Occidental Aurelia

This was a lovely hotel. We stayed 5 nights and were really happy with our stay. The room was large and the king bed was really comfy. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The breakfast, which was included in our hotel, was good and there were so many options. Anything we requested was brought promptly to our room. There is a pretty courtyard and swimming pool that we didn't use but lots of people did, and it looked clean and inviting. The hotel is about a 12 minute walk to the metro or there is a bus stop almost directly across the street with a bus that stops beside the metro station. This particular bus, however, only runs about once an hour. So if you can handle the walk in the heat (most days in June it was 32-37 C) I'd opt for the walk to the metro. The metro system is easy to navigate, so this hotel was well located being so close to the metro line A which had stops at so many of the popular attractions. There was a grocery store just beside the metro stop, so we popped in a lot for snacks, to replenish our water supply, and sometimes for food for dinner, rather that eating out every evening. This was great after a long, VERY HOT day of traipsing around Rome. We stayed at a nearly identically priced hotel in Nice, France the week before and although adequate, it wasn't nearly as nice and breakfast was not included in the price of the room. We would highly recommend this hotel, it was reasonably priced and offered a great stay.

Stayed here for 6 nights in mid-July. Staff and reception were very friendly and accommodating. Room was spacious with excellent AC, giving us some respite from the Roman heat. Pool area outside was nice to sit and relax. Would absolutely stay here again but there were some relatively minor areas for improvement I’d like to note. The sink in the bathroom would easily overflow and take a while for the water to disperse. After shaving this left the sink in quite a mess. The shower also was a little small for my liking especially given the size of the bathroom it could be more spacious. The hotel is well served by buses (if they turn up which is not always a guarantee from the notorious ATAC) but the pavement to and from the hotel is quite narrow and a little too close to the frantic Roman traffic, you have to step on to the road to get past people and bins at some points. Nothing the hotel can do about this of course but be mindful of this if staying here. All in all would highly recommend!

It was a good stay. Jen at breakfast as well as front desk staff and housekeeping were all very helpful, easy to speak with. My only issue was the hotel shuttle. It is not a hotel shuttle bus and you must reserve 24 hours in advance. I didn't know that, ended up on a coach bus from airport and walked a mile in the rain with luggage. They did offer early check-in, that helped immensely. Very quiet and tranquil. Nice bar and great breakfast buffet. Would definitely stay here again. Highly recommend.