When you arrive at the Atlante Star Hotel, the first thing to strike you is the location rather than the look. Situated within a few minutes' walk of St Peters Basilica and the Vatican, there are few quality hotels in Rome that can boast such an idyllic proximity to almost everything. The exterior of the building is rather tired and would benefit from a facelift. Once inside though the splendour and quality of this hotel become clearly evident, although it is compact. Space is at a premium in central Rome so this is hardly surprising. Rooms all vary in size, but the decor is splendid and recently updated. Some of the larger rooms are very opulent, and if you have a choice then a 4th or 5th floor room overlooking St Peters is a must. A few have small balconies, which allow you to stand outside and enjoy the hustle bustle of Rome street life. For the light sleepers who prefer to sleep with the window/door open the noise outside may be a distraction, although this is only really relevant in the rooms at the front of the hotel. Those to the side and back are much quieter, although do not offer the classic Roman views. Rooms are climate controlled, though the effectiveness of these systems is doubtful and may become a problem in the height of summer.

May is an idyllic time to visit Rome as the weather and temperatures are perfect. The most extraordinary feature of the Atlante Star is the top floor restaurant which has majestic and breathtaking views over Rome, most notably St Peters and the Vatican. The breakfasts are well presented with hot hard boiled eggs being the only addition to a traditional continental breakfast. The restaurant is also open to the public for dinner and has an apparently excellent reputation although we didn't eat there as there are thousands of lovely restaurants around the city, many within a few minutes' walk. Meal prices are generally good, although it does pay to look around and check the menus before committing as a few restaurants may charge significantly higher prices.

The service in the Atlante Star is excellent, as they work hard to make your stay a pleasant one. We judge hotels by how they respond to problems, rather than whether they are perfect all the time. The Atlante Star is a high quality, smart and excellently positioned hotel that really responds to the typical minor hiccups any stay will have.

The only real criticism of this hotel is regarding the price as rooms can exceed 400 Euros a night, which is high wherever you are in the world. Negotiate with the reservations department and they are often flexible enough to offer discounted and group rates. Beware though that the sister hotel, the Atlante Garden, which is just a block away, is far inferior in every way to the Star. It may be classified as 4 Star but certainly is not, and more like 2 or 3 Star. Some guests are placed in the Garden Hotel when they think they have booked into the Star, so ensure you confirm where your room is located when booking. The only thing the Garden has are larger rooms for small families, so if the hotel can only locate you in the Garden insist on eating breakfast in the Star to enjoy the spectacular view.

Finally a few minor words of warning: firstly, the roof terrace on the Atlante Star is closed for refurbishment until October 2009. This is a real shame as the views are almost certainly second to none in Rome. The Garden has a roof terrace but the views are very limited. Secondly, the hotel website for the Atlante Garden uses many photos from the Atlante Star which is very misleading and can wreck expectations if you have decided to stay in the slightly cheaper Atlante Garden. Thirdly and finally, the hotel does offer a free transfer from FCO airport (and not any other Rome airport), but will charge 42 Euros (for 1 passenger) and 48 Euros (for 2 passengers) for the return leg. If you do not want to use the good underground and rail service to the airport then this option is quite expensive, albeit convenient.

In conclusion, the Atlante Star hotel is excellent in almost all areas and could not be better positioned for access to many marvellous sights, restaurants and bars. The price is quite steep, although this IS Rome and one of the most wonderful cities in the World, so 'nothing comes for nothing' in this day and age. Treat yourselves to one of the top floor suites overlooking St Peters and the rest of Rome, and when the roof terrace is open, relax in the open air with panoramic views of the whole of Rome and suck in the atmosphere and history of such a marvellous city. Enjoy!

Spent six nights at hotel. Had a chance to walk by many of the hotels
recommended in Rome. We were given an upgrade when we complained
about the size and location on the backside of the hotel. The rooms
on the street and on floors 3 and 4 cannot be beat for views of the Vatican.
Would definetly go again if we could be assured of one of the larger rooms.

The staff was very friendly & helpful. Everyone spoke English. Location was great and just a few blocks from St. Peter's Square. View from rooftop restaurant was awesome!

Good location, nice bath! That's about it really. The main reason we chose this hotel was the roof garden which was closed and there was no information about that either on the hotel website or in the hotel. i had to go and ask why the lift would not go up to the 6th floor. However we were able to use the roof garden of the nearby Atlante Garden where we were in fact booked to stay but were moved without notice or explanation. It was good to be collected by the airport mini bus and that was a bonus on arrival as was the fact that the room was ready on our arrival at 11 a.m. The room was tiny! There were 4 of us and we had 2 rooms next to each other, both incredibly cramped. The worst part of the holiday for me was that my IPOD and English money were stolen from my locked room during the 1st day there. Both were hidden away in drawers and cupboards. The guy at reception was not overly sympathetic and gave me an insurance claim form to fill in and directions to the police station. We also had an ant problem in both rooms during the week which the reception did nothing about even though I went and complained. Breakfast was dull (i.e. each day was the same) but adequate but the view was amazing. i would not recommend this hotel for the money - it certainly was NOT a 4 star hotel! One last thing - the hotel did a special offer lunch on the Friday - excellent value - 3 courses £50 per head! Needless to say we did not try it!!!!