Cheap, clean, friendly, accessible, genuine "Roman" area, big breakfast .
Disadvantages:
No lifts, not as close to town as other options .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
~~~ Overview & Appearance ~~~ I stumbled across The Pyramid Hotel whilst making a last minute booking for a two day break for my wife and I in December 2005 and we have just returned from our long-awaited sojourn. I chose the Pyramid because from the description supplied at www.alpharooms.com the hotel seemed to be close to a metro station which is generally a must when having a city break and it was also very cheap for one nights Bed & Breakfast. The hotel is officially listed as being two-star, but at only £34.29 all in, the Pyramid is excellent value for money as a crash pad.
The Pyramid is stuck down a little side street off the ridiculously busy Via Ostiense (actually all roads in Rome are ridiculously busy), a short, five minute walk from the Pyramide Metro station. From the outside, the hotel is relatively non-descript and if you did not have a vague idea of where to look you may miss the door. Once through the automatic door, you are immediately in a very small reception tastefully kitted out like every other two-star hotel I have ever visited (see my review of Abbot Lodge - Dublin for example). The hotel is so named after the strange pyramid up the road which was built by a Roman noble in 26BC as his own mausoleum. The area in which the hotel is situated looks a bit dodgy but we did not see any trouble and we did venture out after dark to find food without issue. Do not be frightened by the grafitti - it is the same all across Rome and the metro.
The hotel has 40 rooms spread across four floors and a breakfast room located in the basement. There is no lift in the hotel and so I would not recommend Pyramid for wheelchair users or those who have problems with stairs (Rome is not exactly a haven for wheelchairs what with it's extremely narrow or non-existent footpaths, crazy drivers and over-reliance on cobblestones). At the bottom of the stairs is a vending machine offering snacks, cold drinks and beer (various prices) and also a hot drink dispenser (50c per cup).
Our room, situated on the third floor, had a double bed (with two single matresses?!) and an abundance of covers. There were two nightstands, a large cupboard, a desk (holding a 14" television and satellite receiver) and an empty minibar. In the far right-hand corner of the room was a shower room and toilet, thoughtfully supplied with one sachet of shower gel, one sachet of shampoo, one bar of soap and two glasses indicating that the water in the room was potable. The shower was powerful and hot, which was great after wandering around Rome all day, but because of the way the bathroom is laid out, EVERYTHING gets wet once it is turned on.
Also supplied were two hand towels and two "beach towels" although apart from size, they did not remotely resemble what I would call a towel, having the thickness and consistency of bed sheets. I was at first unsure as to whether the linen was indeed towels. Whether they were or were not, we used them as such the next morning!
The cupboard also had a useful stock of additional blankets and the like should there be, as there was for us, a chilly night. The fact that the room has a ceramic tiled floor keeps the temperature down - great in the hot summer, but not so ideal when visiting in February!
To the left of our room was a large, double-glazed door out onto our own private balcony. As we were only really using the Pyramid as a place to crash, we did not take advantage of the balcony although in the hot Roman summer I suspect it would be quite nice to sit out there, even if the view is not very appealing.
The breakfast room was again, nothing special; six or seven tables packed with holidaymakers of various nationalities and a large "bar" stacked with "continental breakfast" items. On offer were glazed croissants (something I had not tried before - very yummy), fresh-baked bread rolls (very nice - I had three), butter and preserves, coffee (very bad - appalling by Rome's standards) and orange or pineapple juice. Taking my lead from the large group of germans on the table next to us, I made several trips back for more food which is great if you want to cut costs on lunch!
The staff were very helpful and spoke excellent English. Fortunately I had done plenty of research before arriving and so did not need to take advantage of their "extras", but the receptionist is able to arrange airport transfers and tours should you so require.
~~~ The Pros ~~~ - At £34.29 for a hotel within five minutes of a metro station, the Pyramid is extremely good value for money. - Nice, clean room. - Eat as much as you like breakfast included in the price. - Hotel is close to the Metro. - Staff speak very good English. - Located in the heart of Rome's up-and-coming clubland, although you will have to ask to find the venues.
