Sina Bernini Bristol — Hotel in Rome

Staff that uses friendly demeanor and many nice words without accomplishing what needs to be done. We asked for early checkin and they were clear it would only be if availability allowed. We showed early and 1 of 3 room's were made available and we left our bags and headed out for lunch and a tour. At 4:18pm, 1 hour and 18 minutes after posted checkin only 1 of the other 2 was ready. Having little sleep and only about a 2 hour break before dinner naps were greatly compromised (yeah, we can debate risks of napping the first day after international travel another time - average of 2 hours a sleep each....). We were told the last room would be available in 20 or 30 minutes. Naps in 1 of the 2 available rooms were disturbed while loud cleaning took place through paper thin walls to our last room. The promise they would bring us the keys when the room was ready was unfulfilled and at 5:10pm I went down and collected keys and a story of how the room was just finished - knew that was not the case since the last sound of cleaning ruckus ended about 4:55pm (tried to give them time since bags took about 30 minutes when the porter left the lobby at the same time as us - we were only being nice and tip friendly to use him at all). When keys for 5:15pm final room access were obtained we were informed the manager was out and a promise that he would contact us in the morning was made.

We responded twice to the welcome email from the hotel with no counter response (we would have done the survey they sent however the link does not work).

Other issues unresolved as of 10:45pm though staff said some were and responded with disinterest to others: 3 of 3 USB plugs in one room, and 2 of 3 USB plugs in a second aren't working - have not surveyed the third room yet AC does not work in any of the three rooms - part of why I'm up this late with so little sleep - it is hot and stale though the loud streets outside are cold - can't image how the motorcycles that already sound like they are riding down the hall will sound with open windows allowing the smog and cigarette smoke or Rome in (oh the aRoma!). Staff said the could fix the 1 they saw off remotely and that didn't help. You know how they say you can tell the quality of the hotel by the bed? 5 stars on the door do not match the 1 star hard as a gym mat floor. The metal stars could be more comfortable than this harder than IKEA couch I post this from. Bug found and disposed of in the bathroom.

Not pleased that at the highest yearly status we are being treated this way. As we were leaving to dinner we heard a man tell staff that he stays at a Marriott at least 135 nights a year and that his current room is the worst he has ever had - exaggeration comparing appearances - however too warm and uncomfortable bed has not been provided us by any other locations from Courtyard, Moxy, AC, Townplace Suites, or Residence Inn and they are all entry level to middle of the road - not high end with five wishful stars by the door.

Too bad I did not read the Google reviews until now. Our issues and ones like them are not being addressed as they keep arising. I will be asking Marriott to review this location and strongly encourage them to remove the association as it is damaging the brand consistently.

4:13pm Write this update as we taxi to the airport. The rooms had other electrical issues (two phones failed to charge though they showed they were). As the cab arrived to take us to the airport a customer service manager approached us and told us that she was following up due to our review. She kept trying to talk to us as we loaded and continued as the driver waited. She said that her colleague had upgraded our rooms and that's what caused the wait - we clarified that we got the rooms we booked and that the excuse was not true. She also said she tried to call us in our room - why not call the cell phone we provided when we reserved the room? This experience made things worse as she wasn't willing to show the respect to the taxi driver or our family they...

Sina Bernini Bristol met my expectations of a 5 star hotel. During my stay there were a few little glitches but nothing that couldn’t be resolved, overlooked or made up. Respectful and constructive communication with the staff when something is not to your expectations is important and will usually result in better service.

Check in The room was not ready when I arrived. The reception asked me to come back in 45 minutes. They helpfully suggested a bite to eat in their restaurant. I’m glad they did because it was a fantastic experience. I returned an hour later and the room still wasn’t ready and I had to wait another 10 minutes. That was fortunately not an issue for me as I was happy to simply rest and catch up on emails for a bit. Also, probably because my check-in was disjointed and not typical, no one explained anything about the Hotel including the basics like when and where breakfast was, check out, the fact that there was a separate elevator for breakfast and restaurant access etc. I managed to work it all out though with the help of various staff.

