The hotel is located in a great area and because of being located on a pedestrian street it was QUIET. Which is rare in Rome.
While the carpet thru-out the common halls could use a refurbish
the rooms were spotless and the beds amazingly comfortable.
Breakfast was adequate....
one thing that we would have liked is a lounge/bar-but this hotel does not have one
The staff were pleasant enuf-
the terrace featured on their website was closed and it looked like u needed to tackle what looked like fire escape stairs to get to it
If u are looking for a good restaurant in the hood-check out Gusto

After reading some of the reviews we were prepared for a pretty mediocre stay. However, we found that this small hotel was a very charming place to stay in Rome. As others have said before, the location cannot be beat -- just a few blocks from the Spanish Steps in an area where pedestrians rule. Only taxis and other authorized vehicles can enter this area, so it's pretty easy to walk around. The high-end shops make this seem like Rodeo Drive in Rome.

We found the people at the desk to be very friendly and helpful. It's true that this is not a full-service hotel with bellmen and room service, but that's what we expected in a small boutique hotel. We felt like we were in Rome, not a large impersonal hotel. However, Mauro brought all our luggage up to our room for us and was always available to help. They even allowed us to keep my husband's mobility scooter downstairs.

I might add that the area is fairly accessible for those with mobility issues since you do not have to navigate the sidewalks as you do in other areas. However, the elevator in the hotel is small and you could not take a person in a wheelchair up and down. There are steps that must be navigated to get into the hotel, to the elevator and to the rooms, so this is not a good choice for someone who cannot walk at least short distances.

Breakfast was Continental style with pastries, rolls, cereal, cold cuts, fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, coffee and juice. I did not see any of the canned fruits mentioned in a prior post. We were able to use the rooftop breakfast area and enjoyed the view of the roofs and a glimpse of the Spanish Steps.

Our room was larger than many we have had in Europe and had a queen size bed. We had a corner unit with a lot of light. The one difficult part was the bath/shower, which is difficult for anyone who cannot step over a high bathtub side.

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our brief stay at La Lumiere and would stay there again.

Only 10 rooms in this conveniently located hotel: four each on the third and fourth floor and two on the fifth floor (Remember that in Europe the main floor is the Lobby, with the first floor one flight up.) Room 502 does offer a balcony.

Its main (and perhaps only) favorable attribute is its location on the very upscale shopping street of Via del Condotti, only a few blocks from the Spanish Stairs and the Rome Metro.

For internet fans, note that the real name of its self-proclaimed "data port" is "telephone jack." The only internet available is dialup, and of course, to use even that, you'd have to subscribe to a service like worldwidedialup.com. (The hotel itself uses high speed internet, but it has chosen to not make this available to its customers).

Don't expect to change large bills at the reception desk. This is not available. And do not expect help with manhandling your luggage into the tiny elevator, that too is not available.

Breakfast is available, however. It consists of a choice of three cereals, some rolls, yogurt (sometimes banana was the only flavor available), and two or three other items including canned pineapple slices. The breakfast is serviceable, if not particularly enticing. The breakfast area was small, and a television set was usually blaring in that area. Do not expect to use the rooftop terrace pictured on it's website, as it is inaccessible in October, at least.

Be forewarned. A new, upscale store is being constructed in the front part of the building, and the construction noise can begin at 7:00AM.

Normally, one would avoid such a place. But we are talking about overcrowded, overpriced Rome. It could well be that, given the City's lousy hotel options, this is a pretty good choice.

Great hotel for the value. Rooms are a good size, clean and nice. Its a small hotel with a TINY elevator that does not come to you if someone on another floor forgot to shut the door. I would not recommend for elderly or disabled because there is a chance you will have to use the stairs.
The location is GREAT--especially if you like to SHOP! Tod's, Burberry, Gucci, LV, MaxMara, Ferragamo etc are all at your doorstep! We also walked to the major sites from here-- probably about a 20 min walk, not bad.