Mercure Roma Corso Trieste

Housed in an undistinguished 1980s-era building, this hotel goes beyond chain hotel standards once guests step inside and move past the austere reception area. There is a hip little bar with a black backdrop and a handful of modern white stools, and the surrounding lounge area features a red wall, clusters of coffee tables, and mod armchairs. It’s never packed, but a few guests can usually be found sipping wine here at night. In the summer, the hotel opens its rooftop patio, with views of the surrounding neighborhood and city, and guests can often be found eating breakfast or sipping Prosecco there. The hotel also has a fitness center equipped with stationary bikes, treadmills, and weight machines, plus a small sauna. Clientele includes university-aged students, older travelers, families, business, and solo travelers -- in other words, pretty much everyone.

The Mercure Roma Corso Trieste is located in an elegant, residential area of ​​Rome, northeast of the historic city center. The beautiful Villa Torlonia and Villa Massimo parks, plus the catacombs of Santa Costanza and the 7th century Basilica of Santa Agnese, are all a 10-minute walk or less, as is the headquarters of the Luiss University of Wisdom. There is a good selection of public transportation in the area, including the nearby Bologna Metro station (a 15-minute walk), and several buses that connect directly to the city center within a 10-minute walk. While Rome's major historical attractions would require long walks, they can also be reached by metro and a trip from Bologna station to the Colosseum takes less than 10 minutes. The Spanish Steps take 15 minutes to reach from Bologna station and the Termini Train Station can be reached in about five minutes. Leonardo da Vinci International Airport is about 40 minutes away by car or cab, and the trip can be made in an hour and 20 minutes away by car.

The 97 modern rooms at this hotel are situated on seven elevator-accessible floors, and all have attractive mustard yellow accent walls, oversized wooden headboards, bendable bedside light fixtures, and contemporary figural prints on the walls. Beds are comfortable and soft, and have duvets and brown bed runners. Dark wood laminate floors look sharp against the light oak veneer furniture throughout, though not all rooms are non-smoking and many have an overpowering air-freshener smell. Rooms do come with modern features like free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, coffee- and tea-making facilities, and mini-fridges. Small coffee tables are flanked by a pair of lounge chairs, creating a comfortable seating corner. White-tiled bathrooms are slightly dated, though, with green granite vanities, shower/tub combos, basic toiletries, and hairdryers, and we did spot a bit of dirty grout when we visited. 

Unlike many two-and-a-half-pearl hotels in Rome, there is a large fitness room here with several stationary bikes, treadmills, and weight machines, as well as a sauna. Breakfast costs extra and can be pricey, though in the summer it's lovely to take on the rooftop terrace, which also has a bar when the weather is warm. A small, hip bar off of the lounge serves a wide range of local wines, beer, cocktails, and coffee drinks. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and there is a computer station for guest use. The front desk is staffed 24 hours and there are free newspapers also available in the lobby, though on-site parking is subject to fees.