We booked a weekend stay at the Hotel Solis (Sat & Sun), our choice was influenced by other (mostly positive) reviews and it's central location.

The hotel is small, and a little dated (let's itself down with an unattrative worn / dirty carpet on the staircase), however the rooms, although smallish, are clean & comfortable with an adequate toilet / shower.

The breakfast room comprises a few small tables with a "help yourself" basic buffet bar. Breakfast consists of a selection of cereals, pastries, tea coffee & fruit juice, perhaps not what you are used to in England but adequate.

The hotel's redeeming feature is it's location and reasonable room price. On arrival at the termini station (bus & train station) it's very easy to locate and only a 15 minute steady walk. From the hotel you can walk to the Colosseum within 10 minutes, and most other attrations and shops are close by (the hotel has a very good free pocket map at reception)

Tips -

Purchase a return bus ticket at Ciampino airport for the Schiaffini Shuttle bus, it is only 8 euros return, the bus stop is No. 1 directly outside the airport main building, no problems with getting on, they are very frequent and reliable. A taxi one way will set you back around 40 euros.

At the termini staion, cross the road and stop at McDonalds for a quick coffee etc. (2 coffees, 2 cakes & 2 burgers only 5.90 euros). Normally I don't frequent McDonalds but the coffee is very good and the prices very cheap compared to most eateries in Rome! Leaving McDonalds turn left and walk up the road, turning left into the Via Cavour, the Solis is No. 311 on the right hand side of the street.

Purchase an all day metro ticket from the kiosks in the stations, at only 4 euros each they are good value for money and will save you blisters on your feet!

Check prices for coffees before ordering, most Italians drink coffee at the bar inside as they are much cheaper, a coffee in a tourist location seated outside can cost you up to 5 euros!

The Sistine Chapel at the Vatican is only open on the last Sunday of the month, although open on all other days of the week. An excellent eaterie near the Vatican is the Tavola Calda Pizzeria on the Via Otaviano (53) - fantastic roast meats & potatoes.

Ladies - wear sensible flat shoes or you will suffer, walking boots would be better as many of the streets are cobbled or of uneven surface, maybe not fashionable but you will be thankful at the end of the day's sightseeing !!


Enjoy your stay, it's a beautiful city, very safe and interesting if a little pricey in places. For a freebie call into the Louis Vuitton shop on the Via Condotti - they give browsers in the shop glasses of wine & fruit juices & a sample chocolate!

If you want to see ancient Rome, this hotel is in the perfect location. It is a 2 to 5 minute walk to the beginning of the Forum (at the end of the block) and a five minute or so walk to the Coliseum. Trajan's Market is right there too. Also, Saint Peter in Chains Church is basically next door. Two metro stations are very nearby which lets you get to attractions further away very quickly and cheaply. Also, several restaurants and places to get a quick sandwich are around the hotel.

It is not the Ritz, but the room was big enough and clean. The room we were in had a nice bathroom, and space for three to sleep. The TV was small, but we didn't care since we were there to see Rome. The breakfast in the morning was good and the staff were helpful and polite. The hotel faces a busy street (all the streets seem busy in Rome), but once we closed the windows and curtains we could not hear a thing. The decor in the room was somewhat dated, but once, again, we didn't care since we were in Rome to see the sights.

Overall, it was great.

My husband picked this from TripAdvisor and we were not sorry. It's located close to the Colosseum and the Ruins. It was easy to get to everything in the city as two train stops were within 5 minutes walk. The rooms were clean and comfortable and breakfast was great!

I will begin by saying that if you are looking for the Grand Hyatt, this is not your place. However, if you are looking for an affordable hotel close to the sights of Rome, then stay here.

My wife and I came here on the first leg of our European honeymoon, and we were greeted by a very friendly person at the front desk who informed us that our room was not available (construction or something) and that for the night they would have to place us in a temporary room. That room was a very tiny single, but they were apologetic and for the next four nights we had a more spacious and reasonable double.

The location is very good: it is a 5-10 max walk to the Cavour Metro station and a 5 minutes walk max to the Colosseum and Forum. My wife and I spent much time overlooking the Colosseum because we would leave the hotel, walk two blocks, and be there. There is also a good number of restaurants and shops nearby, many affordable and some not tourist traps.

Our double room's decor was very simple. We had a room similar to the red one shown in the pictures on this site. It was a double mattress on two twin beds pushed together, but was still comfortable. We also had a comfortable day bed. The bathroom was spacious (not large) and acceptable. The AC worked pretty well and if you are going to Rome in the summer, I would highly recommend air conditioning. The hotel was very quiet, especially at night, but if you like sleeping with the windows open be warned that they open either to Via Cavour or noisy alleys, which if you are a light sleeper may make it hard to sleep. We did not take advantage of the free breakfast.

We had a good experience and would consider staying there in the future.