This is the Rome of your dreams. Both Medieval & Modern. We LOVED just opening the windows and shutters overlooking the street, leaning out the windowsill and watch the strolling people below at night. During the morning, little children were being led to a nearby school or day care amidst a stream of tourists with maps.. How very disappointing indeed it would be to not get to stay here as happened to one reviewer. Bear in mind that Experiences will vary with room and building assignment and you may not get a room opening up on the street as there are more interior rooms. I am giving it 5 stars despite it not being perfect on the basis that the daily rate for a double was almost exactly half ($162 E) of what the Hotel Raphael wanted for the same days (320E) in September 2008 but the Residenza Domizia was a one minute walk down the same narrow side street . WARNING. This is a humble bed and breakfast and not a world class hotel or “living art museum” like the Raphael with its astonishing ivy façade and luxury lodging. However, you do get to enjoy the very same picturesque labyrinth of narrow twisting streets of the historic city centre, embroidered with antique shops while the artistic centre and the most famous and fashionable shopping streets are just round the corner… famous historical highlights like St. Peter's Church, Castel Sant'Angelo, the Pantheon, Campo de' Fiori, the Spanish Steps, the Synagogue and Piazza Navona are at hand.
. Residenze Domizia is in two buildings on Via Coronari: one at 14 (left hand side from P. Navona), the other at 236 (right hand side and closest to P. Navona ). Each has its own advantages: 14 has the reception check in desk where you get your keys but not the breakfast room . 236 has the breakfast room and is opposite the street where Hotel Raphael is that leads in a dog leg to Piazza Navona but you need to go over to 14 to check in and out.
We got the Via Coronari room in the second bldg at 236 which scarpenter4 calls the “quad” (there were two foldout Murphy type beds concealed alongside the window wall) in addition to the two twin beds pushed together. The room is big and at the wall at the end of the right of the door, there is a really long narrow hallway (still within the room, not a shared hall) that runs back to a private bathroom that was bigger than our hotel room in Venice !!! Seriously, there was a huge Roman soaking tub that was SIX foot THREE inches long and THREE foot NINE inches wide with a platter sized showerhead. I will try and post photos with this review. There are not that many reviews here at so it’s easy to get the whole picture for this bed and breakfast on a cobblestone street a short stroll to Piazza Navona and based on our experience, I can vouch for the advice for late sleepers to stay in 14 and the heads up on how tiny the breakfast room is (and its tables even tinier)
Less than Perfect: I never trust all glowing reviews perhaps because that has never been my experience at any hotel or bed & breakfast. So what won’t Residenza Dominza post on its web site: The street is supposed to be for pedestrians only but motor scooters regularly do use it to park on the side street that the Hotel Raphael is on. Plus there were occasional taxis and delivery cars and trash trucks. Never a steady stream of anything but pedestrians but enough motorized traffic to notice. Our room got noisy at night as strollers passed below and traffic noise from the circle leading to P. Navona (but we would book this "noisy" room again in a heartbeat just for the people window watching). Check in at Bldg 14 means walking up about twenty circular steps so you may want to leave your luggage in the ground floor vestibule with a partner in case you get bldg 236 or else just be prepared to carry the luggage up and then back down and then retrace your steps to 236 like we did. There is a lift at 236 but we did not use it. . If you want new towels each day, then you need to put them on the bathroom floor. If you leave them draped over the bathtub or shower, they get folded for reuse and hung on the towel racks
LOGISTICS: The taxi driver from the airport knew right where the Zarandelli taxi stand off of Piazza Navona was and dropped us off there. He charged us the 40 E we agreed on at the airport. From there it was a one-minute walk to the hotel. Just walk to the “back” of the taxi line and keep going past the ruins then cut across the curved street to Via Coronari which has blue circle Ped sign and a one way blue arrow . Or else get dropped off right in front of the Hotel Raphael and facing the hotel go to your right up the street which dead ends into Via Coronari 236 and then go left up the street to 14. Take a look at the picture of the doorway on TA but the numbers are easy to read. Ring the bell on the Seinfield like row of buzzers for Residenza Domizia if the front vestibule door is locked, then walk up the steps to the door with the brass plaque of Residenza Domizia (ring again if locked) and walk to the reception desk to get your big key ring with 3 keys (Vestibule door, RD door, and room door). If you are in 236, you retrace your steps . If you want new towels each day, then you need to put them on the bathroom floor
Our Room was outfitted with a Samsung heater/air conditioner mounted high on the wall out of reach. The desk book had Italian instructions only and I confess that we never used it since we thought the remote control was for the TV. But when we used the flat screen TV we realized it only needed two remotes like most satellite tvs so I looked closer at the Samsung remote and pushed the power button and the heating/ac unit hummed on. The weather was perfect so we did not need it, but if you have questions ask at the reception desk. Whew long review but I know how nervous I was about booking this bed and breakfast with so few reviews and how many questions I private messaged scarpenter4 about basics that I wanted to spell it all out here. Plus both hotels we stayed at in Italy, this one Rome and the Best Western Hotel Olympia in Venice had at least one negative review about being switched to a different hotel but that did not happen to us. We booked Directly with both Resideza Domizia and Hotel Olympia on their own web site and not through any travel service or discount hotel on line service like Orbiz, expedia, or Venere .