Melia Roma Aurelia Antica Hotel

Pleasantly Surprised

Once we arrived at this hotel, which was about a half hour away from the center of Rome, we first thought it would be a handicap to travel back & forth each day. However, they offered a free round trip shuttle to the nearest Metro station. From there, the heart of Rome was just 15 minutes away. So because of its location, it proved to be a blessing in disguise. It was extremely peaceful and quiet. The staff could not do enough to make your stay enjoyable. Every part of the hotel was bright, clean & attractive. It looked almost brand new every day. The restaurants served excellent modestly priced menus. Our room was more than adequate and it was always spotless. We would definitely return to the Melia on our next stop in Rome.

Making use of the Metro is incredibly easy and not expensive. You can reach any part of Rome quickly. Don’t forget to sign up for the hop on/hop off buses. First, stay on and complete the whole route. Note which stops you want to return to and then get off. The buses circle the city constantly so there’s really never much of a wait for the bus. And it’s reasonably priced.

Great stay at Melia Roma

Our stay at Melia Roma was very enjoyable. The staff were very courteous and helpful. The rooms were clean and comfortable. The shuttle service was very convenient and we were able to get to downtown Rome in about 20 minutes. Service at the bar was excellent. Things to be improved were: The restaurant ran out of gas on one evening and we were not given any advance notice and were given a very limited menu from the grill. The food, however, was excellent. There was also a mix up with the box breakfasts and they were not ready when requested as promised. The staff however rushed around to remedy the situation. We were disappointed that the pool had just closed before we arrived (early October) even though the weather was quite hot. Don’t plan on watching ant T.V. in the evening except CNNNewa repeats since the cost for English T.V. service is very expensive. Overall I would highly reccomend this hotel to others. My husband and I are from hte Boston, MA area.

I wished all the hotels in europe were like the Melia

This is the hotel to stay in Rome, extra clean, extra confy, great staff, super breakfast, rooms extra big, just one bad thing, no ice machine available, have to get it from the bar in the lobby. Free hotel Bus to and from Vatican area is very useful.

Very impressed!

The hotel’s conditions and services exceeded our expectations. The shuttle bus was very on time. We definitely would stay here again when we visit Rome next.

Can’t wait to go back

All of the other reviews were pretty accurate. We used the free shuttle, but it wasn’t as bad as a few people suggested. We took the last one back at night, and even though it was crowded, and people did rush to get in, there were still seats for everyone. There was only one time where a few parents had to have their children sit on their laps to make room for other guests.

Vacation in Rome

The Hotel Melia Roma Aurelia Antica Hotel was a clean and comfortable motel with a shuttle bus which dropped you off approx. 4 blocks from the Vatican. Times were convenient. Hotel resteraunts did not have a big selection and a little on the high side for prices, but good pizza. No places to shop close to Hotel but the location was nice for peace and quite. Overall a good experience.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

If you want right in the city of Rome do not stay here. Price from the Airport to Hotel 42 euro.

Very Impressed

Hotel was very clean and the staff friendly and helpful. Room was clean except that the shower door was only halfway installed which I didn’t understand. Nice gift shop downstairs made buying souvenirs really practical. One big plus... our train was leaving late and we needed a place to store our luggage even though we had checked out that morning. They were kind enough to store it for us for a few hours. The only thing I did not enjoy was that the hotel was far from the main attractions in Rome. You would have to take the complimentary shuttle bus to and from the Vatican City and then go to your destination. The last shuttle bus stops running at 10 pm which made it hard to enjoy the nightlife.

An island of peace outside of a chaotic city!

We definitely enjoyed this hotel--spacious, clean, and friendly, helpful staff. Nice swimming pool and a small but well-equipped fitness room. We were glad to have stayed at this hotel, opposed to something in the city. We are more outdoorsing people who prefer the fresh air & quiet of mountain hiking, but had decided to visit Rome anyway. Hence not much of a surprise that we found Rome a bit too overwhelming with its large population and hectic atmosphere of swarms of tourists, aggressive drivers, and constant noise. In contrast the hotel is farther out of the chaos with quiet nights in comfy rooms. We used their convenient shuttle service & always got seats without trouble. Without it, transport is either expensive by taxi (expect min 10-20 Euros from the city) or the less cozy and long but cheaper option of metro/bus (2-3 Euro). For reference, it is not easily walk-able from the hotel to the city. Once we walked 30 minutes to a nice pizzeria for dinner--but the walk was dangerous along unofficial sidewalks of highways. Hence, take advantage of their comfortable shuttle as long if you can plan around the shuttle schedule. After spending one day in the chaos of Rome we were happy to return to the nice hotel and enjoy the cool air conditioned rooms, lounge at the pool, and NOT to go back to the city, but for eating pizza and gelato! :) Overall, if you appreciate your peace and quiet, this hotel is a fantastic, comfortable place to stay.

