RIPA 145 — Hotel in Rome

Stayed two weeks w friendly and accommodating Marina and Elio and bella testa rosa Violetta who managed the desk and handled all with grace and excellent English.I was looking to stay in the heart of Trastevere - closer to the Tiber- where it is so very authentic,few 'tourists', quiet everything including most of Rome is close at hand and very intimate.believe me, it IS where you want to be. Listed as BnB but definitely Hotel level in many ways.impeccably clean and cleaned.much quieter than anyplace in central storico.safe quietly lively narrow street neighborhood. perfect eve strolls ALL the sights of Rome are easily walkable w forum and vatican easy 15-20 mins tops. I used the hotel bike [E5 day]which zipped me all over day n nite to the further places and deep exploring, Appian way excursion etc. walked easily to nearby daylong visits. Nov-Dec off season weather very variable-rained some..umbrella to inside museum all day,bliss!...do not care: I'm in Rome! but no crowds, heat, lines - walked right into everywhere! and near empty!...sun came out gloriously clear n cool most days. offered me included option of coffee - Americano - w juice and buffet selection of daily fresh hot pastries at next door Baylon Cafe which was too cool to describe the saucy bella ragazze serving up to the bustling every morning local crowd. an American breakfast w awesome Italian bacon and rich eggs availiable. very good fresh eat all buffet including drinks every nite for E8 !! live music Fri and sat. also next door perfect stand up or walk away hole in the wall pizza and pasta and roast chicken by cheap gm or kg..and just beside quiet Trattoria Frachetta wood fired pizza E6-10, pasta, grilled meats, red check tables relaxed Tuscan owner peter floats about insuring perfection. cheap beer drinks casual funky hangout locals bar- and rocket fuel hot chocolate!.. at cafe San Calisto 2b the other way..the best live music club Big Mama's not 4 blocks away no cover....trolly tram into city, 2 blocks...lots more. This IS IT,... looking and looking?...you found IT, just do it, I'll be...

Honestly, I found the place odd. The positives: very clean, room was large enough, simple but comfortable enough bed, nice area of Travastere. The weirds: felt like an Air B&B set up where you get the key and never see the host. Was let in by one person who was lovely and friendly but no English (still managed to communicate somehow); there was no one around/ no reception to ask for assistance or any information. Goodness knows how I would have communicated if I got locked out or had an issue, or needed information. No explanation of checkout procedure (luckily my room was pre-paid, so I just left the door open and the key on the desk). There was a TV but no international channels that I could find. Also, there was street noise in the evening that died down at a reasonable time (by midnight), but in the very early morning someone was either collecting trash or smashing bottles in the alleyway which woke us up. Personally I think this was over-priced for the service, and just an...

The reviewer titling this “Odd.” pretty much nailed it. Agreed. If you want a great location and a well kept facility, this hits the mark. The lack of an actual host after “check-in” was a bit unnerving. She was never around and spoke little English; my wife used her Spanish though on day 1. Nutty. No clear check-out procedure so we bailed in a reasonable manner, but would have preferred formal closure. Still, it’s a great location and little issues on the clean room itself. If you’re low-maintenance, you’ll be fine. Other B&B locations during our trip were often over-communicating plans with us. Not this one. Only complaint is when we were in our room during cleaning time, the maid-person-whoever just didn’t come back until next day. You’ll want to bring your own toiletries if more than one day; overall, sparse experience...