We stayed at the Residenza Paolo VI in Rome on Feb. 18-19th, 2008. It was recommended to us by a business partner/friend who lives in Italy who stays there when in Rome on business. Once it was recommended I looked it up on TripAdvisor, and was dismayed at some of the reviews.

First, the location; walk out the front entranceway and take twenty steps across a street and you are in St Peter's Square. Wonderful! The location was quiet, and we slept with our windows open without a noise problem. The hotel is not its own building; it shares a building with an embassy.. the hotel is on the third floor, and there is an elevator. The street entrance is a very nice small piazza, and the entrance door is locked and you must ring to be buzzed in. There are plenty of nice restaurants and shops within easy walking distance.

The room: We did call to request a deluxe room after I saw some of the pictures of the room sizes. We were given Room 108, and we were VERY pleased. It was actually, to me, a small suite! It had two twin beds pushed together, a nice sitting area, and a nicely appointed although small bathroom. It was nicely decorated, the windows were tall and narrow and easy to open. The bathroom is a typical European bathroom; toilet and bidet, a small single sink with limited shelf space, a hairdryer that worked well, and a small tub with a handheld shower hooked to the wall. There was plenty of water pressure and hot water. For people making their way in Europe for the first time the bathrooms are most likely a shock as they are not American in any way. I personally like the difference, and I like the addition of a bidet. I don't spend a lot of time in the shower so the size isn't important. The beds were very comfortable and the linens very nice. The mini-bar in the room was well stocked with sodas, wines, beer, cognac, whiskey, and some small snacks. Room service was available from 4:00pm until 11:00pm. Breakfast was the usual European buffet... eggs, prosciutto, fruit, cheese, croissant, yogurt, coffee, tea, wine. We had a late night snack of minestrone, prosciutto, melon, cheese one evening that was very good.

The hotel was furnished very elegantly, and the staff was professional, courteous and friendly. The breakfast room upstairs (there is an elevator) is very nice, and the views off the terrace are magnificent... you look right into St Peter's Square at the Cathedral.

The price is right for the location; right on top of Vatican City. I think in fact it is quite reasonable for the quality of service and presentation afforded. This is Europe, and not America. I can see from some of the reviews that an unfair comparison is made because of this. I, for one, enjoy the differences I experience while in Europe... please feel free to contact me if you would like further information about the hotel or the area.

I recommend this hotel with 100% confidence.