The Istituto Santa Giuliana is a small convent one street removed from Piazza Navona. Clean and comfortable, it offers rooms of different sizes to quiet travelers. Centrally located, it is ideal for visiting Rome, most attractions being within walking distance (less than 30 minutes for the most distant).

I had reserved through email (no website yet) a room with two single beds. A couple of sisters speak English and usually man the desk. With the continental breakfast, the room was 79 euros/night for both of us. The reservation made, I received by email a document giving me more information (how to get there, deposit, final payment, etc.). When I reconfirmed the reservation a month before our arrival, one night deposit was charged to my credit card as stated in the document. I paid the rest by credit card upon arrival.

The convent was easily accessible with the well-known bus #64 who dropped us off almost in front of it at lunch time. Without further ado, we were assigned our room by a pair of very kind and cheerful nuns. As in many places, the key had to be returned every time we went out. Curfew was at 11:30 p.m., a reasonable hour for travelers. A small elevator in good working order took us to the 2nd floor. The room itself was comfortable but without any frills: two beds (with excellent mattresses), two night tables, a table with two chairs, a cupboard, a sink and bidet. Four towels and shampoo were waiting for us on the table. As it was situated at the back of the convent, we were not disturbed by any noise. I was told that rooms facing the street could be noisy. Four bathrooms with showers were nearby. No fan, phone or clock in the room but there was a hairblower in the nearby bathroom. No computer with internet access was available in the convent. Out of habit, we made our beds in the morning; so I am unsure if someone would have straightened things up if we had not.

Breakfast, served on the 1st floor at 8 a.m., consisted of one croissant and as many slices of good bread as you wished, all served by a small nun with limited English but who smiled a lot. Tea, coffee or hot chocolate completed the meal. On our last morning, we had to leave before breakfast was served. I mentioned that fact to the sister at the desk and, when we came down to check out a couple days later, two small paper bags, containing each one croissant, were waiting for us at the desk.

This convent offers good lodgings at a reasonable price for Rome. The location is excellent, near most attractions and stores. The rooms are simple but clean and comfortable. The nuns are kind, helpful, and welcoming. People with simple needs will find this place more than adequate.


Traveling tips:
-Piazza Navona offers free entertainment (acrobats, music, etc.) every evening. If you wish to have your portrait drawn by an artist, this is the place.

-On Victor Emmanuelle, just past Largo Argentino, there is a small grocery store. Another one can be found on Via della Farina (the street beside the church Sant’ Andrea della Valle). Both will supply you with the basics if you don’t wish to go in a restaurant. The Campo dei Fiori is barely 5 minutes away but offers little besides fruits, vegetables and a few souvenirs. As for restaurants, we found the following cheap deals in the area: around the corner from the convent, a mini pizzeria sells good pizza by weight; the chain Insalata just beside the church Sant’Andrea della Valle offers big salads and pasta at a decent price (less than 30 euros for two, with house wine); just pass the library Feltrinelli on Victor Emmanuelle, il Delfino offers for 11 euros your choice of 2 plates + bread+dessert. Very ordinary but a favorite place for young locals. For fun, almost across the convent on the Corso del Rinascimento, a little candy store will fill anybody’s sweet tooth.

-On Victor Emmanuelle, many buses run by. The #64 runs from Termini to Saint Peter’s and stops everywhere. The #40 does the same but with less stops. At nearby Largo Argentina, you can easily take the tramway to Trastevere Station and change to the local train for the airport, the whole trip taking less than an hour and costing 1/3 less than the Leonardo Express running between Termini and the airport.

- To visit museums and other attractions, consider the Roma Pass (20 euros), valid 3 days. First 2 attractions free and the others at reduced price. Free transportation for 3 days also. The Coliseum, Palatine & Forum are 12 euros all together (1 ticket for all three). Most others museums are 6 euros. The bus or metro cost 1 euro each time. Note that students from outside Europe have to pay adult prices. Only the Vatican museums accepted the ISIC card during our stay.

My husband and I stayed in this convent in Rome for 4 nights. Overall it was a positive experience. Our room was immaculately clean and comfortable. The nuns who ran the hotel were all very friendly and helpful. We really enjoyed getting to know them during our stay. Breakfast consisted of croissants and bread.

The hotel is in city center and is walking distance to ancient Rome and The Vatican. Piazza Navonna is directly behind the hotel and is a great place to spend your evenings. There is a good pizzeria next door and several grocery stores close by.

I have two caveats about Isitituto Santa Giuliana Falconieri. First, it is not air conditioned so don't stay here during the summer. You will get very hot. Secondly, there is a major noise issue. The hotel is on a very busy street and the traffic noise can be overwhelming. I am quite sure the noise was actually louder in my room on the third floor than it was at street level because of the way the buildings around it are positioned. The first two nights we stayed here neither of us got any sleep.

The last two nights we were able to move to a room down the hall. Though we could still hear the street noise it was at a reasonable level and we were able to sleep.

If you decide stay here make sure your room is not located on the street side of the building and you will probably be alright.

Isitituto Santa Giuliana Falconieri is an excellent value and if you can live with the noise I would recommend it.