I stayed at Hotel Ercoli on my first (and only trip until now) to Italy back in April 2007. This is a great budget hotel. The price was very decent. The hotel is a 15 minutes walk from the Termini (main train station) in a very nice (upscale) neighborhood and completely safe (compared to the hotels right beside the Termini). The room was normal size (for a hotel room in Europe - they are generally smaller than in North America), clean and comfortable. The service from the staff was good, they were very helpful. The breakfast was the American style, there was plenty of food: eggs, cereals and milk, croissants, brioches, cheese and cold cuts, toast, etc.
It is a very good option if you are on a budget and would like to stay in a safe area that is not too touristy but close to everything if you don't mind 15-20 min walks.
And do not forget to try the pizzeria that is on the same street!! We ate there twice in 4 days, it was so, soo good!

The beds are the best feature of this hotel. They are very comfortable. The area is nice and you will feel safe. Very limited English (if any) is spoken, but it was not a problem. Bring ear plugs
for the noise level while sleeping, if you get a room on the street side, and you will be fine. Breakfast was inconsistant. One morning there was a wonderful choice of items like meats, cheeses, fruits, yogurt, juice, rolls, etc. The next morning, almost nothing. One morning, there was no hot water in the shower (I'm talking ice cold!). This was disappointing considering the price of the room (130 euros). I think you will be OK if you shower at non-peak times, like 4:00pm which I did one day (plenty of hot water then!). The Hotel location is just a bit outside most the activity, but very workable. You can access all the major attractions of the area in 15-20 minutes. I found the Termini exit the best to use. The walk to the hotel is completely flat this way. You can walk from Barberini, but it is up a slight incline the whole way, (OK if you don't have a suitcase). It is about 10-15 minute walk from either exit. Print a Google Map before you leave home and you will have no problem finding
it. After that, the Hotel has a great map of Rome you can use to go anywhere.

The Ercoli Hotel cannot be faulted for its cleanliness -- the room was very well kept and the bathroom was modern and updated. It was also a decent 10-15 minute walk to the train station. These two things made it a decent value for the 115 Euro we paid. The biggest problem we faced was its out of the way location from the main sites -- starting off the day it wasn't bad to walk to our destinations, but after a late dinner we were usually the only ones walking home. Very deserted in this part of town and hardly any restaurants or cafes open. Not necessarily unsafe, but just a little too quite. I would have much prefered to spend more monrey and stay nearer to the central part of Rome. We also did face some issues because the staff couldn't communicate in English and we couldn't speak Italian well. If you had a question or would want a recommendation, the staff was definitely not a resource. If you absolutely can't find something in a more travelled location, the Ercoli Hotel will do. Just remember that it is on the 3rd floor of a non-descript building -- just a small blue sign next to the door buzzer.

For a budget hotel, this place is a little gem!! Situated quite close to the major train situation and also quite central in the city, its perfect for anyone wanting to experience all that rome has to offer! The rooms were spotless and comfortable, the only thing is the shower was a little cramped, but not a major problem. The buffet continental breakfast was great, with fresh croissants, rolls, juice, yoghurt and coffee - all ideal to get the day started! I will definitely stay here again if i go to rome!