christopherkG1158DA
Google
We were very excited to stay in this hotel for our anniversary & honeymoon for 4 nights in early October 2024, and unfortunately were extremely disappointed.||In short, the hotel is not as advertised, the photos are outdated, and the negative reviews that talk about it being a scam are accurate. It may have been nice a few years ago but has been neglected and was nowhere near worth the price we paid for it. We specifically booked the junior/double suite with outdoor jacuzzi tub thinking it would be special for the occasion but it was closed (and seems according to other reviews to have been closed for 5+ years). I could be understanding about some of the issues and the fact it is Rome, but it was advertised as a luxury/boutique 4-star hotel and is very far from it.||Here are some of the issues we experienced:|- We specifically booked the junior suite with outdoor jacuzzi tub but found out on arrival that it was closed and doesn't look like it has been used in years, and were given 3 different reasons from the staff (one who said it works but is closed for the winter, another who said that it was just closed and they didn't know why, and another who said that it was broken)|- They advertise and show photos of a hotel cocktail bar which was closed for our entire stay and doesn't appear to be used anymore|- They advertise and show photos of an outdoor patio/bar with DJ however this was closed for our entire stay and we were told it's only used in summer months (but I wouldn't be surprised if it's just always closed)|- They advertise and show photos of a restaurant however this is not part of the hotel and is not where you have breakfast; it is a Michelin-star restaurant called Marco Martini and is only open a few nights/week for dinner|- Amenities and photos mention free breakfast however this is actually down the street at a cafe (Casa Manfredi), where they will walk you and tell you to pick out items|- They also advertise another restaurant Mantis on-site however this was closed for 3/4 of the nights we stayed|- Air conditioning was controlled by the front desk and only worked starting the 2nd night after we complained|- On the bed there was only 1 flat sheet, no duvet or comforter; when we asked for an extra blanket they gave us 2 Ikea warming duvets with no hygienic cover and they were quite old/dirty|- Generally poor condition (in our room alone there was a broken door handle to the balcony, broken toilet flush button, shower leaks a lot onto the floor, electrical switch hanging out of the wall, hardwood floor puckering from water damage, several stains on the lounge chair, water stains along the ceiling with active mold growth, rotten baseboards with mold, and was generally dirty)||Here is a recap of our interactions with the staff:|We first raised our concerns at check-in and were told we needed to speak with the manager the next day. We spoke to the manager who tried to explain that it is just the character of Rome, that they are unable to do repairs and that we should give it a chance. They explained that the jacuzzi tub was closed for the winter (it was 20-25 degrees C outside the 4 days we were there), that the restaurant is actually separate from the hotel, that the 'hotel bar' is closed, and that the outdoor patio bar is only open in peak summer months. They tried to offer a bottle of wine to make up for it but nothing further. That evening we complained to Expedia who called the front desk and had the evening staff come up to our room; she acknowledged the poor condition of the room but explained there was nothing she could do and that we needed to speak to the manager again the next day. We would have tried to stay elsewhere however everything was booked by that time. Finally after the fourth day they agreed to give us a 1-night refund, but even while checking out they were still trying to say that they "can't make everyone happy". The staff come across nice but this is mostly smoke in mirrors to hope that you don't complain. We should also note that we only saw 1 other couple staying there during the 4 nights.||The only reason I would still give it 2/5 or 4/10 is because the bed was fairly comfortable and the room was spacious, for Rome standards, but would not stay again and definitely not a 4-star hotel and not worth the $600 CAD/night we paid.