Casa Olmata
Here I am, in the heart of Rome, beside the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore and just a five-minute walk from Termini railway station and the Coliseum. Opinions are divided about Casa Olmata, my residence. One guest from Perth wrote:
"I just returned from touring around Italy, and in all my time in this country, my favorite hostel was Casa Olmata in Rome...The staff are very friendly and cheerful, always happy to help. The hostel has a terrace on the roof with amazing views of Rome and the Colosseum. Twice every week, Marco and Mirela prepare a spaghetti party - they cook a load of pizza and pasta, and provide sangria, all for free. Its just a great atmosphere there, very laid back and I would totally recommend it to anyone going to Rome."
Susie from Britian had a different experience:
"We chose and booked this hostel because of its location, but were given a room in a different building, without the promised Internet access or reception but with the added bonuses of a dodgy main lock, lights hanging by wires off the walls, grubby bedding and temperamental electricity and hot water (i.e. we got up to find there wasn't any of either)... We'd paid the extra for our own room, but unlocked it one night to find people asleep in what had been our beds. Nobody had bothered to tell us we were changing rooms, they just bundled our belongings together and moved them on. If you don?t mind paying to stay somewhere like this then go there at your own risk - you can guarantee I won't be in the room next door."
Hmmn. The thing about Rome is that one can pay more than 500 euros a night at the top of the market for a standard double at the Hotel de Russie or 180 a night in the Hotel Villa Borghese, where the never-ending traffic on the road outside the door is guaranteed to ruin your stay. At 52 euros a night for a double room, Casa Olmata makes no pretensions about its function. And you?ll have enough cash left over to enjoy Rome when you?re awake. That's the idea, after all, isn't it?
