The hotel offers a free arrival transfer from Rome FCO airport, which is very handy, albeit that we had to wait about half an hour for our pre-booked driver to meet us. The hotel is fairly uninspiring from the outside and could do with a refresh. Location wise this hotel is ideal as it is about a 5-10 minute walk to St Peter's square and the Vatican, and not much more than 30 mins walk to even the furthest of the central attractions. It is a little away from the main tourist strips meaning you don't feel hassled the moment you step out of the hotel. The location is really what you are paying for.

The room itself was a real disappointment. We had booked a 'superior double', but am not sure how this differed to the standard room. First of all we were given a twin room, but the hotel did change that for a double when we asked. The rooms are very dark, meaning we had to have all the lights on whenever we were in the room. Our room was pretty small for a four star hotel, with none of the amenities you might expect like a room safe, robes or tea and coffee making facilities. The decor was not to our tastes and looks a little tired in places, it also adds to the feeling of a dark small room. The bathroom was adequate, though the toilet was a little close to the sink. The bath is probably too small for most people to comfortably have a bath in. The shower over the bath is good, although it is very easy to drench the entire bathroom in water whilst using it. We couldn't get the Sky to work, though admittedly didn't try very hard. The air conditioning was good, not too noisy and easy to control.

Our room had a small balcony overlooking the unattractive back of the hotel. It had a table and single chair, along with some long dead window boxes. Fine if you had wanted to smoke, but not somewhere we wanted to spend any time.

The views from the restaurant are excellent, probably the best part of the hotel. Breakfast is served up there which is a fairly standard continetal breakfast - fine but not outstanding. As many other reviewers have commented, the roof garden is closed until October. A real shame as the views would be spectacular, and a little dishonest that the hotel still hasn't updated its website to reflect this. You can use the roof garden at the Atlante Garden - we would suggest you don't bother, there are not really any views and there is no bar up there.

Overall, the hotel is a little tired in places but is in a good location and has spectacular views from the restaurant. However, it is overpriced for what it is and we found the room a real disappointment. I would say it was a good 3 star, lower end of four star hotel and would be a good bet if it was priced accordingly. Unfortunately it is not and we wouldn't stay again - even at the "discounted" rate of £180 per night we felt we were overcharged for what we got.

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!