The hotel is located on the street leading directly to St. Peter's. The building was built around 660 ad and is owned by the Vatican. The rooms are large, although as with most 3 star hotels the furnishings are dated. We were not impressed with the breakfast - we felt it was over priced for a limited selection of continental breakfast items.

I wanted a hotel near the Vatican because we were only staying a few days in Rome and wanted to make sure we could easily see the Sistine Chapel. To my surprise being close to the river made the hotel a great location to begin our walking tours of Rome. The coliseum is only a 45 minute walk away, with a number of very interesting sites along the way. The bus service is also very good from this location. A taxi ride from the main train station including luggage was 20 euros.

We stay at the Columbus Hotel whenever in Rome. From some some of the rooms, you cen see the lit dome of St. Peter's through your window. It's just a block away from the Vatican, and is an ancient palace with large, lovely rooms, an elegant breakfast buffet that you can enjoy indoors or outside in their enclosed garden courtyard. It has its own parking lot (rare in central Rome!) and helpful staff. It is also right across the street from a "Hop on, Hop off" bus stop, so you can use a 24-hour or 48-hour ticket to tour the city all day and enjoy being picked up and dropped off right at your hotel. One block away, through the walls of the Vatican, are lovely authentic Italian restaurants with outdoor seating to enjoy the passers-by, including many of the nuns and priests in town on Vatican business.

The location so near to the Vatican is great; you can't help noticing Saint Peter's as you leave the hotel through the front gate. A nice historic hotel that holds a lot of interest, especially perhaps the Veranda restaurant and bar with the faded frescoes and a mixture of nuns, tourists and church wardens. Don't expect large rooms, large beds or large televisions. Bathrooms simple but comfortable. Helpful staff. The airport limousine service organized by the hotel was excellent, 45 EUR for a driver to pick you up in a Mercedes and get you quickly through the mass of cars that is Rome is a really good start to the journey. You'll like this hotel if you are interested in history and ambience - it is not a spa and wellness experience by any stretch of the imagination. Ranks somewhere between average and very good, depending on how much weight you give to authenticity over comfort.

The hotel is situated in the front of St Peter. 5 minutes walk to the entrance.
An old building, the doors and windows protect you from wind but you here all noise from your neighbors, the street and even from the bathroom above yours. Not really relaxing times.