Rome: Hotel Mozart -- totally overrated!
 

Hi,

I always meant to write in after my trip if I thought something would be helpful to other Fodorites (since I got so much help from this site in the past), and I forgot to write in after my 2002 trip (I am remembering now because I've checked into this forum this week to plan for another trip this year). Of all the hotels we stayed in Italy, Hotel Mozart in Rome was by far the WORST. We had the superior rooms ( 1 triple and 1 double rooms for our family). And they were really not up to the expectations. I paid a lot (can't remember but something like $200-300 per room) for what was meant to be somewhat budget hotels. The rooms were not absolutely terrible, but generally dark and depressing. The hotel staff was rather curt. When I asked them for restaurant recommendation, they sent us to the worst Italian restaurant I've ever eaten in. That was definitely the worst bit of our otherwise very nice trip. I was highly surprised, because the reviews were all good in general. So I guess one never knows. However, hopefully they changed their act by now, or at least their rooms.

What reviews? Fodors? Trip Advisor? I'm always interested in what sources can/cannot be trusted. Please let us know.

I can't remember exactly where the reviews came from, but I think I probably checked them all (I always do, Fodor's, Tripadvisor, and whatever I can find.) I don't think one is less reliable than others, but they can mess up with some hotels and be right on with others. What I wonder is why so many write in glorious reviews in Tripadvisor, for example, about this hotel, which makes me wonder if it is the hotel itself who writes in all these reviews under fake names...But at least, I found it not worth the money at all and would never go there again. (In Venice, for example, I stayed at Pension Academe and Flora, which were both about the same money and nice enough.)

There are many reviews of the hotel here on Fodors's Europe board, most fairly positive. Our family stayed there in '02 and we were pleased. Our room (superior) was pretty large by European standards, and the bathroom was very clean & modern. The room would have been dark but we kept the drapes open and the pair of big windows let in a lot of light.

Many hotels have rooms that are quite different, so lonmermaid may have had one of the less desirable ones. The hotel was on the expensive side ($300 for the superior triple), but many *** hotels in a prime location in Rome are pricey, especially if you are in a larger room. As for the staff, I don't recall them being especially kind nor mean to us.

The next time I'm in Rome I'll probably try someplace new, but I wouldn't be upset if we stayed at the Mozart again.

although i have often recommended hotels i think i may reconsider after your post...we stayed at hotel mozart in 2001 after finding it on this board and had a really nice room with a huge bathroom...the price was fair for rome...after all it is a very expensive city for well situated hotel rooms, as there are not too many large hotels in the great walking areas...it too was the most expensive hotel we stayed at on our trip (and that includes a 4* on the amalfi coast with a breath-taking view of mt vesuvius and a sea front balcony!) i have no idea if there are rooms to stay away from, but i think after your post i will just keep my mouth shut...sosorry

I read recently a good review of the Hotel Mozart in The New YORK Times and frankly I thought that either the Mozart had gone a renovation or it was a little overrated.
We stayed in the Mozart some years back when it was not more than 80 dollars and thought that it was ok for that money