The rooms were modern and clean, service was fine, rates were good (ours was 125 euros AAA rate for a room with three single beds). BUT...this hotel is very inconveniently located. You cannot walk to the metro, not even if you are willing to walk the 40 minutes, because there is no sidewalk next to Via Aurelia for the first 1/2 km. There is nothing within walking distance except a McDonalds, a Pans (sandwiches), and a large grocery store. Taking a taxi is expensive because they have to go the wrong way on Via Aurelia before making a U-turn -- it's 10 euros before you get back to the same spot going in the other direction, then another 10 or more into town. There's a bus line about 10 minutes away, it runs about every 20 minutes.

Now the hotel does have a shuttle into town, and that's a very good thing because otherwise this hotel would be almost impossible to bear. The shuttle was prompt, big, and clean. It stops on the south side of the Vatican (on the way into town only), and then near Palazzo Venezia (about 1 km west of the Colosseum). Those are indeed the two best places to stop. BUT (again), it does NOT stop anywhere near a metro station, and that can be annoying. Also, there is a tone of traffic in Rome, so the bus rides ranged from 35 minutes to 50 minutes, whereas the metro zips along underground at about a minute or two between stops.

SO, in summary, use this hotel only as a last resort. TRY TO FIND SOMETHING CLOSE TO THE METRO (orange line) and hopefully something with restaurants nearby. I saw lots of hotels on Via Aurelia further north, not far from the Cornelia station. One of those might work better, or any of the many other places in Rome. Good luck!

Oh, and two minor things. We booked two rooms for 3 people each; when we checked in and got to our rooms, we found only two single beds in each room. The person at the counter seemed to imply this was our fault ("well, you listed kids" or "it came to us as two people") and basically said there was nothing she could do because there were no 3-people rooms available. I was friendly but persistent, and after about 15 minutes (including going to the room to see if a foldaway could be put in -- the porter insisted no), the person at the counter "somehow" found two rooms with 3 beds each. I don't know what that was all about.

The other thing is that the rooms didn't smell particularly good; kind of a combination of a slight sewage smell (near the bathroom mostly) and a very cheap but strong perfume. No big deal, unless you're very sensitive. Oh, and even though it was really hot outside, the pool was not open until June -- strange.

We stayed in this hotel for 5 days.
The room with a king size bed was small but clean, neat with nice modern plumbing.
Hotel is located far from the Rome sites but has a very nice free shuttle service.
The bus stops at Vatican and in the center of Rome.Did not go to the airport...

Make sure to reserve seats in that shuttle bus, because public trasportation is inconvenient... Taxi from the airport costs 40 euros.
Breakfast was good and staff is helpful.

We reseve this hotel on Hotwire and got a very good deal. Cannot complain.

Arrived in the early afternoon, with a lot of work to do, prior to leaving the hotel early the next morning for a meeting. I had a small problem with getting internet access enabled in my room - the provider listed American Express as a method of payment, but didn't actually accept it. The reception staff were extremely helpful with this and other queries.

I had a very good meal and the restaurant manager was helpful with suggestions and recommendations, particularly warning me that certain dishes were large portions. His wine recommendation was delicious!

On August 27th, 2008 I had to take an unexpected trip to Italy to chaperone my nephews back to their mom in Rome. I had other people arrange the trip (it is a long story) and was told they found a deal where the hotel was included in the price of the trip and the hotel was the Holiday Inn Rome-West.

Being an experienced traveler I went online and read all the reviews about this establishment. Although I am a seasoned traveler to Europe the reviews of the place left me wanting; wanting to stay in a place far away from the Holiday Inn Rome-West.

I am happy to report that all of my experiences there were great and the hotel was fun to stay at for my two day layover.

First let me start by telling you that the free shuttle bus arrives at the airport (Leonardo da Vinci) at 8:30 AM and 1:15 PM until October 31st of this year. I believe they have a different schedule for the winter time. The bus picks you up outside of terminal C in front of the parking garage and there is a big Holiday Inn sign. The bus is painted in Holiday Inn colors as well. It is easy to find.

My plane arrived at 10:00 AM and by the time I handed the kids off to my sister-in-law it was 10:30. I had her call the hotel and they told me when the next free shuttle bus was coming and told me that Taxi was another option and that I should not pay more than 40 Euro to get to the hotel. My sister-in-law said you are not expected to tip. Being the cheap American, and not wanting to pay $60 American, I opted to wait for the next free shuttle bus. I could have also taken the train, but did not. Anyway, whilst I was waiting for the bus I was approached by a few taxi drivers, and if you do not wait in the Taxi line they will approach you, and was offered a ride for 25 Euros. I decided to wait for the free ride.

The ride was uneventful and quick, at maybe 25 minutes long. I got to the hotel and checked in and was given a room with a large king size bed. The room was big by European standards and average size for a Motel 6 in the states. It was a clean and very nice room. I checked in and walked down the hill to the grocery store which is one block away from the hotel. There is a McDonalds at the bottom of the hill as well but I never ate there because I wanted Italian food. I purchased a six pack of water and some food, at a bit, read a but and fell asleep trying to shake off the effects of a 20 hour plane trip from hell to Italy.

Before I went to sleep I went and reserved a spot for the next morning’s shuttle to the city. I could not book the return trip because they only book the next day’s trip if that time already passed. If you want to book the 9:00 PM return trip you cannot book it until after 9:00 PM the day before. No worries, I then booked my return trip the next morning.

I did eat breakfast at the hotel the next morning. I was very hungry and had not had a meal in about 20 hours. The meal is a buffet and it is very nice but cost 14 Euros, or about $20.00. The McDonalds does not serve breakfast like they serve in the US so I opted for the real food. I then boarded the bus for Rome.
The bus was never crowded. Ever. I could have got on any shuttle I tried either going into Rome or coming back from Rome. This may be busier during the peak season but I had no issues whatsoever. The ride itself is about 20 minutes to the Vatican and another 10 to the heart of Rome. You can only get on the bus for the return trip at the same place they drop you off in the city, you cannot get on at the Vatican. As I mentioned above the ride back was never full and it was a stress-free ride.

I also tried the pool at this hotel but the water was cold so I did not go in.

The staff were all extremely helpful except for one bellhop on the last day. Other people have mentioned the small elevators, and they are very small, and I was checking out. I was on the 6th floor and had my backpack loaded. It was fairly heavy when the elevator opened it was filled with luggage and the bellhop. There was not room for me on the elevator so I asked if I could toss my bag on the elevator and meet him at the bottom (the stairs are right next to the elevator). He said OK, but I could hear him swearing and cussing at me as the doors closed and I was walking downstairs. I should have reported him but I did not.

Anyway, staying here was not stressful at all. The free shuttle was easier than the subways (I have been to Rome before and stayed in town and took the public transit….this time I did not) and there was always room. The drop off point is about a six block was to the Coliseum and I ended up walking everywhere. I walked from the Vatican to the bus stop the next day, which was maybe a 15 block walk. I took the side streets and tried to get lost because you always find cool things when you are lost, but it is hard to get lost in Rome.

Every person I dealt with spoke English except the bellhop. Every person I dealt with was professional and courteous, except the bellhop. I had no issues whatsoever with the hotel itself. The only thing I can think of to complain about, besides the bellhop, was that there is a stairway that is about half way up the hill that empties into the McDonald’s parking lot. It was overgrown with weeds, tree branches, and cluttered with litter. If they would trim the trees, weed the path and pick up the trash there, it would really help their image on the outside grounds. I used the stairs anyway, and this is only a small complaint.