The location of this hotel is the selling point – the Forum/Palatine is the front yard. You can walk around the Forum, past Circo Maximus to get to the main entrance and the Colosseum. The hotel is a converted convent, which makes for an interesting back story. Rooms are small but nice, we had one with a loft. The ceilings are exposed brick and wood beams. Tall windows give a great view of the gardens. Since the back faces the garden, you don’t have to deal with traffic noise. Our bathroom was high end and spotless, but unfortunately smelled a little like there might be a septic tank problem. The bathroom in my sister’s room did not have the smell. Beds are European hard – no Heavenly Beds here. Nice, fluffy towels. Hot breakfast buffet is very good – eggs, sausage, bacon, cereal, yogurt, lots of pastries. I know this is pretty standard in European hotels, but I love the self-serve espresso machine.

The front desk service is spotty – the woman at night was not friendly and made us take two trips back to the car to get passports (she did not mention the first time that she needed everyone’s passport, not just the person checking in). If you don’t have everyone’s passport, they give you a really hard time – something worth mentioning when you book. The gentlemen at the front desk were much friendlier during the day, although one worker gave us erroneous information when we asked about the hours for the Pantheon (he said it closed at dusk, it was open til 7:30pm, well past dusk). Rooms on the top floors were really hot, even when we turned OFF the heat. Left the window cracked all night, even though it was winter.

At about $250USD/night (we had a discount), this hotel is a great value and you cannot beat the location. Because some of the rooms sleep four, families don’t have to get two rooms (a problem we have run into in the past when travelling in Europe).

Great hotel in a convenient location (close to Colosseum and Roman Forum) with really spacious rooms, good breakfast, friendly staff, overall lovely stay!!

I stayed at this hotel during a business trip in December of 2011. The location is amazing. It was a 5 minute walk to many of the major sites and the Jewish Getto. The hotel staff was very helpful and friendly. The hotel was nice, the rooms are a good size. Overall, I would recommend this hotel and stay there again.

I stayed at the Kolbe Hotel Rome for one night on the 25 September 2011 and made the booking on the based on the high Tripadvisor.co.uk member ratings and consistently positive reviews.

During my first two nights in Rome, I stayed at the woefully inferior Atlante Garden Hotel (see my review on Tripadvisor). So, I was determined to find an excellent and affordable hotel for my final night in Rome and thankfully the Kolbe Hotel Rome met and exceeded all my expectations.

I cannot recommend this 4 Star hotel highly enough and do not have any negative comments to make about my stay there. I only wish I had stayed there for my first two nights in the city as well. I would not hesitate to stay at the Kolbe Hotel Rome again if I returned to visit the city in the future.

To keep this review simple, I list the positives about this hotel under a series of headings:

The Room

This was a Standard Double, but the quality and size of it was in keeping with a Superior or Deluxe Double. The room overlooked the Palatine, which was a special and unexpected added bonus. The spatial scale of the room approached the size of some suites at other hotels I have stayed in, except it did not have a separate lounge area. The main room and bathroom were in superb condition and kept immaculately clean. You do have the option to book rooms overlooking the rear garden too.

The Common Areas

The overall appearance of the hotel is modern, with a sense of elegant understatement. There is no ostentation and dramatic grandeur found in some 5 Star hotels and I’d say this is a refreshing attribute.
The comfortable, spacious feel of the room extended to the common areas in the hotel, such as the reception lounge and restaurant. All areas were maintained to a superlative standard with exemplary cleanliness throughout, including the lobby toilets.

A unique and delightful feature of the hotel is the rear garden, which has the atmosphere you would expect from a building which was a former monastery. The garden, weather permitting, in is a lovely place to relax and absorb the peaceful energy, which pervades it. There is a narrow terrace area on the hotel side of the garden, immediately outside the restaurant, replete with tables and chairs, where you eat your breakfast or dinner.

The Staff

I found all the staff I spoke to friendly, helpful and efficient. I was made to feel very welcome and enjoyed their urbane, Latin charm mixed with the right level of attentiveness.

The Buffet Breakfast

If this is not included with your room booking it costs an extra 10 Euros and is incredibly good value. The format is “American” with a generous array of fresh fruit, pastries, cereal, fried foods (bacon, tomatoes, eggs, etc), yoghurts, fruit juices, toast and condiments and hot drinks.

The Location

I don’t know what more you can ask for in Rome, except it being closer to the Vatican. As previously mentioned the front of the hotel overlooks the back of the Palatine, which adjoins the Roman Forum and is one of the largest settlements from Ancient Rome remaining in the city. You can walk to the Palatine and Roman Forum complex from the hotel in about 10 to 15 minutes. If this was not enough, the Colosseum is situated just to the other side of the Palatine. What more could you want if you have a short stay in Rome? I would allow a full day to walk around these three attractions.