People, NOT ME, think that I may be a bit high maintenance. So when I told them that we stayed in a hostel in Rome mouths dropped. Look, high maintenance aside, I really thought I was on the wrong side of 30 to be staying at a hostel in Europe. Plus, the idea of shared space and shared bathrooms really was not my idea of a good time! So I was pretty shut off to the idea of a hostel until I discovered The Bricks Rome Hostel!
Finding It
When I search for hotels, I use websites like Expedia. I immediately sort by price, click to the cheapest first and keep clicking until the hotels look livable. While searching for Rome spots I stumbled upon a GEM. It was hotel that looked modern and far nicer than any of the other hotels in that price range. I immediately sent the “hotel” to my sister for approval and she shot down my dreams by informing me that the modern hotel was actually a hostel. With the word hostel in play I dismissed it and continued to look for other options. Later, my budget brought me back to reality. I would have to stay at this beautiful hostel with great reviews to stay within budget. In the end I loved it!
The Setup
So the word “hostel” is applied to a broader group of places that even I thought. Not all hostels have community showers or dorm rooms where tons of people pile in to bunks. Again at my age that would not be ideal! The Bricks Rome offered private rooms with private bathrooms! So in many ways it was setup like most hotels. Similar to hostels though the Bricks had a lot of communal spaces for guests to convene. There was a beautiful terrace between the two buildings and even a rooftop terrace. Half of the rooms had balconies overlooking the terrace. It was truly a beautiful space!
The Staff
During our check in process, the staff members provided us with a detailed map of all to see in Rome. Then walked us through using the subways and buses. On days we had questions about events around town, they would call on our behalf and translate the answers back to us in English. This was SO valuable. Finally, they organized our travel to and from the airport. I honestly do not know how we would have made it through the trip without their assistance. Apparently, this level of help is unique to hostels. Yes hotels have concierge service, but I have never in all my years had that level of aid from a hotel concierge!
Location
The location is probably my only complaint about our hostel. We had about a half mile walk down a hill to the Valle Aureila metro station. This walk was down like a country road filled with nothing but trash. There were even goats grazing on a hill down the path. Based on this, I assumed that there was nothing over in this area. Towards the end of our visit though, we found “civilization” and my outlook on the area changed. I would still prefer to be a bit closer to the main attractions on my next visit though.
The Rooms
Our room before they split the beds.
The rooms are setup apartment style. Each floor includes a kitchen, a hall bathroom and several apartments. We made our way to our third floor room carrying our luggage up three flights of stairs. Thank goodness we packed light! Our room came equipped with a television, desk, two twin sized beds, a phone, a closet and nightstands. Each room also has it’s own AC allowing guests to control their heating and cooling.
The twin sized beds took me back to my college days, but were surprisingly very comfortable. Unlike a lot of hostels, the Bricks has a cleaning service come every day to make up the beds and change your towels. Please note that European hotels/hostels never seem to provide small wash cloths so I try to bring my own. Just don’t bring a white one like I did. I had to track it down one day after the cleaning staff took it by accident while grabbing the other towels.
Oh and the bathroom! Like I said we had a private bathroom which is essential for to me. The bathroom, especially the shower, was pretty small but it was fine for the week.
The Takeaway
The major takeaway here is I stayed in a hostel and did not hate it! Hostels like the Bricks are a great way to make trips more budget friendly while not skipping out on the comforts of home! The other big plus was the service we received while there was essential to us seamlessly navigating Rome.
Have you been to Rome? If so, what area did you stay in? Comment below!
For the rest of the Black Girls Who Brunch Guide to Rome, click here.
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