Hotel Donatello - Rome?

I just took a look at reviews out there and they're not bad at all. The negatives seem to be about the size of the rooms and breakfast offerings but small rooms are pretty standard in Italian hotels (unless you go for higher-priced offerings), as is continental breakfast in budget accommodations so I wouldn't worry about those. I also wouldn't worry over the gripes about towels not being changed daily: also not unusual in these days of 'green' practices. The couple of really bad reviews I see tend to be one-offs by people whom appear not to have traveled much and/or have 5-star expectations of a 2 or 3-star property. Star ratings, of course, usually have nothing at all to do with how good a property is but simply the amount of amenities they offer.

I also wouldn't worry about the neighborhood as I'm seeing very few comments from guests whom felt 'unsafe', and those few from the complainers appear to be from the same sort unhappy about about room size, breakfast, etc. Central Rome in general is very safe, and while we haven't stayed in that neighborhood, we've been through it, and I just did a refresher, virtual walk around on google maps: it's not so different than some other slightly 'off the tourist tramp' neighborhoods in the city. There's a lot of graffiti but that's sort a fact of Roman life, I'm afraid.

Thank you so much for your response! That's just what I needed to know! It's our first time to Rome and I feel like a very naive tourist, not having traveled very much outside of the U.S. Reading Rick Steves, this forum, roninrome.com and other sites are helping me be armed with information so we hopefully stay safe from theft and focus on having a wonderful time. Much appreciated. (P.S. This hotel was booked through a package BEFORE we read Rick Steves!)

I sometimes think it's important to remember that not every corner of any tourist city is going to be charming or beautiful. Tourism sites, promotional pieces and guidebooks show photos only of the prettiest, most interesting or otherwise most engaging stuff? That's not the whole picture. There are also going to be those blocks of ordinary, of old and a little run down, of not-so-impressive. It doesn't mean those areas are 'bad' or unsafe, but more often where people who can't afford the expensive price tag of a flat or business smack in the middle of the most posh of historic sections shown in the pictures live and work.

Hotel Donatello is at Porta Maggiore, the ancient East Gate of Roma, known to have supported the convergence of two or three aqueducts. The Gate is connected to the Aurelian walls of the city. All these structures are huge, very impressive. Porta Maggiore is the site of a traffic circle.

I know this area because in September I walked down Via Labicana which is on the other side of the tracks from the hotel. I walked from Termini, thru Porta Maggiore, and on down Via Labicana, which side hosts the most elaborate and colorful Graffiti I've ever seen.

I can say that the walk was lonely, as is usually the case along track beds. There are buildings around but nothing is going on. The traffic circle at Porta Maggiore had a few shops, but then it got lonely again after I left the circle.

Also, it's all downhill from Termini. I know this because It was all uphill on the way back to Termini. That's when I found out that Termini is on a hill.

There is a Manzoni Metro Subway stop, but it may be a half mile from the hotel. I recommend that you and the family take taxi cabs to and from your hotel. The Via Labicana side of the tracks was a long, desolate stretch. I always felt safe, but it was lonely, and I stand by my recommendation from the other side of the tracks.

I was primarily addressing the safety question. Doesn't mean an issue couldn't happen, but an issue could happen anywhere at all in Rome so….

Is this accommodation in the most convenient /attractive of locations? Not really but it's a super-budget, very basic hotel with tariffs (at a random glance) running as low under $500 for a week for a double during high season. You're almost always going to give up something for that sort of rate, and prime location (plus some amenities found in pricer hotels) is the case here. And I would advise bringing earplugs.

It is probably a 10-minute walk from a metro station - which is not unusual at all for many locations in the city center - but is on a tram line, and not a bad stroll at all from any number of attractions. My husband and I are walkers, though, so what wouldn't bother us in the least may not be the case for someone else.

Obviously, no RS members have booked this one or they would have added a comment, and I'm not promising that it'll be a 'wonderful' stay but merely providing an IMHO balanced on a large number of reviews. People with clear expectations of a property in this price range seemed to do fine with it.

Thanks Sandra and Kathy, we booked it through Virgin Vacations as one package deal (we're in another city too prior to Rome) before we knew about Rick Steves' recommendations and it might be too late to change it but it does seem out of the way from other locations. Appreciate the input! We are such newbies to European travel.