Nice place, good value. Would definitely come back if the price was the same.

Stayed one night (Friday) here, would’ve stayed longer if the room was available for Saturday and Sunday night. Was fortunate to get one of the rooms with a balcony overlooking the pool. Decent non-obstructive view of the surrounding landscape. Nice cabana style pool area and plenty of lounge chairs for sunbathers. Definitely got good value for my money and provided free shuttle bus transport to Saint Peter’s Square after my stay. Would have received 5 stars from me if they didn’t upcharge for everything (TV, internet, etc.). Other than that, the hotel definitely gave me more than I expected, especially for the cost.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

This place is a little out of the way and so are the closest shops - pack water and snacks unless you enjoy paying for the overpriced hotel food. Check the bus schedule ahead of time and save yourself the taxi fare there, but be warned that the later buses are packed and you may not get a seat!

Never again...

We spent 3 nights in Melia Aurelia in July 2009. We got a great deal from Melia Aurelia and we knew the location is bad, but the hotel has a shuttle bus service and that sold Melia Aurelia for us. Huge mistake. Hotel says in their websites that thay do not guarentee that you get the seat from the bus, but still, it suppose to be 4 star hotel, so you would think that they do not advertise someting they really can not deliver especially when the location is difficult and most of the customers are quite dependent on this bus service. The shuttle bus was full almost every time we try to get in. One night we were coming back from the town and it was the last bus going to hotel 10 pm from Ottaviano metrostation, and there was three times more people waiting the bus than what the bus can take. People were pushing and shouting to get in to bus, it was really awful. Half of the family might got in the bus and the other half did not, and that is it, nothing you can do. You can not keep seats even to your children. The whole situation was so humiliating, normal people (young and old) fighting and screaming to get in the bus! How any hotel can offer this kind of service for it is customers?? I advice everybody who are thinking to book a room from this hotel, do not count on the bus service.

Absolutely awesome

This hotel provided an outstanding experience. With 2 kids under 4, we had a travel cot in the room and had a pull out couch in the room. We were extremely comfortable there. (if you don’t like a stiff mattress like us, you might want to upgrade.) The pool was clean, and very family oriented. I wouldn’t plan on having too many drinks at the bar, as they are definitely isolated hotel prices. This hotel provided a free shuttle from the hotel to central rome that ran several times a day. It was very comfortable and air conditioned, and provided an unbelievably easy way to get within walking distance of the main tourist attractions in Rome. When booking, make sure you get the full breakfast included, as it’s a great buffet style start to every day. I would definitely stay here again.

The bus stops in a very easy to navigate part of Rome. We brought a double stroller, and only had to check it in two or three places, but it was a life saver (we even took it on the underground tubes with us). I suggest going to one of the little shops on the side streets for food and going to smaller, out of the way restaurants.

bus to Roma

The bus to Roma is very convenient, but you should get in line about 20-30 minutes beforehand to guarantee a seat. The hotel is also accesible by public transportation, which is free if you buy the 3-day Roma pass. They have a pool, but it closes early for people who want to tour Roma.

Great Hotel! Loved our stay there

Great staff, very helpful, internet access with printers, which came in handy when we needed to check in online for our flight and print our own tickets to avoid additional airline fees. Beautiful hotel, nice spaceous clean room. They have a free shuttle that takes you to the center of Rome as well. We’d definitely stay there again :-)

good room, good price

nice pool and clean rooms. Dinner was very nice for a reasonable price.

Great hotel!

This hotel was the shining star in what turned out to be a pretty unpleasant trip to Rome! It was outside of the city (about 15-30 minutes on the bus depending on traffic), but it was a beautiful hotel to come back to after a long day in the city. The bus system was very organized and always on time. The pool was very nice and the staff were very friendly! The only downfall was dinner, the restaurant is good, but there isn’t a lot to choose from. The pool bar was also good, but very expensive...a cocktail was no less than 10 Euro. There aren’t any restaurants close by either, so you have to go back down into the city. But, overall this hotel is beautiful and we had a nice time!

Traveler's tip on recreational activities

Do NOT do a hop-on/hop-off tour. That was the worst experience. The people were incredibly rude who ran the bus, the tour was a joke, and it took over 4 hours to complete (which half of that was sitting in traffic). Save yourself the 20 Euro and do something else!

Very nice hotel

Very nice hotel and very comfortable. The staff was wonderful, most spoke very good English. I would definitely consider staying here if I ever go again. The breakfast buffet was wonderful. The only drawback is there is not much around the hotel, so need to take the shuttle into Rome to get something to eat outside the hotel restaurant, but the shuttle is very convenient.

