We recently returned from a 17 day trip to Italy. I used Rick Steves' guidebook to book hotels in Venice, Florence, Siena, Assisi and Rome. I chose the Smeraldo for location and price. We were to stay 6 nights, May 6 thru May 12. I e-mailed them directly on March 12,requesting a room. They answered promptly, with availabilty and price, advising that, "to hold the room, send an e-mail with credit card number, information and authorization to withdraw the cost of the first night". They noted that this deposit is non-refundable, even in case of cancellation. I complied, sent the credit card and info and kept a copy of the sent e-mail. A month later, I wrote to them again, mentioning the dates of our reservation and asking if they could book a day during our stay for a trip to the Borghese museum. The one-sentence reply, "Yes, we can but just when you can be in the hotel." When we arrived on May 6, the clerks had no record of our reservation and asked to see "their confirmation". I produced the 3 e-mails and replies. Then, quite rudely, they said that I should have checked my bank statement for the deposit and that I should have a specific form from them. They did quickly relocate us to a nearby hotel, which had uncomfortable beds, a very basic breakfast and a very unfriendly staff. It did not have a television or an elevator (we were on third floor...they left us to carry our own bags. We requested new towels on our third day there. The maid didn't change them but they did give me some when I went down the 3 flights to get them.

The location was great, near Argentina where you can catch a bus or electric train. We were able to walk to almost all of the central sights and a great location for restaurants near Campo di Fiori. 4 of us stayed one night after a cruise. we had a single room which was very nice and a triple room on the 4th floor which was very crowded with (3) people. The bathroom was small but adequate with a shower that had plenty of hot water for 3 showers.
The staff was friendly, helpful and efficient. They ordered us a cab to take us to the airport
the next day which worked out well. Their restaurant recommendations were very good.
There is also a nice cafe across the street where we were able to have a great cup of coffee and pastry while we waited to check into our rooms. All in all it was a good place to stay in central Rome. AT $240 a night a little expensive for what we got.
I may or may not stay here again as I think there are better deals in the same area of Rome.
BBeerbower

We're don't choose hotels for a luxury, boutique experience and until this trip have selected them mainly based on price, cleanliness and location above all else. So when we read some negative reviews about Hotel Smeraldo, we decided it would be fine. It's in a great location (the Pantheon neighborhood of Rome), a reasonable price considering, and recently has been renovated. But it was truly uncanny how ridiculously dismissive every single member of the staff was, as if they had absolutely no time or patience for us.

We split our stay in Rome, and therefore stayed at the hotel in early and mid-May; every encounter with various staff - particularly those at the front desk - was exactly the same. We had to laugh about it. When we had an issue with our room on the second half of the trip (first floor room smelled like sewer gas so we asked to be relocated), several staff members acted put out by our request for a change.

Having stayed nowhere else in Rome, I hesitate to say I wouldn't recommend what otherwise is a well-managed, clean hotel with modern bathrooms, etc., but wow, this crew has the market cornered on attitude, and certainly didn't add an ounce of charm or warmth to our stay in the glorious city of Rome.

I stayed in this hotel for 3 nights as part of a 2 week trip for our anniversary. I have been to Italy several times and I always like to stay near the Campo dei Fiori, but I wanted to try a new hotel since my last one left a lot to be desired. For the most part, I found the Hotel Smeraldo to be just fine. The room was nice, it was in a quiet location near everything, and for the location, I thought it was a very good value. However I think the breakfast the hotel offers at 7 euros, is not a good value. We opted to buy pastries at the bakery across the street from the hotel for 1 euro each and have cafe latte's at the cafe across the street for 1.5 euros each. We would spend usually less than 7 euros total for breakfast rather than the 7 euro per person the hotel charges. If anyone needs any fruit, there is an open air market in the campo dei fiori nearly every morning and the produce was wonderful!

One word of warning: The hotel turns the power to your room off when you leave, and when we returned our first night after dinner and a night walk through Rome, the power wouldn't turn back on in our room. The man at the front desk tried to tell us it was our fault that we had plugged something in wrong and shorted the room out. We had not plugged anything in at all, we had literally dropped our luggage off and left for the day. We were eventually moved to another room, but while I was packing up my luggage in the dark (I had hung up some dresses in the closet for the wrinkles to fall out), the man at the front desk rung the room phone and asked us why were not coming down and we were wasting his time. I told him we were packing and would be down shortly and he said he didn't know what we were saying but to come down NOW. We were moved into what I assume is the handicap suite on the main floor. It was slightly larger and had no stairs, and we were fine in that room and the staff was fine from then on. But it was a bit annoying at the end of an evening when you are exhausted to have to change rooms, pack in the dark, and then be blamed for an electrical shortage there is no way you could have caused.

But that event aside, I think I might stay here on a return trip, I will just bring a flashlight next time.