We stayed at the Merulana Inn for two nights at the end of a long Italian holiday. When we arrived at the address we found that it was not a traditional hotel in the sense of having a ground level reception etc, it is in fact a managed apartment. That is, in order to get in you need to ring a buzzer which connects with some chap who presumably is sat at home - who then lets you in remotely. Unfortunately this does not seem to work (which was backed up with conversations with other guests) - the only way to get in is to ring the number on the sign - twice - once to get in the main door at street level and a second time to get into the automatic door on the third floor.

However, this aside (which is a little off putting), the hotel is excellent. Very modern, clean rooms, friendly staff (who are there only in the mornings for breakfast), free wifi, LCD TV, free computer etc etc.

It is also pretty good value, much cheaper than similar spec hotels. You just have to put up with the initial task of getting in, and need to accept that there won't be any staff around for the majority of the time, should you have a late night desire for a club sandwich or the like!

This has to be the best hotel room for a short stay we've ever stayed in, either in the UK or abroad in other cities.
It really is unique. Situated on the 3rd floor of a building only 10 minutes walk from termini station, swipe entrance doors enable you to come and go as you please with your room card once checked in.
There are only 7 rooms, and it felt more like an apartment than a hotel as there is no reception as such.
The bathroom is emaculate and everything seemed to be really new. The bed was very comfy and there was little to no noise from the street even thought it is on a pretty busy road.
The breakfast was perfectly adequate for what we required. They had chocolate croissants, cereals, toast and jam, yoghurt, fruit juice and even jam tart!

The only fault i found with this accomodation is the fact that from the outside it is not obvious that it is there! There is a small sign next to the buzzer but other than that it just looks like all the other buildings on the street. We walked straight past when we first arrived!

But stay here and you are guaranteed a comfortable hassle free stay in a truly lovely hotel that is quite good value for money for a capital city.

After having booked myself into what can only be described as a horrendous hotel a few years ago in Rome I was rather concerned about the quality of hotels there. Since I was in charge of booking the accomodation in Rome and it was a birthday present for my partner I had my fingers firmly crossed that Merulana was not going to let me down. I had done my research online and the pics looked good, but then again don't they always?!

I was absolutely gobsmacked that Merulana did not disappoint, in fact was above and beyond what I could of hoped for. It was absolutely delightful and so very homely. It was also extremely clean with the unusual but comforting aroma of peaches - strange I know!

It is well situated about a 5 minute walk from Termini station, just down the road from the awe inspiring St Mary's Basilica and right near stop number 4 for the Blue Line of the Hop on Hop off red double decker City sight seeing Bus - a must for your first day. Merulana is also about a 15/20 min walk from most of the attractions, the Colloseum, The Forum and Palatine, the Trevi Fountain and well pretty much most of the places you want to go.

The Hotel itself is great, I really liked the fact that there was no check in desk and once you are given your entry card you come and go as you please and it is really like coming home every time you return, not a hotel. The rooms are exactly as they look in the photos and are spotlessly clean and have been decorated in a beautiful yet very way. My partner and I were so very impressed.

The breakfast was lovely, not a big spread but plenty of variety and I thought really sweet. The milk however tasted a little strange tasting, perhaps it was goats milk? We suggest you buy your own little bottle to keep in your fridge. There is a supermarket just around the corner near the Basilica.

There are plenty of restaurants nearby although most of our eating out experiences were a little strange, and while the food was mostly okay the service disappointingly was really very bad.

I will however recommend you visit 'La Cuccuma' a tiny little place just down the road on the opposite side at Via Merulana 221, they were really lovely and the food although simple was great. You have to get there early as it fills up fast. The sign of a great place clearly! There is also a great coffee shop on the corner near the Basilicca - the newest looking one near the market stalls.

You also have access to the internet and wireless if you so desire so you can research your day trips etc. My only criticism is our bathroom was a little small and our shower was leaking all over the floor but once we worked out how to fix it with a towel it was fine, I suspect it was just ours though not all of them. Still we were there to see the sights you not spend all our time in the bathroom so it was fine!

I cannot reccomend the Merulana Inn enough, my only hope is with this glowing review that next time I want to go there it is not fully booked. I only wish there were Merulana's everywhere, not just Rome!!! Fabulous value for money and a real home from home.

I stayed here for two nights and absolutely loved it!

The hotel itself is only one floor of the entire building, so it's very small but this adds to its charm,as does the modern decor. Rooms aren't amazingly big, but they definitely aren't too small either, and they are equipped with everything you need (tea/coffee making facilities, good sized flat-screen tv) as well as being modern, very comfortable and clean. And the bathrooms, although fairly small, are absolutely spotless!! Breakfast, as has been said before, is basic, but there is still plenty to fill up on and the continental buffet is constantly being refilled before items run out.

The hotel is run from another building, but is looked after during the morning/early afternoon by an attendant. Although she speaks very little English, she is very friendly and made a big effort with us.

As the hotel is not manned all the time it means if you arrive late there may not be anyone in the building to let you in, however this isn't a problem. We arrived in the evening, but just called the phone number on hotel sign outside the main door and were promptly let into the building remotely.

The hotel is in a fantastic location, very close to Termini station, walking distance from the main attractions (eg. Colosseum, Trevi Fountain) and the beautiful Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore at the end of the street.

Will definitely be staying here on my next trip to Rome!