The photos of Ripa are better than the actual hotel. I was expecting a lot more. The service was good and the front desk was very friendly and helpful. The Riparte Cafe is good. The downfall is that the bathroom was tiny and the water was apparently turned off at night (we could not flush the toilet from about 8 pm to 8 am) and we could smell sewage and sulfur all night. I was grossed out by the bathrooms and won't be back for that reason alone. The room needed to be painted and the carpet was a bit old. The apartment behind the Ripa is run down on the outside and the entire area needs to be renovated, though the Trastavere area is supposed to be a nice residential area. I did find that the hotel is easily accessibly to the center of town. I would not pay more than 150 Euro a night here. Otherwise, there are a few 4-star hotels that I'd spend an extra 50-100 Euro per night for the comfort of a 4 star hotel (I am a regular business traveler). If you are a student traveler, this is a great hotel for the price. The Ripa was hot about four years ago and needs a face-lift.

This was our first trip to Rome, and booked the Ripa based on location, style and price. We had seen reviews- both good and bad. We were so very pleased to find a hotel that met all of our needs for the week we were in Rome. The staff was more than helpful, arranging a van to pick us up at the airport. The rooms were hip & modern, but sparse. The twin beds were most comfortable with crisp linins and fluffy duvets. We had everything we needed, A/C, elevators, phone, Tv, hair dryer, mini fridge, balcony with a view of Trastevere.
This area is the 'Ghetto', mostly residential around the hotel. The #8 tram goes to Argentinia, minutes from Piazza Navona. The #3 goes to the Piramide Metro stop. The stop is a block away; the front desk is happy to sell tickets and provide information. So although this hotel is not in the center of everything, it is easy to get to, and provides the feeling of living in Rome.
The breakfast was perfect, quite a spread by european standards. Eggs, sausage, several meats & cheeses, pastries brought fresh daily from the bakery. Coffee, hot milk, tea and juices. A piece of fresh fruit in the pocket came in handy later. The staff was happy to get espresso, or warm a baby bottle.
The downstairs bar was a perfect place to unwind in the evening. Live Jazz, a casual atmosphere. My niece who is studying in Rome has gone back with friends to 'hang out'. The bartender is a great guy who knows all the out of the way places to spend the day or watch a sunset. We never ate at the resturant- to many other choices nearby.
There is a grocery store around the corner, perfect for those last minute gifts of olive oil and wine. There is also an internet cafe around the corner. On sundays the Flea Market, has every thing from flowers to antiques.
The only negative, although it added excitment, was the shower. We never figured out how to shower with out wetting the whole room, and I'm afraid the ceiling of the room below us. A travel clock would be nice- but the front desk provided us with wake up calls whenever we asked.
A wonderful place spend a night or a week- we will go again!

I had booked the Ripa Hotel prior to reading the reviews so needless to say I was very nervous going to the hotel as I expected it to be a complete dump and over-priced... oh how I was surprised!!! Myself and my husband had booked a 5 day break in Rome and were looking for somewhere to relax in the evenings, have a reasonable breakfast and be in good distance of all the sites.. we got all the boxes ticked.

Lets talk about the hotel first:
- The staff were extremely helpful. They gave us a map and guided us around to point out the good areas, sights, transport and good restuarants.
- The room was airy, clean, had a great TV, lovely crisp white linen.. no complaints.
- My one bug-bear would be that the shower was not in a good position in the bath and so it was like a mini flood after each shower but that was not a major problem. The water was hot and powerful.

Location:
- Right outside the door was the number 8 tram which took you directly to the Panthelon from where nearly all the sights can be reached within a 10 minute walk. It was less than 7 mins on the tram to this stop and they supplied the tickets in the hotel which were only a €1 each.
- The Trasvestere area is great for good food at good prices. We ate most nights for less than €80 for 4 course meal with wine and coffee. Whereas on our last night we went into the main square of spainish steps / Panthelon and dinner cost €113 and it was only average... the setting was lovely but the price was not so good.

Value for money:
We paid €625 for 4 nights accommodation which included breakfast. Compared to other prices I was quoted for lesser star hotels, I believe we got value for money. There was also a complimentary bottle of wine and chocolates in our room on arrival
The breakfast was substantial enough. We are on the continent after all so anyone who expects a fry up will be sorely disappointed.. but the array of pastries, breads, yogurts, fruit and hams well made up for it.