~~~ The Cons ~~~ - No tea and coffee making facilities in the room. - Shower soaks EVERYTHING in the bathroom, and it stays wet for hours after. - Even more stairs to climb after a day in Rome climbing hills and stairs. - Not as close to the centre of town as many other, higher priced, establishments. - Probably not to the taste of more discerning tourists or travel-snobs.
~~~ Other Stuff ~~~ Being outside the centre of Rome, the Pyramid is ideally placed to allow a glimpse of how the non-tourist version of the city works. After checking into the hotel at around 7pm, we went out for dinner looking for a restaurant which was recommended by our guidebook. Sadly said restaurant was fully booked that night, and being that it was about 1Km from the hotel and we were tired, there was nearly an argument between Mrs Ben and myself! On the way back, we stumbled across a fantastic local trattoria on Via Luca Della Robbia called "Trattoria Da Bucatino" which had a menu with English translations, although none of the staff spoke any English. We followed Roman tradition and had a Primo (first main course) and Secondi (second main course) with a bottle of Lazio Merlot (not house red which is available) for €50.50 all in. The food was fantastic and there was just too much to eat. The restaurant also has an extensive wine list to suit even the most discerning visitor. The fact that the restaurant was filled with locals says a lot and I would love to go back there again even if it was a walk from the hotel. One local asked how we came to find the restaurant and I suspect they may have even been a little worried that the clientele of their favourite trattoria was going to dive when word got out about it to the rest of the touring world! To get there, turn right out of the hotel door, into Via del Gazometro. Follow the road under the railway bridge and keep going straight across all the intersections until you reach the Via Aldo Manuzio on the right. Turn down the street and continue for another three blocks - you should see a large "Trattoria" sign down the outside of the building. It is a bit of a walk, but definitely worth it.
The Pyramid supplies televisions in all of their rooms, but you will have to leave a €20 deposit to secure the remote controls at Reception.
Air conditioning/heating in the rooms is turned off by default, dial 9 on the room's telephone to speak to Reception and have them turn it on.
Check in is 2.00pm, Check out 12.00pm.
The hotel offers a safety deposit box.
Arriving in Rome by Ryanair? You will land at the less-well-serviced Ciampino Airport to the South-East of the city. Forget the Terravision transfer bus offered by Ryanair and go to the bus stop outside - COTRAL are now offering a €5 ticket direct into the centre of town (Termini Station) which takes approximately 40 minutes - much cheaper than the £19 fare charged by Terravision for EXACTLY the same journey. There is also a return bus at 8.00pm which, even though it arrive at Termini a little late, will still get you back to the airport long before the final check in time for the late night return flight. The journey can be done cheaper, but for the novice tourist, this is the easiest.
~~~ Conclusion ~~~ We spent two days in Rome on a shoestring budget. Flights and accomodation cost less than £90 leaving loads over for fun. The entire break cost less than £200; not bad considering the exhorbitant charges levied by some attractions and restaurants. For a budget stop over, the Pyramid Hotel is excellent value for money. If you are looking for a base from which to launch your exploration of Rome, you could do a lot worse than the Pyramid. Although there are hundreds of other hotels closer to the major tourist attractions of the city, the Pyramid offers you a chance to see the Rome of the local people at a very good price.
The Pyramid is clean, friendly and cheap and I have no hesitation in recommending the hotel to everyone (except those who have mobility problems).
~~~ Useful Links & Numbers ~~~ The official Hotel Pyramid website (and for once the hotel pictures are accurate!): http://www.chc.it/CHCeng/piramyd.html Book a room at the Pyramid online at a heavily discounted rate - www.alpharooms.com "Trattoria Da Bucatino" - Telephone: (+39) 06574 6886 for bookings or directions. Direct bus transfer from Ciampino to central Rome - http://www.schiaffini.com/AlPercorrenze2.asp?Loc=28&Sub=72&p=0 (in Italian, but timetable is easily understood)
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