PENSIONE OTTAVIANO HOSTEL IN ROME

We were in Rome for a few days and chose to stay at Pensione Ottaviano for its prime location near Vatican City. The location proved to be great, but unfortunately, the hostel was the first place we experienced bed bugs. We heard it was closing down soon after we left, but it could possibly be under new management if it is still running.

Dorm Room:

When we first arrived we were put in a very spacious 4-bed dorm room. Our neighbors were two older men, who were friendly, but at night one of them snored so loudly while the other one’s belongings smelled of sweat. The next morning one of the hostel workers told us she heard the snoring last night, and offered to put us into a different room. We kindly took up on her offer. We moved into an even larger room with three bunk beds and, just our luck, we were the only ones in there for the night.

It all seemed well, but we started to have some itching on our necks and arms. It wasn’t until the next day that the enormous bug bites showed up. We inspected our beds and found two small insects that looked like bed bugs. We went to tell a hostel worker and she questioned us as to how we know they are bed bugs and claimed it takes three days for bug bites to appear, trying to take the blame off her hostel. The last place we stayed at was at a friend’s house so there’s no way we got it from her place.

After a few minutes the worker finally confessed that there had been problems of bed bugs in the bunk bed we were put in. She claimed the hostel was shutting down in a week anyways and was losing her job. We don’t know if that was true, but either way, she agreed to move us, once again. This time into a private room with a bathroom. So the upgrade was nice. It was the most times we’ve ever moved within a hostel.

Amenities:

When we were in the dorm rooms, the toilet and shower rooms were shared. Some of the dorm rooms didn’t have power outlets, those were provided out in the lobby. There was a fridge to put food in if so desired, but no communal kitchen. The security was really good with a key to get into the entire building and then another key to get into the hostel. The workers also slept at night in the building so they could be reached if there was a problem.

Pricing:

At €16 per person a night this was the cheapest dorm room with the best location.

Location:

This hostel’s location was amazing as it was just a 5-minute walk to the Vatican and a 10-minute walk to the metro station. Since we were so close to the Vatican, we went there everyday. There are also plenty of restaurants and gelato shops around the area.

Next hostel on our route: SPARTA TEAM HOTEL IN ATHENS, GREECE, where things were even worse!