Via Villafranca 20, Roma Metro Termini Tel (06) 4454365 Websitewww.hostelrome.com
BUG Review
This place is part hostel and part three-star hotel. It is a clean hostel with facilities that include a TV lounge, Internet access, a bar/restaurant and a very nice rooftop terrace.
Price Dorm bed €12-23 Single room €34-70 Double room €39-84 Prices are in local currency and are inclusive of all taxes.
Pros:
Atmosphere, location, price (well, to be Rome).
Cons:
Could have more amenities.
akerman
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(4)
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(5)
Stayed about a year ago. The Canadian who helped all hostel guests and took us out was great! Location is good, close to the better side of Termini. My favourite Roman restaurant (Trattoria dell'Omo on Via Vicenza) is even only a few blocks away.Met lots of people there and the roof terrace was great! Only thing is that my key card didn't work very well, but they exchanged it for me.Can't understand previous reviewers' comments about cash upfront. That's what it's been like in almost all hostels I have visited in Italy, and certainly in Rome (where it's even been the case for me in hotels).
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(Review ID: 3622)
Clean and impersonal with a charming patio, January 12, 2005
Reviewer:
Hanky
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Located in the hostel ghetto slightly north-east of termini. Requires upfront payment for the whole stay, but that seems to be standard fare these days. Basically a hotel with dorms on the third floor, so cleanliness is more or less to hotel standard. The lack of a real common area and presence of..well...proper hotel guests kind of diminishes that hearty backpacking atmosphere though.The patio on the top floor is what separates this hostel from the competition. Kept very neat and a good place to work a tan during the day or sharing a bottle of wine in the evenings.
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(Review ID: 3623)
worth its price, little bit of a scary location, December 23, 2004
Reviewer:
Hicadoola
Pros:
n/a
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(4)
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first of all, i really did not enjoy Rome. It was a sketchy place all around to me, and my friend and i (both being young females) felt particularly threatened by the Termini area once it got dark, so we rarely ever ventured out there at night. Even during the day it was a little scary, but anyway...The cash-up-front thing was really pretty inconvenient. But the people at the desk were always very nice and helpful, so I appreciated that. Our room was really pretty wonderful, even though a 12-bedded-room might turn others off. It wasn't stuffy or cramped at all, and there were huge crates underneath the bunks where you could store even huge bags in and lock it securely. There was a good view to the street the hostel is on, and the room was all around light and airy (this was in early july, by the way). The people in the rooms were all really pleasant and nice people, never a problem.The bathrooms were more than decent, compared to other hostels. They were clean, and there were private toilets and showers which is helpful as well. The free internet access (well, 20 min, but you can cheat if you like that sort of thing) was suchhh a bonus, and there were never really huge lines when I went. There's tvs in this area as well, and some people gathered around to watch the football matches and such.There really isn't an atmosphere here though, considering it's also a hotel. But the terrace on the top was really nice and sweet, especially at sundown. They have bottles of cheap but decent wine that we enjoyed at the top, and it was nice. There are also games, but i think for a 50euro deposit which kind of scared me.The subway is right around the corner, so that was definitely convenient, as was an ATM. There's lots of trattorias and such around the area, but i dont recommend really ever going to those trattorias because they are rarely good and worth the money. But still, if yer desperate...This place was really clean, pleasant and safe, just not a lot of atmosphere. But still highly recommended.
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(Review ID: 3624)
Something between a hostel and a hotel, September 3, 2004
Reviewer:
micdab
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n/a
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For being one of the cheapest places to stay in Rome, the Hotel des Artistes exceeded my expectations. It's close to the Termini train station (5 min walk) and even though this area of Rome is a little run down, the hostel itself is elegant and clean. There is free internet access, a nice terrace on the roof and a little bar open in the evening if you fancy a beer. The breakfast is a little expensive, but you can get a coffee and croissant across the street for 1.50. I guess the only downside of the place is that it only has three bathrooms and sometimes you have to wait.
