Stayed here for one night in early Sept. My first impression of the area was that it looked depressed. Lots of graffiti and tagging. Never felt unsafe, though. Walked to hotel from the Termini. The hotel was like an oasis in a desert. Well cared for and tended courtyard in front. Room was beautifully decorated. Bathroom was larger than some I've been in but showering was messy with just a hand held nozzle and a small splash partition that didn't help much. Staff was pleasant and helpful with dining recommendations. Breakfast was basic with espresso, slice meats and cheeses, pastries and rolls. Not a bad deal for the price.

This hotel is really bad. The pictures are very deceptive. They said the room had a balcony and a safe and it had neither and it was so tiny that you could barely move around. The shower was 2 feet by 2 feet and flooded when you took a bath. They could remove the bidet and enlarge the shower!! The airconditioner stopped working and when we told them, they came and meddled with it and shrugged and said that they could not do anything - this in August when Rome is unbearably hot. The staff does not smile and are rather abrupt and not at all helpful. The iron that they gave leaked water on the bed and they did not bother to even dry it! Breakfast was not good and coffee was lousy so we had to ask for tea. All in all, a lousy hotel for the value.

I was very disappointed with this hotel. My friend and I book two single rooms for 4 nights. First of all the location is not ideal, in the university district of Rome. While the bus stop is only a few minutes walk, the buses are extremely congested and most people just push u out of their way. In fact one day I couldnt even get out at my stop. Also u must change to the metro after 3 stops. The room was tiny and very shabby. It didnt even have a window just a door in. When u woke up in the morning it felt as if you were in the middle of the night. The bed was uncomfortable, the floor was dirty, and the hairdryer didn't work. The bathroom was old, dirty and flooded into the bed room after a shower!! The airconditioning was very noisy and not very effective. Breakfast was first come first served so if u got up late most of the food was eaten. The service was also not very good. After our dinner one night we came back at 10.30 and asked reception for a drink at the bar, and they very rudely said it was closed. Also on checking out i realised I lost my flight reference no and asked reception if i could download it off my email. He said computers were for staff only and suggested an internet cafe five mins away eventhough my taxi was outside! I have nothing nice to say about this hotel only the front of the hotel looks pretty - which isvery deceptive though.

I was very reluctant to book a hotel that did not have a review on tripadvisor, but I decided to take a risk.

As I walked from the Termini Station following my mapquest directions, the neighborhood seemed to be getting more and more seedy (dodgy). And, yes, when I was only one block away, I was planning on turning around, losing the money, and moving on to a different hotel. I'm glad that I did not.

Though the Hotel S. Lorenzo Maria is in a bit of a rougher area than I might be accustomed to, I've actually grown quite fond of my roost for the past few days.

The hotel is immaculately clean, very nicely decorated, the staff was excellent, the cleaning staff was even more friendly. The pictures on the official website aren't fake. It's really quite that nice. True, you have to take a tram or bus to get here (it's not really walkable from the Termini--and certainly not recommended as the neighborhood between here and there isn't great), I really think that this is a great deal. For a very reasonable price, I've been able to stay a ten minute tram ride from the Coliseum and the amenities are quite nice... wireless internet, cable tv, plenty of hot water, good air conditioning, breakfast, and a charming property with lots of character.

If you're not comfortable with cities and a bit of grit is going to cause you alarm, this isn't the place for you. But if you're the sort of person who is comfortable with the realities of an urban setting (and can deal with taking the tram/bus), you could really like it here and save a lot of money.

I really liked it here and would certainly come back. Would I come back with mom? Hmm. Mom would probably like a bit more curb appeal.