Our family of four stayed at Hotel Lodi for four nights this past May. I originally chose this hotel because of the good reviews it received on Trip Advisor, and because it was less expensive than other hotels I considered. I realized it was a little further away from the center of Rome than most other hotels, but I did not think I would mind that (and I didn’t), and also the cost savings seemed to justify it.
I must confess that our first impression of the hotel/hostel was not favorable, but as time passed, we grew to appreciate and enjoy Hotel Lodi, its staff, and the neighborhood.
First, the week we stayed in Rome, it was unusually hot. We arrived at Termini at midmorning, took the metro to the San Giovanni station, exited the station, and then attempted to walk to the hotel by using the directions from the website which said to follow Via La Spezia from the station to the hotel. The only problem is that construction on Via La Spezia at the station hides the street from view. After walking around lost for several minutes, we finally found our way to Hotel Lodi, but it took us 45 minutes to make what should be a 10 to 15 minute trip. Also, the neighborhood is what I would describe as “working class” with graffiti painted everywhere (And I mean everywhere. We came to find out that this is very common all over Rome and to us, a real shame.)
When we finally arrived at the hotel, hot and tired from our trip, and not overly impressed with the neighborhood, we discovered that the hotel was not air conditioned. In May, this would not normally be a concern, but again, it was unusually hot that week. Not a good start.
We put our bags in our three-bed, four-person room with private bath and immediately headed out to see the city, this time catching the bus at the stop on La Spezia back to the metro station at San Giovanni.
When we returned to the hotel later that evening, we had difficulty sleeping because we were not used to the street noise, which while not horrible, even the sound of one motorcycle every 10 minutes was enough to keep us awake (remember, no air conditioning, so the windows had to be left open).
But, the sun rose in the morning, and a new day began. We had breakfast in the picturesque little garden, and were served by a charming young lady. Breakfast consisted of juice, coffee, and a basket of croissants and white bread, with butter and jam.
We began to get to know our two gracious hosts, Toni and Fabrizio. They could not have been nicer or more helpful during our stay. They really made an effort to ensure their guests were taken care of. Toni recommended a restaurant, La Viletta, right around the corner from the hotel for dinner. La Viletta turned out to be one of our favorite restaurants during our two week vacation in Italy (we ate there twice). In fact, we agreed that it was probably our most authentic Italian dining experience.
Back to the hotel…our room was clean, and two computers with free internet service were available to the guests as was a refrigerator in the kitchen.
We also grew to like the neighborhood. One morning we strolled from the hotel to a clothing street market (our best shopping experience in Italy) that Toni recommended. The market was located across from the metro station at San Giovanni. Along the way, we visited a neighborhood food market located on a side street from La Spezzia. Very Italian. Also, I think one of the good things about staying away from the center of Rome is that you get to experience how normal Romans live, and you also are not subject to all of the thieves and pick-pocketers that frequent the busy tourist areas of the city.
So, all in all we had a very good experience at Hotel Lodi. The only reason that might cause us to not return, at least in the summer time, is the lack of air conditioning. But, if that is not important to you, I would think you would thoroughly enjoy Hotel Lodi and its wonderful staff.
