Best Western Hotel Astrid

Stayed here as part of a 3 day city break with Easyjet. Was a bit wary after reading some reviews about room cleanliness and rude staff. As a result we pre booked a room upgrade to a superior room. Have to say the staff were very friendly, cheery and helpful. The room was also cleaned every day and wasn't dirty at all. I booked this trip as a birthday present for my wife, and we arrived on the day of her birthday. The guy on reception when checking us in noticed it was her birthday from her passport, wished her happy birthday and gave us complimentary breakfast for 3 days as a result. Thought this was a nice touch. The main downside to this hotel, is its location. Its about a 20 minute walk to the very edge of where the shops start, which is OK and there is a tram close by. The issue is that there are hardly any bars or restaurants close by. The few restaurants there are were either closed or not very welcoming. We had an issue on the first night where the shower literally flooded the bathroom floor. It was because the seal at the bottom of the shower door was missing so there was about a cm gap so water was running down the door and out onto the floor. We reported it to reception and they said they would send someone up to resolve while we were out. They didn't, or at least if they did they didn't fix it. So we just stuffed a towel in the gap each time we showered. Beware of taxi charges. They are supposed to be fixed rates but that can't be true. We got a taxi from the airport to the hotel on arrival and it was 55 euros which is what we expected. The hotel booked us a taxi to return to the airport at the end of out stay. This taxi charged is 85 euros. Also a tour guide on the Vatican tour we did gave us some advice. When paying taxi drivers in cash. Make sure you call out each bank note you give them when paying. Apparently a common scam, is that they have a 5 euro note up their sleeve. When your back is turned they swap a higher value note for the 5 euro and then claim you haven't given them enough cash. The breakfast in the hotel is ok. It consists of some cakes and pastries. Cereals, toast and cold meats and fruit with tea coffee and fruit juice. The hotel in general is OK. Our room was an odd shape and a little cramped in places. If visiting Rome again I probably wouldn't stay here but mainly because of its location. It is however very close to the Olympic stadium so would be good for any events there.

That's it for more than 100 euros per night. Old and dirty. After first night , nobody cleaned the room , having to take towels and shampoo by ourselves.