We arrived at Hotel Rubino at 1am, we'd booked a double room with shared bathroom which ended up being in a completely separate building. We arrived to find no electricity and climbed the stairs to the room in complete darkness. This was probably just as well as the room looked awful even in the dark. I'd already been asked to pay in cash, despite booking on a credit card, which I was eventually given back when it was clear the problem was not going to be fixed and a kind member of staff helped us find another hotel. However, I arrived home to find the money for the room had still been taken from my credit card. Numerous emails have been sent regarding this but there has been no reply. Needless to say I wuold not recommend staying at this hotel.

I chose Hotel Rubino for a one-night stopover on my way from Florence to the Rome Airport because it was (relatively) inexpensive and very close to the Termini railway station. Big mistake. When my family of 6 arrived, we were informed that the air conditioning system was broken, and that they were transferring us to Hotel Ploanet around the corner (this was after we had toted our luggage up four flights of stairs in 90 degree heat). We brought our baggage down again, and walked the two blocks to Hotel Planet. Except it wasn't Hotel Planet, it was Hotel Blu. Our heads, at this point, were spinning. What hotel were we staying in? The neighborhood is more than just a bit downscale. It is, literally, on the wrong side of the tracks. Seedy characters, night-time sleaze of all kinds, an off-putting smell. We were happy to leave in the morning. I would not recommend any of the hotels in this group to anyone. Look at a map of Rome. Do not stay on that side of the Termini. Hotels on the other side may cost 10-15 euros more, but if you can afford that difference, I say it's worth it.

-p.w.
boston, massachusetts

The most horrible hotel experience of my life......during our honeymoon we walk into the room and the floor is filthy, there is stains on the wall, there is mold and paint peeling on the ceiling of the shower, the bed is broken, the tv remote doesnt work, the shower head is broken and sprays water into light fixtures.....health hazard, safety hazard, tiny dirty room.....the hotel is not a traditional hotel, it is actually a single floor in a building complex....the breakfast is stale bread and butter/marmalade....to top it all off the staff at the hotel could not care less about anything and are rude without exception......enjoy the pictures and stay away from hotel planet (aka hotel rubino!!)!!

Smelly, with rodants crawling in room. Bathroom is that small that you can't even swing a cat in it. If you are a plus size person, don't even attempt having a shower unless you like the idea of one foot in the toilet and another out the window. That's how small the shower is. Could not wait to get out of that place.