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Pensione Ottaviano Hostel Details
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Pensione Ottaviano Hostel Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Only good thing is location Ok so the location is great. It is right by by Vatican, but that is about all I have good to say about this place. It is very loud at night either from the street nearby or from the inconsiderate staff talking right outside your door at night when you are trying to sleep. The internet is not free after just twenty minutes your check in day and there is only one computer for forty people in the hostel. The worst part for me was the rude staff though. I felt like I was always in the way of them when I was there. — cory , United States (2007-09-12) Maybe the oldest hostel in Rome, but looks like it has not been refurbished since 1956. It is quite dirty, the "social room" is basically the reception area with a TV, broken/uncomfortable chairs, and a water boiler in the corner. Internet is free, but slow or does not work at all. No breakfast, no place really to eat your own food. Staff clueless. Two toilets and 3 showers (mixed) for the whole hostel. Showers without hot water! The beds are average, the rooms ok in size. The location is really great (if you want to start queuing for Vatican early mornings). Bad value for money. If this is the only hostel with vacancies in all of Rome, and you JUST want to have a bed, go for it. Otherwise, there are better options. — jay , UK (2007-05-01) Like everyone else said, centrally located. As I see it, that is the most important thing in Rome. There is so much to see in the city that the only thing you should do in a hostel there is close your eyes. While the living room was small, there were maps and guides available to several european destinations and everyone seemed to enjoy watching a movie squished together the second night I was there. I found the employees to be kind and accommodating. The bathrooms were clean (co-ed shower area, separate shower stalls). And although it was a fight for the free internet, I felt it contributed to the collegic ambiance. I had a great time. — Michael (2006-08-19) Great location (2 min. from Vatican) and very safe. A lot better then Termini Station area. Small place. Helpful staff. You can easily feel at home there. Big lockers!! I would recommend a dorm with bathroom (It is worth the 2 extra EUR. There is no streetnoise from that room either.), The others had to stand in line for a shower if they got up later than 8 a.m. No kitchen, but a mircowave. Supermarket and tubestation are close by. I stayed a week and liked it a lot! — Danny from Germany (2005-06-15) The hostel itself wasn't bad, and was pretty clean, but the common room is in the center of all the rooms and there were a bunch of people, including some of the staff, getting loudly drunk in there. Thankfully they had to leave at 11, but it still made me lose quite a bit of sleep, considering how early I had to get up the next day. I don't know how common this is, as we only stayed there one night (thankfully!), but it wasn't pleasant. So, maybe it's a good place to go and party and get to know other people. I don't know, but if all you're looking for is a place to sleep I wouldn't choose this one. — Celeste (2005-05-23) Like everyone else said, the location was great! However, everything else was not so great. The reception was VERY unorganized and split up our group so we had to stay in different rooms. We were staying for two nights and reception wouldn't let us pay for both nights at once, then threatened to cancel our reservation because we didn't pay the next morning...instead we tried to pay that afternoon. The showers were like taking a shower under a hose. The sink was clogged, and bathrooms smelled. Reception was going to send a girl to another hostel just because this guy wanted to stay another night. Decent hostel...unorganized...but great location. — Anonymous (2005-05-13) Nice place, I liked it a lot. Though a small hostel, it provided whatever you need. The common area is a bit small, and warm due to that, but who cares? You do not need to spend all your time over there. Awesome staff, especially the Australian blonde staff member — it just grasps your attention locked into the hostel, and also the cheap price. — Turkish (2005-03-07) I stayed here in May 2004. The free Internet was nice, but the hostel was simply a place to sleep. The common area is pretty much a table and TV. The beds and showers were clean, and it was close to a Metro stop and the Vatican. The surrounding neighborhood had a great little Chinese place that my wife and I enjoyed quite often during our three-day stay in the area. — Eric (2004-09-30) The Pension Ottaviano Hostel is located on the second floor of an apartment building just two blocks away from St. Peter's Basilica. There are a few double rooms, two single sex dorm rooms (one for girls and one for guys), and the rest are co-ed. There are two bathrooms for everyone, unless you pay 2 euros extra per night and get the dorm room with a bathroom. Lockers are provided in each room, but it is necessary to have your own lock.
The common area is great it is well equipped with books both travel related and fictional. There is a microwave, table, chairs, a T.V. and VCR and posters giving instructions on all the best (and least expensive) places to shop and eat as well as the sights to see. In the evenings the common area was usually full of people hanging out and on more than one occasion watching the Simpsons. The staff all youth spoke English, but, they were overworked, looking for new staff, and strictly adhered to the lockout hours (from 10-3). Despite this though they were very helpful and were full of good advice on how to see Rome.
To get there the, easiest way is to, leave from Termini (train Station), on Metro line A (direction Battistini) get off at the Ottaviano station (10-15 mins) and walk down Via Ottaviano to No. 6. — Angela , Canada (2004-08-22) The only good thing about this hostel is the location. The rooms were not clean! There were only two bathrooms for 42 people! The washing machine was broken, and we couldn't use the "free Internet." As for the staff, the best thing I can say about them is they're rude. Don't go to Ottaviano!! — Elena (2004-08-18) Definitely very nice, but I wasn't really wowed by anything except the location. Everything else was quite decent, but not outstanding. The free Internet was nice. — Anonymous (2004-07-22) It is wonderful to wake up, look out the window and see the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. The staff are very friendly and helpful. Sometimes they cook for everybody: it's like a small party. The area is nice, and the free Internet rules! Next year I will come back; I hope I can stay here again. — Anne (Vancouver) (2004-07-17) I had a wonderful time here!! It had a perfect location--300 metres from St. Peter's Square and a 2 minute walk from the Vatican Museum. It was also very close to the metro stop Ottaviano. Supermarkets and a laundry were nearby. The staff were very helpful, almost 24 hours a day. We got a free map of Rome and all kind of tourist tips. The fridges in the rooms were perfect with this heat. Everybody: go there!!! — Harry from Holland (2004-07-17) It was a great location! Just minutes from the Vatican City and the Metro! There is also a great little gelato place super close, too. There are also some fun shops and stuff right along the street. — Anonymous (2004-05-16) We stayed there for three nights during our spring break trip and it was great. We had our own bathroom and a balcony window. Free internet was great and the location was great, too. There was a lockout period during the day from 11AM to 2PM! Also, there were no refridgerators or microwaves in the rooms. But everything else was pretty cool, it's pretty quiet and clean. If you're not just sleeping there at night, bring something to do, the common room wasn't too cool. — Anonymous (2004-04-22)