We are a 60 year-old couple traveling independently in Italy for the first time. Our 3 week trip was arranged by a travel agent. We requested standard double rooms in smaller, interesting hotels. The hotels knew we were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary.

We found the Donna Laura exactlly as advertised on their web site and more. The room, 302, was small, well appointed and comfortable. The bathroom was perfectly adequate with a really nice large tub for soaking, much appreciated after the flight from the United States. We had adequate closet space. The room faced the building next door, which was fine because that buliding was quite interesting and far enough away to afford us a view of the sky. We slept with the window open and did not notice much street noise.

Breakfast was served in a spacious dining room on the level below the lobby. There was good variety of juices, fruits, cereals, cold meats, cheese, bread, various sweet pastries, and crossants. There was also scrambled eggs, boiled eggs and usually one hot meat choice.

The fittness center and spa tub was also on this level. We toured the facilities but did not use them.

The staff was pleasant and willing to assist us when required. The desk staff spoke excellent English.

We were only in Rome for 3 days, so we did not spend much time at the hotel. We liked the neighborhood in which it was located and, after guided tours in the mornings, we walked or took taxis (fairly inexpensive and available) to the various points of interest suggested by the hotel or other guests we met during our stay. We ate in restaurants and cafes that caught our eye and found many within comfortable distance from the hotel.

The exchange rate between the dollar and the euro was extremely unfavorable during our stay in Italy. Be prepared for high costs, even at cafes and less expensive restaurants.

The only downside to the Hotel Donna Laura occured during our check-in. The room was not quite ready for us, only a matter of a one or two minute wait in the lobby near the elevators. The bellman accopmanied us to the room, but left the bags outside the door and left before we actually entered the room. We had no orientation to the A/C, the phone, television, etc. We had to call the front desk to ask several questions about how things worked.

Also, it would have been helpful to have written information in the room regarding the hotel amenities and the surrounding area.

I would certain reccomend this hotel to my friends.

Attention The Manager of the Donna Laura Palace,
I was recently a guest there on Lungotevere delle Armi,21-00195 Roma.
My family and I were traveling through London, Paris and Rome. In London and Paris we were treated with little to no respect and given no help at all. We assumed that is how Europeans treated budget American travelers, that was until we met Sicvano and Giacanni at your hotel. There was nothing too much for them to do to make our visit there one of the best vacations we have ever had. They were kind, respectful, and very helpful. They made us feel like we were special guests.
They were wonderful.
Your hotel was lovely, clean, and comfortable. The other places we stayed were nothing by comparison.
I guess you can tell we loved your staff and our stay there.

If you look for an unfriendly 4 star hotel on a noisy area and love to have breakfast drinking orange juice (actually water with some powder) in a plastic glass, this hotel is the place to be.
The most striking thing was how cold and unfriendly the staff was, the hotel restaurant average and extremely overpriced. The location too far from public transport and from downtown, and very close to a very noisy street. No information whatsoever at the room (after insisting a lot we finally got a list of important phone numbers)
The rooms quite nice, but too small. one of the two lifts failed every now and then
As I said, if you go to Rome, try somewhere else, because the city is more than worthy !!

I am afraid that the only points I scored by booking this site seeing trip for my wife and her sister were for the site seeing.
The report that follows is on their behalf and a result of what they told me about the trip. If it had been me I would have walked to another hotel I am sure.
They found the staff to be rude and unhelpful even though I had told them by email that my wife and her sister would need a little help in organising their siteseeing. They offered no help at all.
The hotel bragged in all their advertising about the beautifull views from the balcony and roof garden where you would be able to dine and relax. The fact was that they were refused admission even to see the views or sit and relax. On the last day they tried to get up there again and were told that it was not open. They then asked for somewhere to sit and relax preffereably in the sun but they were told that the hotel had nowhere to do this at all.
They had one meal there and refused to pay for it as the Turkey was red with blood and service was hopeless. They also tried to order sandwiches via the room service one evening and were told after waiting a long time that there was no bread. They found this to be strange as when they went for breakfast bread was about all they had to offer.
To end the trip my wife and her sister told the staff that they needed the taxi to take them to Ciampino(CIA) airport and reitterated this several times. On the way to the airport my wife noticed that the airport signposted was not the same and asked the driver. He said that was the airport that the hotel had told him to go to. He turned around and took them to Ciampino(CIA) and they just made it but with a much larger bill.
To sum up My wife and her sister both said that they were happy as they had seen what they had wanted to see for many years "Rome".
They would both strongly recomend that you all think twice before listening to any of the other reviews that give this hotel a glowing report as for them it was a disaster area.
For my part I had to get the hotel up on the screen to prove to my wife that the hotel was actually listed over here as a four star. She could not believe it!!!