Are you sitting comfortably? Then I will begin.

I stayed here in June 2008, found it very basic but ok for me. I was going to be out all day sightseeing so it was just a bed to crawl into at night. Others have mentioned the crap breakfast and the weak water pressure in the showers, no need for me to go into that again.

I went back to Rome in May, for 2 weeks, 1 week sightseeing and relaxing, 1 week for the tennis event there at the Foro Italico. I decided I would stay here again as I knew it was clean & tidy and handily located for getting around.

I'd booked by email direct with Andreas & Simone, arrived on time on the Wednesday, and was looking forward to resting on the bed for an hour (I was very hot & tired) before going out for something to eat, then having an early night.

Upon arrival I was asked for the 840 euros, which I paid. When this was securely locked away, I was told that I had to pay another 28 euros 'tax' ... Andreas went to great trouble to explain that it was a Government tax, and nothing to do with him. I was more than a bit pissed off with this, the 28 euros was neither here nor there but I told him we should know EXACTLY what we have to pay before we arrive. I asked why there was nothing about this on their website "Its a new tax, only since the beginning of the year he said .... "New?? Its now May!" I said .... suddenly his English wasn't as good as it had been a few minutes earlier!

Anyway, I paid up, all I wanted to do was have a lie down be fore eating, and was then told that I would have to stay in another hotel for 3 nights as they had no water!! He'd only been informed the day before, he told me. I asked why he hadn't mentioned it in the email he had sent me the previous evening in response to a question I'd asked .... again, suddenly he didn't speak the lingo!

"You stay at the other hotel 3 nights and come back to me Saturday morning" he said, "you can pick whatever room you want then" I couldn't be bothered to even continue the conversation!

Anyway, I stayed 3 nights at a hotel close by and returned Saturday morning at about 9 a.m. There was no sign of either Andreas or Simone, instead there was a woman there that apparently works weekends ...and doesn't speak a word of English (bear in mind they advertise that English is spoken amongst other languages). Luckily there was a guy eating breakfast that spoke both Italian & English and he informed me that she was saying my room (and indicated which one it was) wasn't ready until midday! I asked him how long he had been there, he said 4 days. I asked if he'd had any problems with the water, to which the answer was no.

So they'd lied about not having any water, which was confirmed only seconds later when a family walked out of "my" room. Obviously it had been double booked!

There was no apology forthcoming at all, just a continental shrug and, again, a sudden lack of spoken English from Andreas when I saw him Monday.

The rest of the week was ok.

I'm off to Rome again in December, so, foolishly, I thought "what the hell" and looked online to see if they had a room for 3 nights early in the month, I checked their own website and saw that Dec was "low season" (except for the holidays) and rooms in low season are 50 euros a night.

I then went through Venere (or maybe some other booking website) to get the room, and was quoted 80 euros a night! I assumed they were adding a bit on for themselves so I emailed Andreas direct and asked for a room for the 3 nights and asked how much it was, he came back with 100 euros a night "as its a holiday here during those dates"!!!

I've found out from an Italian friend that the 8th is a public holiday, thats all !! I've since booked elsewhere, very close to Nights In Rome, for the same 3 nights, for 40 euros a night.

Lying, cheating, robbing, barstewards.