After reading all reviews of this hotel, I decided to book a room in this hotel.The reason for this hotel, is that reviews of other hotels were even more critical, and some reviews here were positive.
Ok...there are good things, and there are bad things with this hotel. The bad things.
1. I have spent a lot of nights in hotels in Europe. This is NOT a 4-star hotel. Whoever gave them the 4 stars must be currupt!!
2. The rooms are extremely noisy. Not from outside traffic; there is no traffic as the hotel is at the end of a dead-end road. The noise comes from inside the hotel. You can literally hear everything that is being said in the room next to you. Even if you fart, they will hear it!!! Also, the hallway has laminate. This means that you will wake up as soon as the first people go for breakfast. The cleaning process is also extremely noisy, and starts at 08.15.
3. I have never seen a 4-star hotel with a curtain in the shower.
4. The breakfast is ok for a 2-star, but not adequate for a 4-star hotel!
5. The gym is nice, but who uses it after walking the entire day in Rome?
6. I ordered a single room on bookings.com, only to discover that the hotel has cheaper single rooms on their own websites.
7. Getting there from the airport is a nightmare; take a train to the city centre (Termini station, 11 Euro), then take a taxi (25 Euro for suitcase and Termini surcharges). Forget about buses and undergrounds. That is not practical in the evening with suitcases.
8. My single room was very small.
9. Usage of the airco requires a science degree.
The nice things:
1. At 10 minutes walking distance, there is a great Italian restaurant. Follow the road, keep right, and at the end go to the right.
2. The only place in Rome where you can sleep with an open room in the night.No traffic noise.
3. Transport to the city centre is easy. Take their free shuttle, and walk. Go back by taxi (15 Euro).
Summarising: This is not a 4-star hotel compared to Spanish and Portuguese standards. And believe me, I am an experienced traveller.
Now a meesage to the Zone Hotel staff who tends to respond to these postings: Instead of appologising, please take action. My criticisms are exactly the same as those made by others 1 year ago. The breakfast is still bad, ok..staff is now friendly.....but if you know that your rooms are noisy, try to put customers as far as away from each other. Adjust your pictures on your website; I did not have a fancy bathroom and glass panels. Start the cleaning process later. Put a carpet on the halways. Add a device that ensures that room doors are closed c losely and quietly, instead a big bang.
And above all, be honest and remove a star. And please, don't tell me that this for Italian standards it is 4-stars. The room + breakfast is 3 stars. Having a fancy gym should not count for an extra star.
And if someone pays 100+ Euros per night, do you really have to charge extra for WIFI? Make it free.
