We just arrived back from Rome, Italy and had a great time even though our money doesn't go very far. The Principessa tea hotel was a good value. It was located near the via veneto. the hotel is in the process of being done over and we were pleasantly surprised by the rooms. they started the renovations from the top floor down, so the lobby isn't done yet. The hotel has done a great job of renovation. tile everywhere and clean bathrooms with all new fixtures. the Rooms were a little small but we had enough room. Room 545 had a large closet , and a great balcony(no chairs). The only complaint we had with the hotel was that the air conditioner was not on. they don't put it on until mid june. huh? Room was a little hot, had to keep the balcony door open all night. We had gone to Rome for a wedding and a little sight seeing. all in all a great time

I've read many reviews of this hotel before we headed for Rome. The hotel was prepaid, so there was impossible to change. A certain amount of the reviews was VERY bad, and we were excited when we wntered the hotel 10 pm at March 29th. But alas - everything was just perfect: a nice room (newly renovated) with a comfortable bed, a very clean and modern bathroom, and a safe in the closet. The location was also perfect, just some few minutes form hte Borghese Park and Museum. Even if it was in the center of the town, the nights were very quiet, and there were lots of restaurants in all prce ranges in the neighboorhood. It's beyond our imagination that this hotel was a bad one. We stayed 6 days in Ancona (Eastern Italy, Adriatic coast), and there we paid the same price, but in Ancona we stayed far from the center, it was a motel, and it was a really low budget accomodation without a low budget price!
The room we stayed in, looked just like the photos on the internet site. The staff was mainly friendly and helpful.

The breakfast assortment wasn't very plentiful, but OK. Daytime we heard the renovation of the 2nd and 3rd floors, but when you are in Rome, you don't stay in your hotel room at daytime??
So, we will certainly stay in this hotel next time we are in Rome, and will recommend this to others!

The place was really a pleasant surprise and can't say enough good things about it. Maybe the best hotel I've ever stayed at. Made you feel right at home with really laid-back but at the same time professional staff. Really friendly people.
The location was perfect because although it was totally right in the downtown, it wasn't an area loaded with tourists so we felt like we're really a part of the city's life instead of just tourists. It's elegance lent itself very well also to being romantic enough for a couple like us. All this with reasonable prices too.
When going back to Rome won't even consider another hotel. Would recommend it to anyone. Enjoy!

Night # 1 -When we arrived we were told they could not honor our reservation, so they sent us to a nearby hotel for the same price. Our room was on an incredibly busy street so the noise level all night kept us awake (we equated it with a Boeing 747 driving up and down the street.)
Night #2 - Back at Principessa in the a.m. with our bags. We were told our room was not ready, but go enjoy our day and they would put the bags in our room for our return in the evening. We got back to the hotel about 10:00 p.m. only to find our bags still in the lobby. There was no one to help us with our bags - not for us, but for the other couple we were traveling with - aged 70 years old. Our room was so small we had to move the portable heater out in order to put our bags inside the room. The bed was two single beds pushed together with a large sheet to hold them together. The furnishing were so old that the veneer was peeling off the furniture. The bath as clean but with rust stains on the sink, etc. They promised to move us for night #3 to a newly remodeled room.
Night #3. The remodeled room was GORGEOUS. So, after two sleepness nights we were looking forward to a great night's sleep in this really lovely room. NOT. The bed was stone hard - not an ounce of give to the mattress at all.
In fairness, it's tough to find a hotel in Rome for less than $200/night. I would say that if by now all the rooms have been remodeled, then take a chance - if you don't mind sleeping on a slab!