Starhotel Michelangelo, Rome

Globus selected Starhotel Michelangelo as our hotel in Rome. For the most part, it was a good choice, and I would opt to stay there again; here are the pluses and minus.

• While certainly not luxurious, the rooms are clean, showing a little wear here and there but overall comfortable with nothing terribly objectionable.

• The hotel is a bit hard-to-find, and to that end even the Resort Hopper shuttle service got lost. If you were to stay here, I'd recommend you print the driving directions (from the airport to the endpoint) and give them to the driver. Alternatively, you can try it own your own, using public transit, but just make sure that you realize the nearby train station is NOT the Metro but rather is the FM train. The Metro stops on the other side of the Vatican, which would be a very long walk with luggage, not to mention that the directions would be hard to follow. Having said that, once you know where the hotel is, this is very easy to access in that all you need to do is take transit or a taxi to the Vatican, and it is easy to get home from there.

• There are a couple of mini markets nearby, so you can get snacks/drinks (or even alcohol) rather than paying the full hotel price. A 750 ml bottle of whisky is 15 Euros in the mini mart, while a shot of whiskey in the hotel is 12 Euros. The math works in your favor very quickly.

• The (included) breakfast was very good, in fact a notch above most others, including meats, hot eggs and bacon. plus the normal continental items such as fruit and breads. I did not take lunch or dinner in the hotel. Room service has very limited hours (when the restaurant is open), so it really won't help any at all if you get the late night munchies (again, this is where stocking up with a few supplies from the local mini mart is a good idea).

• Staff was hit and miss. Most were helpful enough and understood English well, but occasionally you would find one who didn't want to talk, such as when I asked for a Metro map and she dismissed me with a "No." She was the exception, though unfortunately those are often the ones we remember while forgetting those who were helpful.

• TV channels were limited, and most of the time I could not find anything in English. If you really need your daily dose of CNN, this place most likely will not work for you.

• Since there seems to have been some ambiguity online, I will say they do have in-room safes, large enough to hold even a reasonably sized laptop.

• No ice machine, which unfortunately is typical of European hotels. You can try to get some from the bartender for your room, of course this is a problem in that the quantity is limited, as well as the available times.

• I won't mention the excellent location in terms of the Vatican as that has been stated about 10,000 times by now, but I will point out how close the hotel is to Trastevere, a beautiful part of Rome most tourists never see. It is "quaint" without any true historical highlights, and for that reason tour buses do not venture there, yet it is a fantastic area to walk by foot, and it is easy to find from the hotel: Head towards the Vatican (you can't miss it as St. Peter's Dome is clearly visible), turn right at the Vatican, walk for about ten minutes (through the tunnel), then turn right at the Tiber River. Walk for 15 or so minutes along the Tiber, and you will be in the heart of Trastevere.

• The biggest rip-off and disappointment with the place: WiFi is 22.00 Euros for 24 hours in the hotel. Signage all over the hotel claims WiFi is only 11.50 Euros per day, but my check-out bill clearly charged me 22; there must be a secret such as buying it from the front desk or for multiple days rather than ordering it on your computer. It is too bad a hotel such as this has to go for the ripoff, spoiling what would otherwise be a very pleasant memory of the establishment. Here is the best advice I can give you, and you can save a great deal of money with it: Buy a 10 Euro dinner (or even just a drink) at one of the local bars, and get the WiFi for free. There were at least four places in the immediate area that offer free WiFi for customers.

One great place for food, drink and free Internet is:

All Brothers Cafe

Via Delle Fornaci n8/10