What a great surprise! The location was excellent, within walking distance to everywhere we wanted to go. The breakfast terrace was lovely and the service could not have been better. We had a triple and it had plenty of room. I highly recommend this hotel.
My husband and I loved our stay at Hotel Isa. The location is very central---within walking distance to The Vatican, the Cavour bridge, the Colloseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, and Campo de’Fiori (the best area for shopping). Our room was very spacious and clean and we loved our balconies! The breakfast is superb, served on the terrace with a lovely view of St Peter's dome. We love Hotel Isa and will stay there again!
We were fortunate enough to stay at the Hotel Isa for 2 nights in October. It was a great hotel, great location, very clean rooms (a bit small) and staff was most helpful. The breakfast buffet is on the rooftop. It is a great view, the food was wonderful and the chef very entertaining. We would definitely stay there again!
Had read several good Trip Advisor reviews of this hotel and decided to follow their advice and book for a 5 night visit with my wife. We were not as impressed as we expected to be. The first room we were shown on the 3rd floor (310) was mock Roman villa shabby chic with the emphasis on shabby most of which was not deliberate. Additionally there was hardly any storage apart from a small wardrobe with a hole cut in the floor for longer items and no drawers or closed cupboards - inadequate for five nights in a sophisticated city. To be fair to the hotel when we asked if another room was available they immediately found us another on the re-furbished 2nd Floor at the same price and stated that room 310 was not one of those that was usually complained about! Room 204 was much improved with modern fittings and excellent bathroom. However it was facing the street and therefore very noisy.
This is a very expensive hotel considering its star rating and facilities. Our next trip includes a stay at a Mandarin Oriental, which is less expensive surprisingly.
Our specific concerns apart from cost which may be down to the prevailing market in Rome, were:- we had to request Bathrobes and slippers which were supposed to be available, we had no price list for the mini bar, broken window in our bedroom, noisy main road location, very limited breakfast choice unless you have a taste for cold scrambled eggs and sausages or hard boiled eggs floating in water, disinterested staff ( although Fatima, our room attendant was very good and it was obvious when it was her day off!) No hooks for bathrobes so these were place daily on top of the towel rail and it was necessary to climb on the bath to retrieve them, lift often in use by delivery staff to the breakfast terrace or decorators and therefore not always available to guests. No catering facilities apart from breakfast and not even tea or coffee making facilities in the room. Some reception staff suddenly found English difficult to understand if a problem they were asked to deal with became too demanding. Our example was trying to get a taxi booked to take us to the train station but during the time that took of nearly 40 minutes there were several others who were raising problems such as a superior room they had booked weeks before had been double booked and no longer available, a guest whose key would not work (again) and a couple who had booked the hotels airport shuttle getting agitated as it had not turned up at the agreed time. Eventually I hailed a taxi myself outside although it is illegal in Rome for taxi drivers to stop for fares but as the receptionist herself stated "this is Italy, so no comment"
The positive aspect of the hotel is its position 10 minutes walking from The Vatican and castle and near to Cavour bridge to cross the river. It is quite possible to walk to The Colloseum in around 30 minutes, the Trevi Fountain in 20 minutes and 15 minutes to Spanish Steps.
A word of warning to visitors to Rome for the first time, as we were. It is very easy to be ripped off by Taxi Drivers and in Restaurants. We were quoted 25 Euros from Termini Station to the Hotel, which we accepted. The return trip took far longer due to traffic conditions but was only 15 Euros - why? We stopped for coffee and a pastry at a cafe approaching Vatican City. Coffee was said to be 1.50 Euros on a list over the counter and Gateaux 5 Euros - total Euros13 .We were asked if we would like to sit down and they would bring it outside to us. The bill came to 34 Euros. 21 Euros was because we had decided to eat on the premises and a service charge for waiter service. Beware too of Romans bearing gifts in Restaurants. The "complimentary" bread or Bruscetta or vegetables they so charmingly serve with the compliments of the chef are anything but complimentary and can add significantly to the bill. We have learned that this practise has been outlawed by the Italian Government but still persists everywhere, and we don't complain do we because we are not comfortable with the language nor like to make a scene
Would not use the Isa again but the sights ( but not sounds - the worst traffic in Europe?) of Rome are wonderful and the City is well worth a visit
We Arrived in late September and checked-out in early October 2007. We were also referred to this hotel as a second choice by our travel office and was very satisfied with the accomodations and location.
Though there was a mix up by our agent in reserving the room on the first night, Isa Hotel staff immediately provided alternative lodging for that night that provided an opportunity to compare comparable "three star accomodations".
After conferring with other travelers while in Rome, we concluded that the Isa was a great find due to:
- Location. Just steps away from the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica and main shopping areas. Also down the street from a friendly Trattoria serving great food.
- Size of the room. We had room 310 and noted the bathroom was about more than twice the size of the other hotel from the first night.
- Breakfast buffet. A fully staffed outdoor/indoor roof top dining area with a clear view of St. Peter's Dome.
- Near public transportation. Major bus stop at the end of the road and within walking distance to the Metro.
- Friendly staff. Seem that most of the staff spoke English and were helpful in providing basic directions and recommendations.
I will definitely stay here again and quickly refer this hotel to others.
We stayed at Isa Hotel from Sept. 20-23. Overall it was a good stay, but not great. We arrived about 7:00 pm. First, the lift was very small, and there is no help in handling the bags from the front desk to the room. Second, the room they put us in was a tiny room with a hall as the sleeping area. There were two beds butted end to end, separated by a counter top (or stationary night stand).
I had emailed the hotel before and asked them for a nice room, since we were celebrating our 25th anniversary. Needless to say, this arrangement did not suit the request or what we paid for. I went to the front desk and told them of the room problem. They said they were sorry, but they were full and they would move us the next day, to a room with a king bed. They offered no compensation or anything else for our inconvience, other than a "sorry".
They did move us the next day, but the room was only a little bigger and the "king bed" was two beds pushed together. The small balcony looked into the inside of the building, which was nothing more than four walls and windows.
The hotel was in a good location, about a 10 minute walk to the Vatican and 10 minutes to Pizza Navona.
The breakfast area is nicely done and the breakfast was better than most of the breakfasts offered in other hotels that we stayed at in Europe (does not compare to the full breakfast buffets offered in other non-European countries). The eggs were only warm at best and they were runny most of the time.
As I stated before, good stay, but not great.