Very nice hotel with great shuttle into Rome

We stayed 7 nights here and enjoyed our room very much. The hotel was very clean and everyone on staff was very professional and helpful. The free shuttle into Rome and back was great and we used it every day. It left promptly when advertised and was very comfortable. It stops at a metro station and is an easy walk to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums. We stayed June 7-14th. The very nice outdoor pool was not open, which we would have enjoyed. Internet access as well as TV programming in English is another fee and fairly pricey. The restaurant is nice, but also a little pricey. We ended up eating most of our meals at little cafes in Rome.

Traveler's tip

We rented a car since we wanted to see the country side and drive to Orvieto where our daughter was studying. The autostrada was fine to drive on as was the GRA (kind of like the beltway) around Rome. I wouldn’t recommend driving in Rome or trying to find parking. It’s congested and not for the faint of heart.

Super venue

Close to city center...via hotel shuttle or local taxi...yet far enough away to enjoy the quiet. Eat in the city, though, or you will be limited to the hotel. No close restaurants.

Romance in Rome

Loved this hotel and would highly recommend it to anyone vacationing in Rome. The room was extremely comfortable, clean and in a quiet part of the city. The shuttle service runs throughout the day and was convenient to use. It drops you off close to the vatican and in front of the Metro which we used the entire stay in Rome. Cheap easy way to get around the city and it allows you to the true experience of the people and city.

Far from city centre, but excellent hotel

It takes at least half an hour to get from the hotel to the main atractions in Rome. It is free, since there is a bus from the hotel to Metro Station Otaviano, but it takes time. Apart from that, our stay was awesome. The room had plenty of space. We had gentle service from the hotel staff also. The price was really, really worth the value. We got more than what what we expected for the price.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

It is a four-star hotel for a hostel price. If you don’t mind to saty at least half an hour far from the main atractions, you will get an awesome stay for a budget price.

Lovely but...

Melia Roma is a beautiful and very clean hotel. As I was traveling with my daughter,we had a room with twins beds which I didn’t find that comfortable.(My 16 year old daughter thought it was just fine.) The staff were friendly and willing to help in any way and all spoke English. We thoroughly enjoyed the food in the restaurant.The complimentary shuttle bus was convenient because City of Rome is quite a distance. The bus was punctual but make sure you get to bus stop early because it gets crowded and once the bus is full you must wait for the next..1-2 hours later. I found the people waiting to board bus were the rudest bunch of people I have ever encountered,pushing, shoving and cutting the line but thats no fault of the hotel.I recommend this hotel as long as the distance from activities is not an issue.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

Definitely use the Metro and buy an unlimited metro card. Traveling is simple and safe and it takes you anywhere you may want to go in Rome.

Great Hotel

This was our third time to stay at this Hotel. It is in a quiet neighborhood. We always enjoy the bus ride from the hotel to the center of Rome.

Traveler's tip on dining

Harry’s on Via Vittorio Veneto for strawberry champagne; Alfredo’s on Via Delle Scrofa for fettuccini Alfredo; and Restaurant 34 for near the Spanish Steps are our favorites.

Rome’s best hotel

This is a very, very nice hotel. We got a good rate on our room in the springtime. The free shuttle service is very nice. Just wait at the bus station near the metro.

Traveler's tip on dining

The hotel is not close to any restaurants, so make sure to eat further in the city. However, the hotel restaurant is quite good and the prices are mid-range. The hotel also offers to call a particular restaurant, which will come get you in a limo. We did not do this, though. The buffet breakfast in the morning is amazing.

Great Hotel in Suburban Rome

This hotel had exceptional service, a great breakfast buffet, and a prompt, scheduled shuttle service to Rome’s metro. My wife and I were there on vacation and maximized the use of the dependable shuttle service. We were there in the off-season, but the hotel did mention that the shuttle can be crowded in the summer tourist season.

Better than I expected, will definitely go back

When I first reserved the hotel, I was a little concerned about the distance (6 km) from the Vatican City and the center of Rome. However, the free shuttle bus from the hotel to the Vatican City is extremely convenient. It drops you 2-3 blocks from St. Peter’s Square. The shuttle hours are convenient: first bus leaves the hotel at 8:00 am and last bus leaves the Vatican City at 23:00. The staff at the hotel was very friendly and was able to answer all my questions well. This was not an issue for me as I ate dinner in Rome each evening, but there is nothing around the hotel itself - other than a neighborhood and a sports complex. You would have to drive to a restaurant or eat in the hotel restaurant. The hotel has a "secured" parking area for 16 or 18 Euros per 24hr period, but there is plenty of available free self parking in the convention center parking lot which is adjacent to the hotel. Security does not appear to be an issue because of the remote location. I found a free place to park and left my car for 3 days with no issues. Definitely a good deal.