Rooms The room I was in was very nice - large, all the luxuries you would normally expect, and good heating/cooling. It was very nice to have a terrace room. Although, I was a bit unwell / under the weather, so I didn’t really get to enjoy it.

The WIFI didn’t work during my stay. When I told them the WIFI was not working, they said they would reset it and call me back. The reset didn’t appear to work and the lady on reception didn’t call me back. Fortunately I had my own mobile hotspot and I could use that to access work emails.

Really good mini bar selection. (Although, hilariously the only coffee in the rooms are Nescafé instant coffee. But they had decaf which I loved.) Complimentary water and chocolates - which was great!

The rooms aren’t really quiet during the day when there is activity. You can hear the doors of others rooms opening and closing loudly. And you can hear staff and guests talking in the hallways. However, I think this is just the building and it wasn’t as big an issue at night (as there was less activity).

You simply can’t get a better location. The Hotel is right in central Rome with so many amazing sites, restaurants and bars close by.

Service The service was outstanding. The staff went out of their way to check in on me and make sure I had everything I needed. I wasn’t feeling well when I arrived, so I cancelled my dinner plans and stayed in with room service. The staff were so helpful and friendly. The room service was top notch and delicious. They even provided a special gift of a water bottle and chocolates. (The service on check in could have been better but I think they were thrown by the room not being ready.)

Breakfast Wide range of options - hot, cold, fruits, salads, cereals, breads and more. A good fare for the start of any day. I had a cappuccino as well which was excellent.

Restaurant The restaurant was the best! I would recommend it. The restaurant has two chefs and two menus - traditional Italian and exciting Japanese. I tried the Japanese for lunch and it was superb. The staff were also friendly and helpful - they were attentive but didn’t hover or crowd. The timing of the courses was great. Only one wine by the glass though, so not great for solo diners / travellers.

Check out A late check out of 1pm was allowed. This was helpful to me since I was not...

I really, REALLY, wanted to like the Bernini Bristol more, but is just didn't meet expectations and there is so much room for improvement. Initial communication from the staff was disappointing; I asked for a crib for my infant daughter and they made it seem like the most difficult task on the planet. No recognition of my Marriott Bonvoy status (Platinum) until I asked about breakfast.

Room was just okay but missing the nice touches for a supposed 5-star hotel. No artwork, minimal plugs, no USB charging, fixtures were worn. Shower had a weird configuration with the faucet in the middle of the tub and a half-partition, so water splashed easily on the floor. Cleaning was mediocre as the night light showed lots of dirt/dust on the mirror above the bed. General maintenance should be improved; the runner/transition piece between hallway and bathroom was damaged. (see my pictures)

The hotel also seemed cheap by not having the air conditioning turned on in the hotel. (It was unseasonably warm when we visited in late March. Not as hot as the summer, but our room got sunlight most of the day and didn't cool off well at night, making it hard to sleep).

Breakfast was just okay, again a 3-star experience, not even close to a 5-star hotel. Coffee was mediocre (cappuccinos the first day came out cold). Some of the cereal containers were broken and the staff just told us to scoop from the top. Overall service from the staff was just okay, but nothing proactive.

Coming back most nights relatively early (for our daughter's bedtime), my wife and I would grab a glass of wine at the lobby bar (to bring up to our room). The bartender there was missing frequently and seemed disinterested.

On the positive side, location is great, close-by to so much in central Rome. The lobby is really pretty and well designed. We sadly didn't get up to the rooftop bar but it looks fantastic. And the bellmen / concierge staff were extremely helpful and friendly (always helping with bags and the stroller for my daughter).

So nothing was really bad or wrong, but the experience was "just okay". As said previously, I expected and was hoping for more. If you see a great deal and you'll be out sightseeing a lot, no problem staying here. But if you're looking for a true 5-star experience and want to enjoy the property more, then...