Grand Hotel Hermitage in Rome

Beautiful hotel on the 5th floor has an outdoor terrace. Communicative reception (English). Room not huge, but quite comfortable. Breakfast was good(cheese, ham, yoghurt, muesli, fruit, cakes) Prestigious quiet area. Near bus stop.

Reviewing this as a genuine guest. After a few days here we've seen all the major sites in Rome apart from the Vatican, which is next.

Anyone who cant communicate with the staff, find a restaurant, or get to the ancient part of town must be ignorant, and/or can't speak english themselves.

Language - everyone seems to speak even the most rudimentary English to the point where the avid Italian learner can get annoyed. I haven't come across anyone who hasn't tried practicing their English on me and my partner.

Restaurant's - the street behind the hotel is lined with them. The reception staff were even recommending places on the first day. They even called up to check they were open. For the record there is a restaurant called the 'Pariolina' thats very close. The food is amazing, the staff are very friendly, and I'd even challenge you to walk away not stuffed! You'll notice it gets very busy with the locals also so it's perfect for people watching, and brushing up on your Italian. The waiters actually look amused when the latest tourist tries.

Breakfast - you're in Rome, expect a continental breakfast. The type of person who wants a greasy fry up is the type of person who belongs in a Butlins back in the UK.

Transport - at the top of the road is a bus stop, the 360 to Zama stops here and goes right past the Termini station. It's regular and the quickest way to get to the collosseum and the other sites, failing a taxi. Nearby there are other stops, and a train station to take you into the centre of Rome. On our first full day we even walked into the centre. Its easy and you get to see soo much more of the real Rome.

In conclusion, the hotel is great to stay at so ignore the negative comments, and focus on enjoying your trip to Rome(the negative reviews had me expecting the worst when I arrived). The only room for improvement would be to modernise the rooms a bit more, but overall I'm a very happy guest.