Starhotels Metropole

"The location, rooms, cleanliness and professionalism and kindness of the staff were exceptional - would highly recommend."

"Overall, the hotel itself was pleasant and the location was convenient, but I was disappointed by the billing practices. I have stayed at this hotel for well over 100 nights over the past 20 years, and I have never previously encountered this kind of charge. After my stay, I noticed that the invoice included repeated charges described as a “voluntary contribution for hotel services.” These charges had been added automatically for each night of the stay, despite being presented as voluntary. I do not recall this being clearly explained during booking or at check-in, nor was I asked about it at check-out. Had the charge been brought to my attention, I would have been able to make an informed choice about whether to contribute. A charge described as voluntary should require active consent, not passive acceptance. I am, of course, happy to reward good service directly. I routinely tip for assistance with luggage and also leave tips for housekeeping staff. However, that is very different from an automatically added “voluntary” charge appearing on the invoice without explicit consent. As a long-standing and loyal guest, I found this disappointing. Transparency in pricing is especially important in higher-end hotels, and unexpected additional fees leave an unfortunate impression even when the stay itself is otherwise enjoyable. I would recommend that the hotel explain such charges clearly in advance and allow guests to actively choose whether they wish to contribute."

"A well situated hotel for walking to most of the sights. Staff at breakfast were very friendly and helpful and the breakfasts were very good. A variation of the hot dishes on offer would have been a bonus. Our biggest issue with this hotel was the lack of air conditioning. We chose it because it had this facility and were lucky enough to have really good weather whilst in Rome. However, our room was very warm and not being able to cool it down meant poorer sleeping conditions. We asked about this but were told that there was no need for AC in Rome in April so it wasn't switched on. I would have thought that should be the guests choice...not some seasonal rule."