Alessandro Palace, Rome

Went to Rome in Novemeber. Thought as we were getting there in the evening we would book. Looked great on the web site. free breakfast and tea/coffee all day, and private rooms at not too bad a price (well for Rome), and we would have the atmosphere that is lacking in a hotel.

So we turn up, after walking 15 mins from the train station, to be told that we were going to be taken by car to their hotel, as they didn't have any doubles. Then we were told no, they had changed their minds we would have to walk, another 15 minutes with backpacks.

So we trudge across town to the 'hotel'. We are told that breakfast and tea/coffee isn't included in the same price at the hotel.
We are taken to our room, which was very nice, but had no lock on the door. We asked for the private room we had booked and was told it would be 10 Euro's more per night. When we said we had been told it was 50Euros for a private room they phoned the Alessandro Palace up.

They gave us the women there to talk to who told us that there was nothing wrong with the room we had been offered. When we explained that we had a videocamera which our insurance would not cover if we left it in an unlocked room. She tried to tell me that my insurance would cover it (I KNOW it wouldn't), and that nothing had ever been stollen from there before. I told he I didn't care if it had ever happened before as there is always a first time, and I would not get any money back if it was stollen, so did not want to risk it, which was the reason I had booked a private room.

We were going round and round here with the it wont get stollen thing. Eventually she said she knew the other people staying there and they would not steal it, so I asked her who they were (she said it was just a girl and I had already seen a girl and a lad). She went mad asking if I was the police.

Being VERY fed up by this time I told her to forget it and that I would find somewhere else to stay. And she had the cheek to say that as I had booked she would charge my credit card if I went somewhere else. I pointed out that I had booked a private room at the hostel, with free breakfast/tea/coffee and that she couldn't charge me as SHE was the one breaking the agreement.
She rang off and then phoned back a few minutes later saying that they did have a room for us afterall, but we would have to walk back to the hostel.

Please save yourself and do not waste your time with this hostel!!

[travelpunk]

This is quite a popular hostel in Italy, but even the popular ones have their flaws.

Backpackers: You have been warned!

Thanks for the heads up!

Alessandro Palace, Rome- YOU ARE NOW AN EXCLUSIVE MEMBER OF THE "HOSTEL: PENALTY BOX!"

Travelpunk

I would like to defend Alessandro Palace. I stayed in Alessandro Downtown (the sister hostel to Palace - and run by the same people) I found the staff to be friendly and as far as hostels go, I would rate it as just above average.... it was generally clean (as far as hostels go) and OK.

[travelpunk]

The general opinion on these hostels is that they are great places to stay at, but a great reputation can take a quick and hard fall in an instant.

Rome is absolutely one of the busiest cities to travel to on any level of tourism and especially among "us" -backpackers.
As these hostels are popular among backpackers traveling through Rome, can anyone else out there jot down your experiences at this or these hostels so that we can all form a more precise and objective opinion on them?

Thanks for your comments!

I got back from Rome 2 days ago. We were supposed to stay in Alessandro palace (booked 90 days in advance!) but when we got there they told us that the palace was closed for reparations! They wanted us (5 girls) to live at downtown instead but there we couldn't be in the same room. Luckily we got to to stay in their new little hostel called indipendienza or something like that instead. So if you're planning on going to palace in the near future make sure it's open!

[travelpunk]

Thanks linda!

Sounds like these guys are giving backpackers the run-around. BEWARE!