Hotel Golden

Hotel Golden is located inside a former apartment building in an upscale neighborhood. There is no need to worry about bumping into tenants in the lobby because the family who owns the hotel also owns and lives in the rest of the building. There’s an elevator in the lobby that is nearly 100 years old, and it's a charming way to avoid pulling luggage up one flight of stairs to the small front desk. This wood-paneled area for check-in is found on the second floor, and guests will sometimes pop over to ask a question about what to see or where to eat that day, but they don’t spend time here. The low-key scene is safe and quiet, but not a place to lounge. The hotel does the job as a pleasant budget-friendly place to drop your bags, fuel up on free breakfast, and sleep at night. Prices are consistently among the cheapest in this posh neighborhood, and the family that staffs the 24-hour front desk takes a great deal of pride in answering any questions and providing suggestions about the city. During our visit, guests (mostly tourists) stopped by to thank the front desk for making them feel so at home.

A five-minute walk from the U.S. Embassy in one direction and the Villa Borghese park in the other, Hotel Golden is located on the edge of Rome’s historic center. The immediate surrounding area is a posh and residential area, with several other higher-end hotels such as The Westin Excelsior and Grand Hotel Via Veneto within a few blocks. These hotels have Michelin-starred restaurants and chic lobby bars, but there are few other major dining options in the area. However, several buses run up Via Veneto near the hotel, and the Barberini metro stop is only a 12-minute walk away. The Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain are each also accessible within a 15-minute walk and sit at the center of livelier areas. Hotel Golden is about an 11-minute drive away from Rome’s main Termini train station, and Fiumicino Leonardo Da Vinci airport can be reached in 40 minutes by car.

• Five-minute walk to Villa Borghese gardens
• 12-minute walk to Palazzo Barberini
• 15-minute walk to the Spanish Steps
• 15-minute walk to the Trevi Fountains
• 22-minute walk to the Pantheon
• Eight-minute drive to Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
• 14-minute drive to the Colosseum
• 15-minute drive to St. Peter’s Basilica
• 11-minute drive to Termini station
• 35-minute drive to Rome Ciampino International Airport
• 40-minute drive to Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport

All of the 18 rooms at Hotel Golden are located on one floor of the former apartment building, and six suites are spread out over several floors above. The rooms are clean and can come with one single bed, a double bed, or a combination of these to make up a triple room. Family Suites can sleep four. Regardless of size, every room has an en-suite bathroom and air-conditioning. The private bathrooms are clean and nicely stocked with toiletries, a hairdryer, and towels, but some have aging showerheads. There are also modestly stocked minibars in every room, as well as TVs that seem to date back to the '90s.The decor varies in each room. Many are colorful and some are aggressively wallpapered, with patterned comforters that may feel dated but are pretty typical in Italy. Wood floors are a nice touch, and some of the suites include original architectural details such as carved ceilings. All of the rooms have windows and some even have views of the ancient Aurelian wall that runs along the edge of the Villa Borghese park. 

Features are quite limited, since this is a historical budget boutique hotel. Guests are given a login to the reliable free Wi-Fi that reaches all the rooms. While the siblings run the front desk, their mother is in charge of the daily free breakfast. The buffet includes fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, and homemade pastries, but the hotel will also make an effort to accommodate allergies or food preferences and whip up the occasional egg dish. The hotel also offers flexible check-ins depending on availability, baggage storage, and travel advice, but otherwise lacks major property features.