Aladino Hostel 2

The Aladino 2 is a small hostel just a few blocks from the Rome Termini train station. The best way to get there is to make two lefts out of the main exit, so that you are walking along the length of the station (alongside Via Giovanni Giolitti). Just at the end of the station, make a right onto Via Rattazzi. The third cross street is Via Napoleone III, and the hostel is a few doors down on the left. The area is a mini-Chinatown, and you will need to ring the buzzer to get in. The hostel is on the first floor, on the left.

While you are able to check in at any time, the first night we arrived late and they had sold our reserved room -- not entirely unfair, as it was nearly one a.m. -- but they drove us to another location they own across from the train station. I don't know if they normally sell rooms there, but I would strongly advise against going there. This was one of the dingier places I've been, and there are plenty of budget hotels in the area that would be a much better alternative.

That said, the real room we had reserved (which we were able to access the next morning) was delightful. The building is aging, like most buildings in Rome, but it is homey, and cleaned almost constantly. There is a full kitchen that the family makes their meals in, and they are more than willing to lend you pots and pans. There are two showers, both of which provide an acceptable amount of hot water, and the one bathroom is kept as clean as the rest of the hostel. There is one computer with high speed internet that everyone shares, and it seems to be free of charge. There is a living room with TV that serves as a common room, with a few books, CDs and movies (mostly in Italian).

The staff was very friendly, and knowledgeable about their neighborhood, though less so of the common tourist destinations, and they did not offer maps or guides. This hostel is very intimate, quiet, and relaxed. Too small to offer any party atmosphere, the kitchen is a good place for meeting people (nobody seems to use the common room) and in a pinch they are willing to let people sleep on couches, which could be crucial to your plans when Rome gets crowded in the high season.

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