All in all, not a 4 star hotel by Irish or English standards but certainly a cut above hotels I have stayed in in London and Paris with the same star rating.

I would recommend this hotel and I certainly would stay there again if I was going to Rome again.

After researching on my own I admit to some slight trepiditions. Reviews seemed fantastic or totally negative. An art deco, modern hotel in ancient Trestevere, Rome?
No, I don't work for them and have no ax to grind.
with a few minor blemishes, my wife and I used Ripa Hotel as our base of operations for 11 days in Italy and found the owner (who personally welcomed us on a few occasions and who was even working the desk one day) and staff extremely attentive. Food and service way above average.
Price: About to eliminate Ripa on price alone, I went to their great website. I booked the reservation through my business account on American Express and asked for and received an off-season 99 euro commercial rate for two people. Note: this was 99 net. No VAT added and no charge for a full, hot, attractive, and lengthy (7a-10am) breakfast. We were in Rome to see our son who is on active duty in Iraq. he took his R&R in Rome where his girlfriend from Fairbanks teachesw English. She and her coworkers in Rome, who joined us in the restaurant for dinner one night, could not believe the price value of this hotel.
Ripa is a legitimate neighborhood hangout for coffee and drinks at all hours. The free evening buffet in the bar/cafe means for the price of a cappucino you basically have your evening meal.
Indeed this is a middle class-upper middle class neighborhood about 6 very long blocks from the ancient Trastevere Plaza. It is one block from Vial Trastevere and bus and tram which for 1 euro each way takes you within 3 blocks of the Pantheon just across the River at Via Argentina, shops, sites, tour buses etc. All major tour bus lines will pick you up at Ripa Hotel. We made long (13-15 hour) day trips to Naples-Pompei and Florence, and still used Ripa as our base. On Sundays you are literally 100 yards from the famous Flea Market which is a true international bazaar sprawling about 2 miles along the Tiber. The front desk arranged for taxis and a car service to the airport. When our flights were changed and we needed to overnight in paris, they called their sister hotel at Rue Longchamps in paris and booked us a double for 110 euros with a roundtrip car service from Chas DeGualle airport, door to door, for 130 euros roundtrip, about the same as a cab.
Ripa rooms are like the Hudson Hotel in New York, except larger. No furniture except a comfortable king bed and nice medium sized plasma TV. A small terrace with two chairs overlooked the City and lets smokers smoke if they want to. The infamous "odor" is a sewer line backup in many old Roman neighborhoods which was on the 4th floor for one day and anyone who wanted to change rooms was accomodated. When my son wanted a room for Valentine's day, they extended the courtesy of the same 99 euro rate. Three European companies were holding small conventions and seminars there, and ost of the guests were regulars from around Europe.
for students, retirees, or singles--yes and gays--the coffee shop/bar was a hangout for talking football, politics, or just Roman tourism. The dining room, cafe is transformed to a piano bar and/or jazz club a few nights per week. At least one person on each shift speaks English, but many employees do not. My housekeeping staff was peruvian and spoke Spanish but little Italian or English.
Ripa is not a Marriot-style business hotel, or a baroque or luxurious landmark hotel. It was re-designed and won awards in 1996 or 1997 and could use a refresher makeover in terms of interior fixtures, shwoers, grout etc. But we have stayed in much, much, much worse hotels in London, Paris, and elsewhere at two or even three times the price.
You can pick up free newspapers in the morning, but get there early because there is only one copy of the English language Herald Tribune, Financial Times, or USA Today. Eggs, sausage, bacon, hot rolls, hot pastries, cold pastries, hot and cold cereals, coffees, teas, juices, in short the kind of breakfast which is above the Euro norm of Muslix and a few slices of salami. Computer jacks were in the room, faxes and mail, and packages were delivered promptly, and employees would guide you to a supermarket a block away, digital photo store, laundry etc.
finally, a three block walk in any direction, pencil, and paper, will allow you to create a gastronomic itinerary of great pizzarerias, seafood stores--real family style restaurants. In short, every four or five years you find a hotel which lets you feel like you "lived in a real neighborhood in Rome, or Antwerp, or Frankfurt, etc.
My wife and I loved the Ripa Hotel and will return there. So will our son and his girlfriend (who now meets her friends there for coffee, snacks, dinner etc).
I am not adding my lousy photos because their website his pretty good on pix.