69 Manin Street B&B - cheap, decent lodging in Rome
Written: Mar 02 '04 (Updated Oct 21 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Comfortable with a good location and a great price.
Cons: Breakfast from a vending machine?
The Bottom Line: A very good choice in this price range.
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| lyagushka's Full Review: 69 Manin Street B&B |
Our last trip to Italy was a four-day long weekend which we split evenly between Rome and our beloved Umbria. As ever, we didn't want to spend too much money on our lodgings, but our standards have definitely risen above the hostel level.
We tried to get a room at Hotel 58 Via Cavour, but when I wrote to them, I got an email back from their sister hotel, 69 Manin Street B&B, instead. Since the price was in the same range and the location was very close to Rome's Termini train station, we decided to give it a shot. All things considered, I'd say it we got a fairly good deal.
69 Manin Street is located just two and a half blocks south of Termini in a fairly gritty but not unpleasant urban area. And yes, that's its street address. It offers just eight modestly sized rooms, some of which are non-smoking. We arrived at the street address to find no indication of the business other than a small name plate next to one of the buttons for a large building with a common entrance.
We were buzzed in after I supplied my name and then we had to take the cage elevator up to the third (fourth) floor. There we were greeted by a receptionist, who gave us our key and handled our check-in. Her English was about as minimal as our Italian, but we were able to communicate enough to handle the transaction.
Then she pointed us at the two small vending machines near the door and explained that our breakfast would come out of them. There was one to dispense hot drinks and another with prepackaged breakfast items. She gave us each a one euro coin and showed us where to find the little breakfast trays we were to take to our room. At this point we were a little stunned to say the least. Not exactly our idea of a great breakfast. Breakfast has never been a highpoint of any trip to Italy, but vending machines have got to be a first in a business that bills itself as a B&B. There are some things that no one should have to face first thing in the morning, and a vending machine is definitely one of them.
Our room was more pleasing. With its hardwood floors, very high ceiling and brand new modern bathroom, we felt we'd found a good deal. The room was very simply but tastefully furnished; a sort of high-end dorm room out of the Ikea catalog. We had a built-in wardrobe where I found an extra pillow, a queen size bed, minibar, and a small writing desk and chair, tv and luggage rack. There was a safe built into the wall by the door as well.
The bath was obviously new, with a nice white and pale blue color scheme and a multi-jet, spa-type shower stall. The fixtures were all sparklingly white. The pedestal sink was very wide and had a towel rack along its curving outer edge. There was also a bidet. Shower gel and shampoo were provided in dispensers, as was handsoap by the sink. The towels were plentiful but ordinary, though the heated towel rack added a nice touch.
I couldn't describe our room as large, but I certainly never felt cramped in it either. There was enough space for two people to move about in, and the high ceiling certainly made the room feel bigger than it really was. The room was in good condition overall, with nothing obviously worn or dirty. But I did find some hairs on the floor of the bathroom when we came back to the room one evening. They may or may not have been from one of us, but either way they shouldn't have been there. Still, my general impression was that the place was tidy and clean.
We found that there was some street noise in the room, but nothing very bothersome. We could hear the tram rumble by every few minutes, but the sound was of such a low frequency that it didn't disturb our sleep. Noises from inside the B&B were more annoying. As our room was located on a short hallway very close to the reception, we often heard voices that seemed unnecessarily loud, but never while we were trying to sleep.
Solving the breakfast issue was no trouble at all. We simply walked one block back towards the train station and had a pastry and tea at a little neighborhood caffe. Dealing with the lack of phone in our room was even easier. Right next door to the main entrance of the building was a very cheap phone/internet center that operated most of the day and night. We popped in there on both evenings of our stay to make dinner reservations by telephone.
The location of the B&B is pretty good, we thought. Its proximity to the train station meant we were never far from the main metro hub. We were also able to walk to the Colosseum in about 15 or 20 minutes, and it took about 25 minutes to walk to the Spanish Steps. Certainly, this location is advantageous if you're on a budget and not too precious.
Given the wildly-fluctuating and ever-worsening exchange rates, I've stopped listing US dollar equivalents for lodging paid for in euros. We paid 70 euros per night for our room. With the 2 euro kickback towards the vending machines that we never used, that works out to 68 euros per night, not including breakfast. Any way you look at it, that's a nice price for Rome, and certainly a good deal for what we got.
My parents plan to spend a few days in Rome later this year. They're not very adventurous or experienced travelers, but I'll feel comfortable recommending 69 Manin Street B&B to them if the price is still this good. If you're looking for something cheap and not too fancy in Rome, this is definitely a business worth checking out.
Update: March 3, 2005. This year I managed to get a junior suite at the slightly more upscale 58 Via Cavour. Within very easy walking distance of Termini, it's a good value for the money and I recommend it very highly if 69 Manin Street happens to be booked.
For information on other parts of Italy, visit some of these reviews:
• Umbria - Italy's Green Heart, with links for lodging, etc.
• Florence - another one of Italy's big three
• Venice - the good, the bad and the gorgeous of La Serenissima
• Venicescapes Cultural Association - offers outstanding walking tours of Venice
• Eating In Italy - still the best guide to restaurants and dining in northern Italy
• Bassano del Grappa - a wonderful medieval town not far from Venice, in the foothills of the Dolomiti
• Umbrian cuisine - quite possibly the best regional cucina in Italy
Recommended:
Yes
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