After the above comments, I checked out the location. While I am big fan of staying in the Termini area, in my opinion it is not near Termini. It is a bit of a hike. When we taking about staying in the Termini area, most are thinking that you are staying around the front of Termini. What are you paying for the hotel? That would color some of my comments. The hotel is probably fine as basic accommodations and would not be "truly unsafe." It is just not a very good location that is convenient to anything. You probably will need to use a taxi more than if you were near the front of the station.

Hotel Donatello is like .9 of a mile SE of Roma Termini on the Via Giovanni Giolitti side. I lodge on the other side of Termini, the Via Marsala side, which is why I walk down Via Porta di Labicana.

The area is safe. I walked it, on the other side of the tracks, but I still walked it fine. When I say lonely I mean it's not crazy wild Termini. See I lodge across the street from Termini on Via Marsala. So I'm always pumped.

I do recommend that you Google world taxi fares or Rome taxi fares now and practice putting in different origin/destination points to get an idea of taxi fares in Rome. Also account for variables such as luggage, number of people, maybe time of day. Check the fare before you enter the cab.

If you are at Termini and you want a taxi, it's better to go to the taxi lanes outside the door at Piazza del Cinquecento where the outside bus terminal is.

There is a bus stop near the hotel. When I find the name of the stop I will post again.

Thanks Kathy, Sandra and Frank. Wow, this is the best travel forum for sure. I really appreciate the tips. This gives me a much better sense of what to expect. I have already looked through google satellite photos of course to familiarize myself with the streets too. I'm so grateful for all of you taking the time to answer this post. Blessings upon all of you!

I noticed that I was typing when you added your response about the travel package. There is a good reason why this type of hotel - location wise - is included in the package. Most tourist once they see the location are reluctant to book it. A couple of years ago we booked a dirt cheap package for Tuscany via Travel Zoo. They had an option to add on a 4 star, in Rome for $75/night for two nights. We took it but we know that in Rome was going to be real stretch. We had been to Rome four times and know it pretty well. It was a beautiful, ever bit a four star, great breakfast about half way to the airport. It was a fifteen minute drive from the last stop on the metro. It was fine for us since we had car and were departing from the airport so it was convenient. There was another couple there who were complaining bitterly about the location, $45 taxi to Rome, nothing walkable around the hotel, etc. I am sure they had bought a cheap package for a hotel in Rome. If you cannot id the location prior to putting your money on the table, then be prepared to be flexible.

Your hotel recommends Bus 105 to Porta Maggiore stop, then a 3 minute walk to hotel. There is a YouTube video from two years ago filming the 105 route starting at Piazza del Cinquecento, the bus terminal out the north doors of Termini. It's well done and worth watching.

PM me if you want details on taking Rome buses. For families I still prefer taxi cabs. If you practice now on Rome taxi fare sites on Google, you will be savvy enough to make those cabs work well for you.

For starters, City of Rome taxis cost a fixed rate of 48 Euro from FCO to points inside the Aurelian Walls.

I'll cheerfully offer the opposite viewpoint from Sandra's: we've only use a cab - a hotel shuttle, really - once in Rome, and have walked everywhere without issue. A metro station is really not that far from your hotel compared to metro locations from many other popular locations in Rome, and you are on a tram/bus line. While your location is not especially convenient, it's perfectly walkable to any number of locations in the city.

I'll offer the disclaimer that we walked all over the city from a location up in the Prati once, and back into central Rome via the Appia Antica from the train station at Torricola. :O)

Just wanted to report that we had a marvelous time in Rome. Thanks for all your advice everyone! We had no problems whatsoever at the Hotel Donatello and felt safe. It is far from the center of Rome, but with the Metro, cabs and reasonable walking distance (15 minutes to the Colosseum, 30 minutes to the Spanish Steps), we were fine. Our room was lovely decorated in yellow, trimmed with white moulding and rust red wallpaper. Our room faced the street, but with shutters and solid windows, noise wasn't a problem. There were some inexpensive places to eat nearby and overall we saved a ton at this hotel.

Thanks so much for reporting back, and I'm delighted that it worked out well for you!