Picinisco Holidays from £215

My family and I just spent a week at the Grand Hotel Olympic in Rome. The hotel was situated in the Prati neighborhood; this is a great location for the Vatican, restaurants, subway access and shopping. The hotel is listed as a 4 star; however expect 3 star amenities. We had 2 rooms: my husband and I had a room, queen-sized thin mattress and pillows. The room and bathroom were clean with great housekeeping. However, we only had 2 nightstands and a small armoire to house our belongings. Our adult kids shared a twin room. Bathrooms had shower and bidet, with hairdryer. Body wash is included. Bring your own shampoo. Hot water was plentiful as was the water pressure. Small safe and bar fridge in each room. Air conditioning available throughout. Small elevator and spotty WIFI was available. Wonderful hot and cold buffet breakfast available. Staff was friendly, helpful and assisted with arranging a taxi back to the airport. Even though the furnishings in the room could have been better, I would not be opposed to staying at this hotel in the future!

Overall, we had a very pleasant stay, but I rated the property's maintenance and amenities 4 out of 5 for a few reasons. We booked a Superior Room with a cathedral view, but the entire cathedral façade is currently covered by scaffolding and a large restoration tarp. I understand that this is outside the hotel's control, but since the room is marketed as having a view, it would have been appreciated if guests had been informed before arrival. The bed's headboard also showed noticeable signs of wear, with several pieces peeling off. It's a minor detail, but it takes away from the overall impression of a premium room. Finally, when we arrived and took a shower, we found that the shampoo/body wash dispenser in the shower was empty. We mentioned it to the staff, and it was refilled by the time we returned later that evening, so the issue was resolved quickly. Still, for a room averaging over 250$ per night, these are details that should already be taken care of before guests check in. That said, the hotel's central location was a major advantage and made it easy to explore the city on foot. We were able to walk to most of the main attractions, which made our stay even more enjoyable.

Property was clean, small breakfast (included) area but there was always a seat. You could also go to their larger hotel Nextdoor if you like but was not necessary. Staff were all friendly, accommodating and extremely helpful. Located within 20-30 minutes walking from all major monuments except Vatican City (50 min walking, 25 by train).

The hotel staff was great, breakfast was well rated. Do understand that that all buildings in Rome are older but the rooms were also as expected. The location is very good, which is the reason we choose this hotel.