). Hotel Cecil did the trick.

Rooms: Traveling solo, I booked a single room and -- arriving at midnight on a busy Friday -- I was given a room on the first floor, what can only be described as a crypt-like hovel. The window opened into the HVAC unit and the bathroom curtain reeked of mildew in the tiny plastic shower I squeezed into with the broken shower head and blinkering overhead lights. My Italian is poor and the overnight clerk didn't speak English, but through Google translate it became clear that no other rooms were available to move to that night. There's no way I could have stayed in there 8 nights, and the next morning Katerina (who speaks great English) promised to get me into a higher floor after another night in the crypt, which she did. My new room on the 5th floor had definitely seen some things; marks all over the walls, etc, but the bathroom was larger, the shower worked great, and the window opened to the street and I could wake up to sunny Roman skies. So, I was a happy enough camper.

Amenities: In both rooms, the climate control was excellent and wifi strong. No complaints there. Also, bidets are standard, so I appreciated that. Shampoo available but no conditioner. No iron in the rooms, and I doubt there'd even be space to open an ironing board.

My favorite feature was the 6th floor roof terrace. Open from 6-9pm each night with drink service and never crowded, this became a great place to relax at the end of the day, and enjoy an aperitivo and some fresh air as the evening cooled down before heading out for dinner.

Location: marvelously convenient to so many sights, but especially the Spanish Steps. You're right in the heart of everything, and walking (or razor scootering!) distance to all the main sights, Centro Storico, Piazza Navona, Trevi, the Pantheon, etc.

I can't speak to the breakfast, which I think cost 12€, because I usually struck out first thing in the morning to a nearby cafe which cost a third of that and was much more atmospheric. On my checkout day, staff graciously kept my luggage locked in a backroom while I explored for the day and arranged a taxi to the airport for 55€ cash, which was a darn nice Mercedes Benz, def worth the extra 5€ over a taxi flagged in the street (airport transfers are standard 50€ to most places in Rome).

All in all, an affordable, clean and no-frills place in a...

Behind these beautiful smiles from the Ladies Rosaria and Adele Romanelli are hidden some strong and cruel attitudes. Be careful to where you enter!

I have rent an appartment in a building full of “Airbnb” flats. The whole building belongs to Romanelli family at Via Zucchelli 29A. They rent all apartments and impose the payment in cash (which at the beginning was not a problem for me) My plastic shower (YES - PLASTIC) was completely broken and all water came out from the bottom and had to pay the same price as anybody else with a functional bathroom. The owners never proposed me any other solution and put me pressure to pay in cash.

But lately I couldn’t pay my rent in cash as I was in a business trip for an entire month and the week before I lost my grandfather so I didn’t anticipate my payment as I was kind of lost.

The ladies started to injure me if I didn’t pay in Cash now. But I told them I was in a business trip and will pay at the end Of the month as soon as I get back. When I came back from my business trip, Mrs Romanelli changed my appartment door so I could not access to it… and all my life was inside (it’s been 3yrs I lived here) and never had problem before as soon as I paid CASH 💵

They expulsed me in 24 hours and forced me to take all my things away to get this appartment ready to be rent the day after they kicked me out. I could have take a hotel room but with all My boxes….? Where should I go?

I had to call the police to find a compromise. However Mrs Romanelli never accepted any discussion and continue to be arrogant. Very stressful and awful experience!

Of course I found the solutions now but believe me… THESE PEOPLE AT THE HOTEL CECIL ARE DEVILS!!! NO HUMANITY, NO PITTY!!!

They played…. we’ll see who is going to lose…. #Agenzia...

Cecil is a hotel straight out of the imagination of Roald Dahl, run with an iron fist by a pair of Trunchbull-like matrons that brook no dissent and no compromise. They preside over a cadre of cowed workers, who prioritise pleasing these two over the wishes of their guests. They are omni-present, either at their desks while their employees beaver away, or through the panoply of security cameras that see all goings-on.

An example: After a long day of touring Rome, my son and I wanted to enjoy a quiet evening of Netflix and popcorn. We bought a box of microwave popcorn from the local supermarket, and asked the desk attendant to use the microwave in the breakfast room. ‘I must ask the boss’ he said, and quickly made a call. 'You cannot' he said after hanging up. 'But why?' was my reply in broken Italian. 'Because you cannot,' he repeated. Our debate raged on this way for some minutes before I said, 'Ok, I will use the microwave, but we will not say anything, so no one will know.' At this point, this poor, brow-beaten chap took on a look of panic, and, pointing to the cameras exclaimed, 'they will see everything, I am sorry, they will see, I am sorry!’ It was clear that this man feared more for his job than for our ability to enjoy the salty, faux-butteriness of microwave popcorn, and no matter how righteous our argument or piteous my son's face, we were not to be granted access to this microwave, which was as protected a Roman site as the Trevi Fountain or St. Peters Basilica.

If stars were given for running hotels like a 1930s prison, Cecil would get all 5. But they’re...