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(Review ID: 3625)
Watch yourself, Bankok rules here, August 2, 2004
Reviewer:
sledgetzu
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(2)
Note: the rate is 20 Euro for dorm (mixed) but higher on weekends 22/night.A letter to the management about my wife and I's stay July 22nd to 25th, inclusive, 2004A few things struck me in particular about your facilities. Firstly, paying up front for the four nights we stayed? This tells me you are aware that your hotel/hostel is lacking and gave a very negative first impression. Take our Credit card number and that alone should suffice to hold us accountable. Secondly, the cash only policy (no traveller's cheque or Credit card(?) Left me further suspicious of your business and I strongly questioned if it was a legal place of business. If legitmate, are in you in business to serve your customers or yourself? Hygiene was passible if you didn't think too hard how dirty the floor was and the shower areas were undesirable. Lastly, of the 4 nights we spent in the hostel, 2 were the most miserable we spent anywhere. Our first night was kept up by drunkards in the room next to ours and noise from the window until 4:00AM and 3:15 AM respectively: I even considered leaving the next day, but again we had paid cash and your no return policy left us with no recourse. I'm not sure why you would bother to post rules if they won't be followed - or enforced. How can your staff enforce the rules and maintain decorum from their chair infront of the TV on the 5th floor? The third night will be memorable for the large 6'4" drunk in our room that crawled into my bed (4AM) and wouldn't get out (despite me being in there!). Drunk out of his mind to the point of likely choking on his own vomit, he seemed to think I was someone else and began to moan obscene things aloud. Yes, to another man but he was so far gone I may have been someone else to him. It ended with me about to cut off his air with my forearm (martial arts background), sitting on his chest, screaming in his face, and the entire room waking up with the lights on. Despite telling the night staff, (who laughed), he was still there the next night in a hotel room - although he was still walking around in the hostel area two mornings after. The signs in the hostel area clearly state that if you cause trouble, you're out. Guess not. We were very lucky it was me and not my 5'2" wife this happened to. This is a poor excuse for a facility and if you are uninterested in running it properly then find an easier business. Upon checkout, there was a man who had paid for 5 nights but only needed 4 and asked to have the last night refunded. No go. He then asked, seeing as he was out of luck, if the bed could be given to someone else free of charge, as he had already paid the bill. Again, your facility looked bad, saying no, despite the fact that the bed will be filled no problemo and an extra 20 euro in your pocket. I think the private rooms would be fine here, if scruffy perhaps in common areas but lock your doors and watch yourself. I expected a good vibe on the 6th floor patio here, but found the feeling to be rather reserved, private and unsocial. Friends stayed at Papa Gimano's (sp?) and had nice things to say.
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(Review ID: 3626)
Not really a full hostel, but that might not be bad, May 11, 2004
Reviewer:
Ni Rowley
Pros:
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I stayed in here during April 2004, and was here for almost a week so it can´t have been too bad :) One wierd thing is that the reception and common areas are up on the 5th and the top floor. There is a lift, but if someone leaves one of the lift doors open then it doesn´t work...The dorms are on the second floor, the beds are good and the showers were very nice. But the common room was small, and you´re not supposed to eat in there which means you have to go on the terrace (not good in bad weather, but otherwise it´s pretty nice). There are only 2 internet computers so the queues are huge, but at least you get 20 minutes free which a lot of places don´t do. You can buy breakfast (which it is expensive), but there is no kitchen.On the plus side, there are a few games you can play, monopoly and chess being the best (probably). And you can buy a beer at the bar (if you can´t be bothered going out for one). The atmosphere is strange due to it mainly being a hotel, but as long as there are other hostelers around, then it shouldn´t be too bad.So really it´s not bad, clean as a hotel should be, but don´t expect too much atmosphere.
