Myself, my husband and another couple went to Rome for the weekend. My friend organised all the travel and hotel arrangements. She showed my husband and I the website before we travelled and we were very pleased with the visuals of the rooms etc. I did notice on the trip advisor site that someone had posted some photos of the hotel rooms looking very old and shabby but was relieved when I read on further that the hotel was in the middle of a refurbishment and would be finished by end of June 2009.
On arrival we were greeted very nicely and given the keys to our rooms on the same floor as the reception. I was slightly alarmed at the state of the door to our room as I couldnt imagine why a hotel would renovate all the rooms but not change the doors. Anyway, my horror was to get worse on entry. The room was disgusting to say the least. It was smelly, damp, 1960's bed covers, mouldy walls, no plugs, safe in a trolley on wheels....etc etc ,it goes on. My husband was very unimpressed and when we got back from dinner nearby and he really couldnt have a bath as there was no plug, I decided to have a little look upstairs. To my utter amazement it was like walking from a nightmare into a princess dream castle. The walls, corridoors and hotel room doors were renovated to a very impressive standard and looked 5 star. I could not believe we had been given what was obviously the last of the "rubbish" rooms downstairs. I dragged my husband to have a look and he was as shocked as me. He stomped off to reception and asked for us and our friends to be moved. Amazingly the receptionist wasnt put out at all, as if this must happen all the time. He said it was too late that night but to speak to the manager in the morning. We did that and he immediately said he would move us up to the superior rooms that day. As good as his word, when we got back that night we were upstairs and the difference was absolutely unbelievable. The rooms were fantastic. Not overly large but incredibly clean, comfortable, light, airy. They were the sort of hotel room I would seek to stay in. We had two very enjoyable nights there. The downstairs area/reception and breakfast room I understand are the next phase to be done. Once this has been completed this hotel will be hard to beat. Just make sure you get a new refurbished room otherwise you will be so disappointed you booked this hotel. Now having stayed there initially in a bad "old" room, I can understand why some reviews of this hotel are so awful. It is a real shame because these negative opinions are obviously only coming from the guests they are placing in the old rooms. If they had any sense they would close them down to visitors now as a bad reputation is very hard to get rid of. They should fill the beautiful new rooms only and I guarantee all the visitors from now onwards will be absolutely delighted to be there.
We will definately stay at the Tea Hotel again when we next visit the wonderful Rome.
