Fiocca Bed & Breakfast, Rome

Fiocca B&B

With just two guest rooms in a private apartment and a shared bathroom, this won't be to everyone's taste, but it's a very respectable and cheap accommodation option, located conveniently for public transport. Reviewed May 2006.

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First impressions

I booked a single room at 'B&B Fiocca' at short notice in May 2006. I was using the bed and breakfast as an overnight base, so didn't spend a much time there.

This was a very cheap accommodation option for Rome - only €45 for a single room. The catch was that this would be a room in a private flat run as a B&B, and I would have to share a bathroom. This isn't something I'd normally consider, but since other B&Bs were charging more than twice the price for that night, I thought I'd give it a go.

My map of Rome didn't show the B&B's location, so on arrival at the Lepanto Metro stop (only a few stops from Stazione Termini) I called the flat on my mobile phone. The proprietor, Andrea, gave me directions and offered to come and meet me. A few minutes later, I had not only met him on the street but he was also wheeling my suitcase back to the apartment for me - not the sort of assistance you can expect from most budget establishments.

Staying at Fiocca is very much like being a guest in someone's home. There are just two guest rooms, a shared bathroom, the owners' rooms and a kitchen where breakfast is served.

Room

My room is fairly spacious, with twin beds, a desk, chair, bedside table and wardrobe (no TV). A mirror would have been useful. It overlooks the internal courtyard of the apartment block. It's clean and comfortable and the private-apartment set-up feels very secure. I can see why other single female travellers commented on how safe they feel. I certainly don't feel anxious about leaving things in my room here.

At first it feels awkward to walk the few yards down the corridor with my washkit and towel and take over the flat's bathroom. But everything is clean and no-one else either queues for the bathroom when I'm using it, nor occupies it when I want it. It's certainly not as comfortable as having one's own facilities, but in such a small establishment it doesn't seem like such a big deal to share. I am impressed, incidentally, by the hall lighting, which has several switches in convenient locations and turns itself off after a while.

There is an information sheet in the bedroom setting out the ground rules for guests, including a 'no guests in rooms' rule. It also requests payment in cash (you should always expect this with small establishments in Italy).

Our stay

I came in late, so actually only spent a few hours in my room. I found it convenient and the price made it a very attractive option. It was fairly noisy on Sunday morning as the flat woke up - television, coversations and phone calls - and it's not really the place to stay if you want a lie-in or an impersonal atmosphere.

Andrea asked what time I wanted breakfast (I regretted being so optimistic when morning came) and provided an assortment of dried biscuit-type items and plastic-wrapped croissants. Coffee made by Italians is a real treat, but I have to admit I chose tea, which I prefer.

Our view

If you know what to expect, this is a very budget-conscious and safe place to stay. It's certainly not like staying in a large impersonal guest house or a hotel, which some tourists may prefer. The neighbourhood, Prati, is a classy residential one, between the centre of town and the Vatican area. It's handy for the Metro (although in the evenings at present you have to take a replacement bus service) and there is also a city-circular nightbus which stops a couple of streets away.

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