For my 8-day trip to Rome, I wanted a nice hotel in a quiet location, yet within easy reach of everything, and found it at the Domus Aventina. The location is excellent on top the Aventina Hill, next to the Sta. Prisca Church, which again means that if you are not reasonably light-footed - think twice! For drivers: parking no problem on square in front. The nearest Metro st. is 5 min. away, and so are busses, and Colisseum a brisk 15 min. walk away. Between the hotel and the ancient Sta. Prisca Church (where St. Peter is said once to have been entertained)there is a lush, but unaccessible garden, the innermost part very overgrown and completely sombering the ground floor rooms and their patios. The hotel's own web-site and their brochure (whose photos must be ancient) claims that ALL rooms have balcony AND garden view - that is A GREAT LIE! Of the hotels 26 rooms on 3 floors, only 10 rooms have those facilities! And none at all on the top floor. And, of course, none of the 5 singles, who face either a light shaft or the wall of the next-door house. Bringing up the subject, the reception staff came up with some very alternative explanations... Holding a reservation for a single WITH balcony and garden view, I was first given the smallest single I have ever seen - appr. 2x4 meters (No. 38 on 2nd floor, with the next-house wall view), a mini bathroom, cramped with shower cabin, bidet and WC - otherwise all very nice and clean. But definitely not what I had booked. Upon my protest I was then offered a delightful twin (no. 32) with a furnished balcony etc., but the receptionist wanted initially a single surcharge of € 30/night, which I rejected referring to my reservation. It was not collected. The sound-proofed room was excellent - soft terracotta-colored textiled walls, good beds, lots of storage spaces, safe-box, A/C, direct phone and TV, and a pleasant bathroom, including a bidet (but the shower stall is very small and spells problems if you are a bit overweigh) - all very clean and with lush towels, soaps, shoe polish pads, shower caps and what have you. And sound-proof or not - there is not a sound to be heard from the outside world when you sit out on your lovely balcony. And I experienced no mosquitoes from the lush foliage of the below bushes totally obscuring the rooms one the 1st floor. The daily maid visit put everything in shape and was well worth a tip upon departure. There is no roof-top terrace, as otherwise claimed, and no bar or restaurant - only a pleasant lobby place with a few sofas and chairs - and lots of magazines, all in Italian. A large, drab basement space has been made acceptable as breakfast-room with some white paint, amateur murals and a couple of bushes of artificial flowers in the corners - mostly with tables for 4. The included breakfast buffet is "extended Continental", if there is such a term - good, and sufficient to keep you going until well after noon: 4 different quality juices, 4 different cereals, cold hard-boiled eggs, yougurt and milk, bisquits, as well as 3 different liver-pastes, an array of marmalades, honey, 2 cheeses and butter - all in the usual portion prepacks. The bread selection was rather poor - some factory stone-hard rolls and prebaked house-heated croissants and sweet pastry. The muddy coffee topped it, but I have seen it all much worse. Even in mid-September the hotel was pretty empty - at breakfast (09:00-09:30) I counted only max. 8 persons, mostly 1- or 2-nighters as far as I could see. Maybe the rack-rates of € 240 for a twin and € 150 for one of the (scandalously small) singles tell their own story... (lower rates are normally available through one of the booking systems - hotels.com and venere.com etc.) It is a lovely, modern hotel in a great location with rooms that differ very much in size and facilities, so be sure to state your preferences and have them confirmed. I would definitely like to stay there again. To get there: at the Fiumicino airport, take the local train (not the "Leonardo Express") to the Ostiense station (€5.50), and from there the frequent bus no. 175(€ 1.00) that drops you at Sta. Prisca on request. From there the hotel is right around the corner, and you have saved €5 or more. Have fun and enjoy the Domus Aventina!

Very pleased with this hotel Very good value, excellent staff, and a good location. Only problem is the uphill walk to the hotel after a hard days sight seeing.