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(Review ID: 3627)
Exceeded expectations ; a great place to stay, March 21, 2004
Reviewer:
AL
( aranasourus@yahoo.com)
from Dublin, Ireland
Pros:
n/a
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(5)
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(5)
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(5)
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(5)
We stayed at Carlito's way which is a part of Hotel Des Artistes - they are next door to each other, share a common reception and staff and are under the same management. Guests staying at Carlito's way share facilities with Hotel Des Artistes.Firstly the staff were really incredible. Not only were they friendly and curteous, they were helpful with the kind of information they must get asked everday such as where the best places to go out at night are, the best time to visit the various landmarks and how to get around. The airline mistakenly held my friend's bag in Paris for two days so she had no clothes and the hotel receptionists could not have been more helpful ; they called the airline and argued in Italian for close to ten minutes on behalf of my friend and when the bag finally arrived they delivered straight to the room while we were out. We had a private twin, no bathroom and the room was very clean and comfortable ; more what you'd expect from a hotel than a hostel; it had a hair dryer and TV with about 40 channels. Furthermore it felt like we had a room in an apartment which was really nice as it was quieter and more private when we wanted it to be while at the same time we could go up to Hotel Des Artistes next door to associate with other guests/look at the information they had up there or sit on the roof terrace.There's a daily maid service and the bathroom was completely clean at all times ; on the floor we were on four rooms shared a bathroom. The free internet was a major bonus ; they have three computers in the breakfast room. On top of the hotel there's a huge roof terrace which is great for sitting in the sun or as a place to wait between check out time and the time you leave Rome. We had our own key and the 24 hour reception is there to buzz you in at all times which also adds to the overall security.The location is also pretty good in that its right around the corner from a great breakfast place, a cheap pizzeria and a huge telecom Italia phone booth room. There's a metro station right around the corner too. The Termini is only 5 blocks away which isn't too far to walk to and yet far enough to avoid the somewhat unpleasant elements.The hostel I'd stayed at immedietly before Carlito's Way/Des Artistes was the Generator in London and its like comparing night and day ; the Generator failed to live up to expectation in every department from staff to cleanliness while Carlito's Way exceeded expectations in every way.
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(Review ID: 3628)
good price, good location, could be cleaner, January 8, 2004
Reviewer:
lauren
Pros:
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the beds were ok but my sheets were dirty and there was a cigarette hole in my blanket. bathrooms were alright but could be cleaner. the 3 days i was there, someone left their retainer just sitting on the sink counter and no one disposed of it. showers didn't really have hooks to hang clothes on but it was alright. they have a common area which is nice w/ free internet but ur not allowed to eat in it, instead ur sent to eat on the roof (which is freezing in december). the lockers were nice to be able to store your stuff during the day but it was a little annoying that they were in the hallway, not in your actual room. not a bad place to meet ppl and have a good time, but it could be cleaner.
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(Review ID: 3629)
Okay, but, November 23, 2003
Reviewer:
Pros:
n/a
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Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
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(3)
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(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
Negative first:- There are 4 showers, but only 2 have hot water. - The lockers are in the hallway.- There is no common room as this really is a hotel which added some dorm rooms. Now the Positive:- The room and the bath rooms were clean.- No outside noise as there is no major road next to the house.- Good location regarding public transport and far enough from Termini to avoid the dodgy area there (I used the Metro stop Castro Pretorio which is closer and safer than the Termini stop.Conclusion:If you are looking for a cheap (I enjoyed the winter special which charged me 59 for 4 nights) place to stay, go there. If you want to meet people, cook, etc., find a different place.
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(Review ID: 3630)
very clean....., November 8, 2003
Reviewer:
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Anonymous
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I am so glad I read the previous reviews and booked this hostel. The dorms were very clean and the beds always had clean sheets. The restrooms and showers were very hygenic as well. I'm also glad it wasnt that noisy so I could always get a good nights sleep and the people their were very courteous if they did come back really late in the night. Oh and the terrace is dope...
