If your ideal holiday hotel is modeled on a Marriott or Sheraton, you should definitely avoid the Hotel Alexandra in Rome. This hotel is in a late 19th century building that has been upgraded but still maintains the style of its past. The wheezy lift that barely makes it to the top of the building is probably the major single addition to the building in recent times. Of course, the stairs are available for those who are energetic…
As I stayed in February when Rome experienced its first major snowfall in 25 years I wasn’t concerned with the air conditioning, but it does exist in the rooms and the heating was effective. The rooms are as large as you’d expect in a major city and include cramped but effective bathrooms. I was lucky and got a room on the 6th floor with a splendid view over the rooftops of Rome.
The hotel offers free Wi-Fi throughout the building. However, I was only able to log on to the service and maintain a somewhat reliable Internet connection in the lobby. The reception told me that routers are installed on each floor but also admitted that the age of the building and the thickness of the walls make good wireless connectivity a hit and miss affair.
Breakfast in the hotel is good and can set you up for a day’s walking around Rome. More substantial meals can be eaten at the restaurants dotted around the hotel. The Alex restaurant is immediately outside and is OK, but a tad expensive (53 euros for 3 ordinary pasta dishes, 3 coffees, and some tap water). I suspect that better food at a more reasonable price can be found elsewhere.
The staff is friendly and helpful. I didn’t see anyone have problems communicating as the folks at reception speak good English.
While not being located beside any specific attraction (the Trevi Fountains are a short walk away), the Hotel Alexandra is well positioned to serve as a base to access all the major sights in Rome. A metro station on Line A is 100m away from the front door of the hotel and this can be taken to get to places such as the Central Rail Terminus (two stops), Vatican (four stops), or the Coliseum (four stops, including a transfer to Line B at the Central Rail Terminus). Riding the metro is easy. One-euro tickets allowing rides of up to 75 minutes on metro and bus (enough to get anywhere in Rome) can be bought from automatic vending machines in stations.
All in all, the Hotel Alexandra is an excellent place to stay for those who want somewhere interesting in the centre of Rome.