We arrived in Rome late on a Friday night and expected something simple but clean and comfortable. Boy were we wrong. On arrival, the check in area was cramped and dirty as was the lift up to our floor. It felt like something out of a 1980's horror film. As we walked along the corridor it got slightly better but as we entered the room our hearts sank. The room was small, dark , noisy and smelly. The bed was so very uncomfortable and the blankets were not clean. Trying to get to sleep was a nightmare as you couldn't help but think of all the other guests who had used the bedding over the years, without it being washed in between - that's how it felt. However, worse was still to come...there was some noise from the rooms above ours which we thought would settle down shortly. However when 3 o'clock came, we realised that the chance of sleep that night was going to be slim. We decided the following day that we could not endure it for another two nights and booked into the hotel imperiale, which was lovely. However, when we came to check out, the manager was really funny with us and I actually felt very threatened. I kept asking how much I needed to pay, but he was unhappy about us leaving and wouldn't give me a straight answer. We will never go back there again. I have stayed in many hostels before and none of them have had such poor standars as this one. yuk. The only redeeming thing from our stay here was that breakfast was reasonable and the waiter was friendly enough.

This last week, we travelled to Rome in a study trip. Hotel Philia was our "home" for five days. At a first glance, it seemed a little bit worrying (mainly the elevator which needs maintenance)but when inside, we had some pleasant surprises: the rooms were comfortable, clean and the staff was always ready to help us. Considering that it is a two-star residential, specially intended for backpackers, it highly fulfilled our expectations. We strongly advise any teacher in a study trip to stay there. It is also very well located. Our special thanks go to Mr.Giovanni ( a little bit frightening but just in the beginning), to Manuel, always with a pleasant smile at breakfast and specially to Stefanno, who was always considering, polite, friendly and attentive to the needs of a group of 22 students and teachers. It was really a pleasure.Thank you for a nice staying.

Gabriela, Florbela , Elsa and all the students from E.B. 2,3/S. Dr.Isidoro de Sousa de Viana do Alentejo, Portugal

After the review I read about this hotel, I was prepared for something average--clean, yet simple. We had been traveling through Italy for about a week and stayed at similarly-priced places throughout Italy, including in other large cities such as Venice and Florence. However, what we saw at this hotel was WAAAY below avearge. The room was dark and hot, facing the inside of the building. When we opened the windows, a bunch of mosquitoes flew in. When we called the concierge to ask about how to turn on the A/C, we were told that it doesn't work and WILL NOT be fixed. The room had a bad smell about it, resembling a swamp or possibly a sewage drain. The walls were covered with mosquitoe guts killed by similarly unhappy guests, I am sure. The surprise came every morning when I discovered that my leg had bites all over--not mosquito bites but some other type. We realized that these were probably bed bug bites. THe staff was rude and unfriently. The breakfast was mediocre--croissants, yogurt, coffee and juice--far worse than at any hotel we stayed at in Italy. We paid 90 Euro /night in the begining of October for a double room. I definitely do not recommend this place.

if you can't stand anymore staying in hostels paying way to much for the service they offer, consider staying in this budget hotel. I stayed here with my girlfriend a couple of weeks ago (May 2004) and I was quite pleased with the room (very clean, nice bathroom, very spacious), and their service (excellent staff, very good breakfast, maps and all the help you could need to get around in the city and enjoy your stay). I have to mention also the 24 hours reception, it is great if you want to go out and spend the night drinking some good italian wine without getting locked out like in most places!