Having read the reviews on here prior to making our booking, I was very much looking forward to staying at The Sistine B&B and visiting the many sites and attractions Rome has to offer. Now I am back home I feel I should share with you some of our experiences during our stay at the Sistine B&B, as although most of the reviews are very good and highlight the great things about the B&B (breakfast, friendly staff, proximity to metro/Vatican city) there are a few other issues which I feel people should be aware of...
As mentioned in other reviews, most of the staff here are friendly and helpful (Francesca and Irene deserve a special mention), and although the premises is not manned 24/7 there is a number you can call from the room free of charge and they were very helpful, even turning on the heating for us at night when we were cold (we live in Malaysia, so felt the cold at night even though it was a warm April in Rome!). However, it should be noted that the cover staff working on a Sunday morning were not to the same standard... Firstly, they demanded we return our breakfast trolley when we hadn't finished eating (which was a great breakfast btw, lots of choice, delivered to room at a time we chose). Secondly, they left at 10.30 am (supposedly the place is manned until 12pm) and didn't clean our room, make the bed, or change the towels, even though we told her we were about to vacate the room for the day as she left. I called the management (on the free number mentioned before) who said she would come back and clean the room, but when we returned that evening nothing had been done. Not great service for the best part of 200 euros a night I'm sure you'll agree!
The room was a good size, the bathroom is a little on the small side and could do with some refurbishment, but on the whole the place is nicely furnished and they provide free wifi access / a computer in the hallway. One other thing that was missing was any means to make a hot drink in the room, which was disappointing, as after a long day walking around the beautiful city we wanted nothing more than a cup of tea to relax!
In terms of location, it is a 2 minute walk from the metro, from which most of the main sites can be reached in minutes, and a 15 minute walk to the Vatican City and is away from main hustle and bustle of the city.
On the whole this is a nice establishment, though I do feel there are a few small changes that can make a huge difference to the stay. In terms of value for money it is very expensive for what is essentially a basic B&B away from the main city centre.
