Principe Torlonia

"We stayed at Hotel Principe Torlonia in Rome as a family of four. We checked in late at night, and the front desk staff was friendly and welcoming, which we appreciated after a long day of travel. However, when we entered the room, it was extremely cold, and there were no instructions provided on how to turn on the heater. When we called the front desk, the explanation was not clear, and we eventually had to figure it out ourselves by adjusting the thermostat. Some guidance at check-in would have been very helpful. The next night, after returning from sightseeing, there was a very strong and unpleasant odor in the room. We immediately informed the front desk. While they did something to address it, the smell made that night very uncomfortable. Fortunately, the odor was gone by the third night, but the experience significantly affected our stay. Our most disappointing experience was during breakfast. One of the breakfast staff members repeatedly watched us closely and corrected us on small things, such as how to close lids after taking food. This made us feel uncomfortable and singled out. At one point, one of us—who was fasting and not eating—picked up a single apple by hand while preparing to leave. The same staff member very rudely told us that nothing could be taken away, even though no one had asked. The apple was then taken and placed back in the basket without being cleaned, which also raised hygiene concerns. What made this experience more upsetting was that the same staff member was smiling, friendly, and engaging warmly with another family at the same time, while treating us in a noticeably colder and more scrutinizing manner. This difference in behavior made us feel discriminated against, whether intentionally or not. Overall, while the front desk staff was polite, the room issues and especially the breakfast experience left us with a very negative impression. Unfortunately, because of these experiences, we would not recommend staying at this hotel."

"Nice location, very peaceful and quiet. Takes less than 10 minutes to meander to the nearest Metro station (Bologna). Friendly staff. Breakfast is ok but sort of same same every day. You can eat in the back garden area as well as inside. We were 2 floors up. Didn't pay a visit to the basement area, so haven't a clue what the rooms were like down there. No pool. Lift worked well. Room was fine. Bed was very comfy and certainly slept well. Shower worked fairly well although did have an issue with the drain but that was promptly fixed when reported. Air con worked very well. WiFi is very fast. I uploaded 50 photos in less than 10 seconds! If you need supplies there is a large supermarket (Carrefour) just the other side of the block."

"The hotel is tucked into a charming neighborhood, and the breakfast was a nice touch—fresh and enjoyable each morning. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives ended. We were placed in a basement room with a small, unreachable window that offered no real ventilation. The room smelled musty the entire week, which we were told was due to heavy rains the week before. Nothing could be done, apparently, and the smell never improved...ended up with a sinus infection by the end of stay. The bathroom added to the discomfort—the shower leaked badly, leaving water all over the floor every day. While customer service was polite, they offered no real solutions to the issues raised. We also discovered that the basement rooms don’t get the same TV channels as the upper floors. When we asked about English-language channels, staff told us they weren’t available in the basement rooms. Disappointing overall, especially considering how nice the location is. Wouldn’t return if basement-level (-1 level) rooms are the only rooms available. Think the story of Cinderella, but in the basement not the attic."