This hotel was our last hotel out of four in Italy over a two week period. We'll get right to the point - issue first:

1) Directions to and accessibility of the hotel: This is the only time we were lost during our whole trip and it was a costly situation as no matter from where you approach the hotel (bus or train), it is uphill while lugging bags through windy, narrow, and busy streets. Even when we tried a cab on our first night, we had to lead the driver by the hand. Also, St. Peter's and the Vatican are a nice walk getting there but is a very long walk returning after touring, climbing the dome, visiting the tombs, and the local sights in the vicinity. At the end, you still have to climb back up to the hotel. Also, not many places to eat dinner nearby that any local would recommend.

2) Variable service by the staff : We had contact with 3 different staff members. Our first contact was after we arrived exhausted from getting lost and dragging our bags up there. The desk was abandoned. We each went a different way and no one. So, as last resort, I called the front desk and there she arrived. I stopped her from answering the phone to save myself the phone charge and she was not too happy. I explained that we had spent 10 minutes looking and had no idea when someone would return to the desk and that we had gotten lost and were very tired. This particular employee also did not help us to find the laundramat (back down the hill - like we really wanted to do that again that same night). Luckily, we finally found a local to help us find it.

The other female staff member we came across was very professional. We got the feeling that she was very knowledgable.

One night there was a man was at the desk who understood little English and was not informed as to hotel policies. Tried to get internet access from him (the wifi they talk about is 10 Euro for 3 hours-highway robbery compared to local internet shops). He had no idea how to give us access and did not understand that we needed a password and id. It was very frustrating even if he seemed like a nice man.

3) Carpet Issues in Room 105: See our pics - it was like something was spilled and something ground into the carpet near the window/bathroom. We wore shoes or socks to protect us from issues. Hint: Every 2 star we have stayed in in Italy has marble or tile floors throughout - no carpet. If you see carpet - may be it's better to try someplace else. We did not dicuss the carpet with management as we figured that any manager should already know that the carpet should have been cleaned or replaced.

4) We were not informed that the separate remote was for free TV. The brochure in the room displayed pay movies and porn. So we watched regular tv with snow and only CNN.

The okay part -

1) The bed was not bad to sleep in especially after climbing hills - could have slept on a rock slab after that.

2) Breakfast was fine as we learned to hit the supermarkets for 100% juice and great meet and cheese to supplement breakfast. (FYI: Mortadella - one of their breakfast meats - is a contains pork tripe. Never keen on eating it let alone when it is sitting out on a table unchilled.)

3) The taxi to the airport they order arrived within 5 minutes of scheduled pickup.

4) The other good part is that by the time we got there, we had already learned a bit of italian and were able to take care of our own needs and did not rely on their staff after dealing with the two poor staff members. We came and went using our own initiative.

Of all our stays, this is the hotel that we would not return to mainly due to the location up in the MONTE and lack of surrounding support (Dinner, computer, etc.)

This was one of my hotel experiences I would rather forget.
I booked this one on the fly while travelling and did not give myself the time to check tripadvisor. I should have.
The website looks great but unfortunately reality is different. We stayed (w/ my wife and two small children) in apartment B which is disconnected from the main hotel. The room was run down, old looking, with lots of water leakage stains, and way too simple for my taste. The A/C was not working and the worst of all was that we were rudely awakened by our upstairs neighbours who came home at 4am. (Americans, nothing against them but in this case very loud speaking). The disappointing thing was that the hotel management was unable to solve things, and finally had to go speak to them myself. We had a terrible night and the breakfast was horrible, no excuses from the day staff, after hearing what had happened, but she just rolled here eyes. Incredible lack of interest. Breakfast was horrible, I thought, ah well it;s free anyway, why complain. Until I received the bill exepectedly. Paid and will never return. Please be warned.

Got one of the apartments for five days, because it'd have room for the entire family. The word "rustic" comes to mind when describing it.

FAMILY ROOM

Good sized. A queen sized bed and television in the bedroom with a door. In the living area, a twin bed, a trundle bed underneath it that pulled out, a table, sink, drawers with utensils and pots & pans, a small refrigerator/freezer, and a small electric range.

The bathroom is shower only - and while the fixtures are fine, the walls are in desperate need of a new coat of paint to cover the mildew.

STAFF

One person spoke perfect English, two spoke broken English, and the early a.m. guy didn't seem to speak any. Helpful, but not above and beyond.

INTERNET

The apartments don't have internet. There's supposedly an internet cafe down at the bottom of the hill at Via della Cava Aurelia, but it was closed every time we went by. Ended up going to an internet cafe across town.

TELEVISION

Three channels - one came in clear, the other two were fuzzy. Two Italian channels, one French.

LOCATION

The best part of staying here was the location. This is not a tourist trap - this is a local Italian neighborhood with local Italian people. No mass crowds of American tourists loudly yammering on about their MySpace pages, no salesmen trying to hock handbags or shawls, no beggars working their act. You pass regular people and hear their conversations and their laughter - you get woken up in the morning by the sound of church bells.

On the same street Monte De Gallo, there's a friendly cafe/bar with some scrumptious cheap plates of Italian food. On the same street is a small family-run mini-market - great for sodas and snacks. But these shops close early - around 7pm.

If you want to eat later in the evening, just walk down the hill towards Via Gregorio. A couple great restaurants and gellaterias here open til later hours.

DIRECTIONS: GETTING HERE

Take the FM3 or FM5 train to Stazione San Pietro. Take the exit to Clivio di Monte del Gallo and make a right. You should see cars and motorcycles parked on your right side, along with the train tracks. Walk up Clivio di Monte del Gallo - it goes uphill, downhill, and then uphill again. At this point, look on your left - find the stairs that take you to Monte del Gallo. Walk up this hill - at the very top is the Hotel Alessandrino. Even if you've got an apartment, check in at the front desk of the Alessandrino. For more info, check the attached pictures below.

GETTING AROUND

The Vatican/St. Peter's is the only thing in walking distance. From Stazione San Pietro, the #64 bus will take you into the heart of Rome, ending at Termini. Very easy to use - just validate your ticket after you get on board. Be sure to buy your bus passes AND your return bus passes before you get on the bus.

Or you can take one of the trains from Stazione San Pietro to hook up with the Metro. Take any of the trains north to Valle Aurelia to change to the Metro A line, or take any of the trains south to Ostiense/Piramide to change to the Metro B line. Don't forget to validate your tickets in the station.

OTHER STUFF ABOUT THE APARTMENT

Beware the Roman mosquitos - they're huge and bloodthirsty. We ended up closing all the windows and just running the air conditioner for fresh air. And you'll get three heavy keys - one for your apartment, one for the hallway, and one for the outside door.

SUMMARY

Not a bad stay - especially for the cheap rate we were able to get and the wonderful neighborhood. But if we return to Rome, we'll probably look elsewhere.

We stayed in the Apartment Suite on the street away from the Hotel proper. It was quaint. and within an easy walk to the Vatican. The breakfast was very good in selection, quantity and quality but it was an extra charge.
The suite was air-conditioned but below ground level, musty in smell and moldy in the shower The air conditioner wasn't able to overcome the musty smell (The shower also had a small lizard, which I needed to dispatch before using the shower) . There was also a surprise which we didn't expect, namely that maid service was not included in the prepaid price. I was told that it was an extyra 13 Euro per day. I ordered it and they did make the beds and clean the bathroom after the second night but they never charged me for it. Overall, it was a uniquely European experience, but if the traveler is expecting anything resembling an American hotel he/she will be disappointed.