4.3 out of 5.0 stars4.3

Still a Good Hotel After Third Time

My third time at Hotel Corona, staying eight nights at the end of October and early November 2016. I booked direct and was given room 512 and had WiFi included.

The room is on the fifth floor and faces the internal courtyard. It’s the same size as the single in my previous visits but with a larger bed. The only real drawback I found was the location of the bedside powerpoint. It wasn’t above one of the bedside cabinets like in the Single room but above the bed mattress on the side where the built-in wardrobe was positioned. This meant smartphones and tablets had to sit on the mattress when recharging. A bit awkward.

WiFi worked well in room and in the lobby. The bed was comfortable, sheets and bathroom were clean. The shower head spray wasn’t even. It probably required some cleaning. There were occasions when the hot water in the shower took a few minutes extra.

Air conditioning was switched off but heating was available at colder moments. The housekeepers changed towels, cleaned and tidied the room everyday.

The breakfast this time round had more cakes. On one day we had cornetti as well. If you want espresso coffee always ask. This would be better than the coffee in the pots. The waiting staff are always at your service. At reception it was the same.

I find it hard to believe when reading reviews of this hotel that many say the staff is rude. Being my third time I have not seen arguing yet with any customer. I now have made this hotel my home in Rome every time I’m there. In the not too distant future I’ll be back again.

A bit of advice: always check their website for special prices and remember the city tax of Euro 4 to be added to the nightly price. Also ask about the WiFi beforehand.

Check out my older reviews of Hotel Corona, published December 2014 and June 2015.

For more information and bookings visit the Hotel Corona website.

Ambiance	4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0
Breakfast	3.5 out of 5.0 stars3.5
Cleanliness	5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Comfort	4.5 out of 5.0 stars4.5
Facilities	4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0
Location	3.5 out of 5.0 stars3.5
Noise	4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0
Service	5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Staff	5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Value	4.5 out of 5.0 stars4.5
WiFi	4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0

4.1 out of 5.0 stars4.1

Better second time round

This was my second stay at Hotel Corona, staying for nine nights in early June. My previous visit was in November 2014.

I stayed in room 412 a standard single. These rooms are small but have a good sized bathroom.

I can say my stay this time was better than last. For one thing I got to know more of the staff and got to enjoy their company. Also from what I saw they do give their utmost best to help their guests. While I was in reception many times sitting on the couch or the armchairs I never heard a bad word. So I am not sure why some guests say the staff were rude or had a bad attitude! They were polite and helpful to many guests and tried to speak in their language when possible.

Some have complained about the air conditioning. It does work. It’s only a matter of knowing how to set the thermostat properly. If in doubt those at reception will assist. Rome’s temperature in June was around the 30C (86F) mark. Not hot. However it was humid. In the evenings you can open the windows if you desire.

The best rooms for less noise are those facing the courtyard. You will hear the local seagulls occasionally though.

Regarding powerpoints (sockets) and adaptors for charging non-European devices. I had three adaptors, two different brands and they all worked in the sockets next to the bed head. These are the same everywhere in Italy. So make sure to buy the right adaptors if you want to charge laptops, iPads (tablets) and iPhones (smartphones) etc.

The WiFi can be intermittent. Andrew at reception pointed this out to me. I did find that if you are closer to the lift (elevator) it works better. Alternatively head downstairs and get comfortable on one of the couches.

The breakfast this time round was actually better. There was a larger variety of cakes and cold cuts. I also had yoghurt twice, which is not always available. If you have a food request you should always ask at reception. It is always possible they may accommodate you. Avoid taking food to your room. It is hotel policy for no food to be consumed there.

Some advise to those that like to go to bed late. Please do not talk loud in the hallways or slam your door! If you are one of these and find yourself with a room facing the street you deserve to be woken up in return by the stallholders in the street market below. They start gathering around at 5am. My advice is go to bed early and wake up early! You are better off anyway as most sites in Rome are best seen early to avoid the crowds.

If you want to ride on public transport to some of the sights go to Via Nazionale, which is about 5 minutes away, catch buses H, 40, 60, 64, 70, 71, 116T and 170. The 64 bus will take you very close to St Peter’s Basilica.

Last piece of advice: do not always expect to get free WiFi and other perks if you book via OTAs (online travel agencies). By booking direct you can negotiate. All hoteliers prefer this and Hotel Corona is no exception!

I’ll be back again in future as I have found good people here. My compliments to those at the front desk: Luciano, Paolo, Manuela, Andrew, Giovanni and Isabella. As well as to housemaids Claudia and Andrea for keeping my room clean and tidy.

Update: The owner Luciano is no longer with us. He passed away in 2018. Giovanni is now retired and on the pension.

For more information and bookings visit the Hotel Corona website.

Ambiance	4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0
Breakfast	3.0 out of 5.0 stars3.0
Cleanliness	5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Comfort	4.5 out of 5.0 stars4.5
Facilities	4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0
Location	3.5 out of 5.0 stars3.5
Noise	3.5 out of 5.0 stars3.5
Service	5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Staff	5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Value	4.5 out of 5.0 stars4.5
WiFi	3.0 out of 5.0 stars3.0

4.1 out of 5.0 stars4.1

An adequate hotel without the fanciness

Hotel Corona is located between 5-10 minutes walk from Termini and about the same from Piazza Repubblica metro station, in an area full of good restaurants and close to Via Nazionale and shopping.

A street market is held on weekdays just outside the hotel at the bottom of Via Napoli. If groceries are required (including wine/spirits) there’s a small Carrefour supermarket at the top of the street on the corner of Via del Viminale.

My stay involved 7 days in a single room. It was small, but sufficient for my needs. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom spacious and very clean.

The room was cleaned and tidied daily and the airconditioning worked. The room had soundproofing issues though, as I could hear my nextdoor neighbour snore for two nights and then a woman talk loudly on her phone for the following two.

No minibar fridge and coffee/tea making facilities, obviously to encourage the “no eating in rooms” policy. The small desk had enough room for the use of a laptop or for reading a book/magazine. The TV was monitor-size and worked fine, but on the small side when viewing from the bed.

The built-in wardrobe was enough for one person’s needs. There were spare blankets and cushion, but no cover, which I would assume is on request. Never had the opportunity to use the safe, so no comment, however I did have free WiFi for my whole stay. This may not be the norm, so please ask at reception or better still email beforehand.

Breakfast itself could be better if there was a bigger selection to choose from, which in my opinion should’ve included yoghurts, fresh, preserved and dry fruits, croissants and brioches (cornetti), etc. I was told though that during summer they have a bigger selection. As for coffee it’s possible they’ll make you a cappuccino or espresso, etc. So ask the lady on duty or the staff member at reception upstairs.

The staff was friendly at the front desk and at breakfast. As I speak Italian I don’t have issues, however they do speak English, French, Spanish and possibly one or two other languages.

All summed up it can be good value if booked at the right time. Maybe call or email, you never know. Book direct if you want to be assured of Wi-Fi.

Would I stay here again? Yes.

For more information and bookings visit the Hotel Corona website.

Ambiance	4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0
Breakfast	3.0 out of 5.0 stars3.0
Cleanliness	5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Comfort	4.5 out of 5.0 stars4.5
Facilities	4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0
Location	3.5 out of 5.0 stars3.5
Noise	3.0 out of 5.0 stars3.0
Service	5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Staff	5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Value	4.5 out of 5.0 stars4.5
WiFi	4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0