My husband and I along with another couple had reservations at the Monte del Gallo for June 2005. After visiting several other areas of Italy this was our last stop. We had made reservations 5 months in advance for two nights. I emailed the owner/manager a few weeks prior to arrival and advised that we would be arriving late at night. We arrived into the Rome train station approximately 9:30pm, 4 people 4 large pieces of luggage and 4 carry on pieces, grabbed a cab and set out for the Bed & Breakfast. When we arrived what did we find.....a note on the door saying the hotel was closed. The owner had been in an accident. It is understandable that the B & B would be closed do to this misfortune, however no one tried to reach us to tell us to make alternate reservations. Whoever had the time to put the note on the door certainly could have reached up by telephone or email since the hotel had all contact information. Thank goodness for a helpful taxi driver who took the time to help us find accommodations during this late hour of the evening. My 85 Euro per night B & B ending us cosing 195 Euro per night for a hotel. I definately do not recommend this B & B.

My two grown children and I stayed in the Mini Garden Suite of this B&B the last week in April. It was only difficult for us to find because the streets were blocked off the day we arrived due to the ceremony for the new Pope on Sunday 24 April and we had to walk the final 5 blocks in a roundabout way. When we arrived at the bottom of the Ramp leading to the B&B someone was there waiting for us to take us up.

The pluses: Wilbur and the staff are very kind and helpful. If we needed anything we just had to ask. He even let my son use his personal computer to check his email and offered us use of a phone card to call home. It is easy to get around. The Vatican is very close by and there are buses nearby to take you anywhere else. It is also a short distance to St Peter's train station though we didn't use it. The B&B is clean and nicely decorated and we had a remote control for the heating/cooling unit to adjust if we needed. The price was very good for Rome in high season.

The middle: The breakfast is okay. It is not a buffet if that is what you are expecting. We got two pre-packaged pastries (croissant, muffin, roll, etc), and a juice box, plus coffee, tea or cereal. My children, who don't eat breakfast usually ended up taking a muffin or two with them for the afternoon so it was plenty of food for those not used to big breakfasts. We heard the dogs mentioned in a previous post, but while we were there they didn't bark at night. Our room did have a TV, but no radio or phone (okay by us). Our bathroom was small and somewhat cold, but adequate.

The minuses: The 45 steps (yes, I counted them) up to the B&B each time you return. It can be a drag after a full day of walking around Rome. The pillows are hard. Our shower leaked onto the floor slightly.

Overall it was an average experience - not the best, but certainly not the worst I've had. I would recommend it to people who want a quiet neighborhood, friendly staff, easy transportation and a good price.

Hi, we are Jack and Hazel from Dundee in Scotland. We stayed at Monte del Gallo 25th March2005 to 29th March 2005. The only bad thing about this place is acutally finding it. It was a nightmare to find and arriving late at night made it worse. What is wrong are the instructions, once we found our way around it is very easy to find. If any one is going there, do not hesitate to contact us and we will give you easy direction. Hopfully Wilbur the guy who looks after you there will have changed his directions to
All that said it is a very pleasant place to stay, and no Italians are not big on breakfast but there are many, many places to refill.during the day and night.

hazelbrand@blueyounder.co.uk if directions needed.

Hope this helps.

.

This place could be difficult to find, we took a taxi there and still had a little trouble. Overall, it is a nice B&B. In the US, a B&B is usually a free standing building, this is a large apartment in an apartment complex. The interior was nicely decorated and the room had a nice terrace. We stayed in the "meditteranean" room. Breakfast was nice (for Italy), with croissants, cereal, yogurt and muffins. Our host, Wilbur, was very gracious and helpful, from recommending great restaurants to organizing our trip to the airport to accommodating early breakfasts. Be sure to let them know when you're arriving because it isn't staffed around the clock. The location is literally right down the street from St. Peter's. This is great if the focal point of your trip is the Vatican and you need a nice place for a good price. However, this area of Rome is more modern and really lacks the charm of the old Rome section. If you're more interested in the sights near old Rome (Forum, Coloseum, etc.) this may be an inconvenient location. The shower was only useful if you sit in the bath to use it, it is only 2 feet off the floor, but it is a nice large bathtub. The only other drawback was the bed. It wasn't so much a bed as a piece of foam on a frame, not so comfy. All in all, if this fits your needs it's a great place to stay.