With a family of four (2 adults, 2 teens) and too limited a budget to take two rooms, especially with the Euro running around $1.60US, we searched high and low for a hotel in Rome with a room large enough for 4 people, and with 3 beds. We found the Domus Inn, read reviews, contacted the Domus and found they had a triple available for the time we needed, and booked it. We are glad we did. The initial email contacts were timely and responsive to our questions, in good English, giving us confidence that we'd be understood upon arrival. The location was near where we wanted to be and the price was reasonable.
We arrived on a Friday at noon and although our room - promised for 3pm - was not yet ready, the attendant was very pleasant and helpful and urged us to leave our bags (there were many) with him. He suggested we come back in a couple of hours and assured that the room would be ready when we came back.
Oh, we should say that the hotel has a relatively unique setup. I usually think of a hotel as occupying most of a building and usually being the prime tenant in the property. Well, the Domus Inn is actually just the fourth floor of a perhaps six floor building, which houses offices, apartments, and other entities. There is a very small, European style cage elevator, and a stairway. Domus is on the 4th floor. The elevator accommodated 1 person and most of our bags. The stairs worked well for the others.
When we came back from lunch, the room was ready and we were pleased when we saw it. We had one queen sized bed and a sofa bed, along with a rollaway, as well as a small table, a couple of chairs, and a very nice balcony - big enough to stand on and look out at the plaza below. The bathroom was roomy, clean, modern, and well supplied with towels.
In the evening, solid door/windows kept the street noise to a bearable level - important because the neighborhood has a couple of popular evening gathering spots and is on a couple of well traveled bus routes. Heavy drapes kept the sun out in the morning and dampened the noise even further.
When we returned each evening, the attendant asked what time we would like our breakfasts brought into our room - the Inn has no dining room, and a small entry way serves as the lobby. He also asked whether we wanted espresso, cappuccino, hot chocolate, milk and/or juices to drink. Breakfasts were brought in on time, and served in our room at the small table. Good, but not great rolls, butter and jelly, some pastries, yogurt, and fruit each day was fine. Breakfasts were not fancy, but they were certainly adequate to start the days.
The staff was quite friendly and very helpful, anxious to offer directions for walking or public transportation and recommendations of where to go and what to do, or to make reservations for meals.
By the way, wireless internet was available for 5 Euros for the entire stay. Quite a reasonable price. And there was a television with international satellite news channels, including CNN and BBC, in the room.
We found the 9 room Domus Inn, which is really a hybrid between an Inn, a hotel - and a Bed and Breakfast - to be a wonderful place for our family to stay during our 4 days in Rome.
It is in a convenient location - near the Borghese Gardens and Piazza Fiume and within walking distance or a short bus ride of Termini - the central transportation hub of the city. Many buses pass by or nearby going in many directions, and it was easy to find our way back by bus no matter where we ended up in the evenings.
If you're looking for a world-class hotel with amenities galore - a workout room, a business center, a bar, a restaurant, room service, and a fancy lobby - look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a comfortable place to call home while you're in Rome and you don't want or need the extras, look no further.
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