My husband and I got an amazing deal at a room in the Bernini Bristol, but it is definitely a hotel for rich tourists. This is not the place to stay if you are hoping to have a very authentic Roman experience, although I don't really know where you would stay for that. The hotel is located right next to the subway station which was ideal for us. At the same time, the hotel is located in the heart of tourist land with restaurants catering to these guests. Some may seek this, but we were hoping for something a bit more authentically Italian.

Regardless, the rooms were beautiful and clean. The staff were eager to please. Any issues we had with the hotel were due more to our personal taste than any real problem. You will be pleased with your stay at the Bernini Bristol.

I would not recommended this hotel to anyone. It is definitely not worthy of a 5 * rating. I found the service highly lacking and the accomodation sub-standard. On arrival at reception we were ignored for quite a while. The receptionists sat in a room where they could clearly see us but they probably couldn't imagine why we were standing there so didn't budge. The concierge was completely useless and gave us inaccurate information. I travelled with 4 other ladies so we had two rooms. One of the rooms was a Double Deluxe!!! which had dirty, stained carpets and a layer of dust everywhere. The TV was an unbeleivable 14" antique. A cot that was sqeezed into the room was clearly a child's bed and quite uncomfortable for an adult. When we complained to the manager about the room he said he was familiar with Room 610 and tried to convince us that this room was acceptable. This is not the way for customers to be treated in a 5 star hotel.
The rooftop restaurant was apparently worth visiting, but the prices were indeed extortionate so we thought we'd go to the bar at least to have a drink and enjoy the view. But, as we approached the restaurant we were told the bar was closed.... though we observed live music being played and the restaurant and bar were completely unoccupied at 9:00pm on a Friday night!
The concierge was unable to book us a taxi in advance, and on the day of our departure I asked the receptionist to make a brief call to re-confirm our transport from the hotel to the airport but was told to return to my room to make the call. I will go nowhere near this hotel again and will advise anyone I know travelling to Rome to avoid this hotel as well!

If this a 5 star hotel then so is my local Motel 6. The rooms we stayed in were completely worn out and not too clean. The design of the shower door allowed water to run out onto the floor of the bathroom and carpet of the room. BLACK MOLD has been growing there for quite some time. I have posted a photo I took of the mold. The staff is condescending nearly to the point of being rude. I do not recommend this Hotel to anyone.

My 21-year-old son and I spent a week at the Bernini Bristol, and the hotel really made our stay in Rome an enjoyable experience.
The room was exactly as pictured on the hotel's website, elegant damask drapes and wall covering, spacious and very clean. We had a 4th floor room facing a side street, so the view wasn't anything extraordinary, but we didn't hear any street noise at all from the busy Piazza Barberini. The air-conditioning worked great, making the hotel an oasis of coolness after a day of walking around in the 100 degree heat. Our rate, which was about $320 US a night (moderate, by Rome standards) didn't include breakfast, so I can't tell you about that, but the hotel does have a lovely (and very expensive) restaurant. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. I spoke to several of the concierge staff before our trip, and they helped me get opera tickets in advance. I never felt that they were holding out their hands for a tip, either. The best thing about the Bernini, though, is the location. Piazza Barberini is so centrally located that you can really walk almost anywhere. We only took a cab once during the whole week. The Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Termini Station and the Pantheon are all within a 10-15 minute walk. The Forum and the Colloseum are only a little farther. The Vatican looked like it was too far, but we actually walked back after a tour by bus, and it wasn't a bad walk at all. There's also a metro station in the Piazza right outside the hotel, and a currency exchange and an ATM machine right next door, which is very convenient. There are literally dozens of restaurants and trattoria within a few minutes of the hotel on the Via Tritone or the Via Veneto, so whether you're looking for coffee and a croissant, a slice of pizza or a really nice dinner, you don't have to go far. The only negative thing I have to say is not about the hotel itself, but about the tour company that the concierge booked with when we asked for a Vatican tour and a day trip to Pompeii. We weren't crazy about it, so I'd recommend you do some research and either book for yourself online, or come with phone numbers and ask the concierge to call the company of your choice. We were much more pleased with the tours that we arranged on our own.