The Suite Life Rome: The RomeHello Street Art Hostel Review
I have a confession to make: I love living in Spain, I really do, but lately, there has been one place that I have been sorely missing…my home away from home, Italy.
I’ve been craving pizza, pasta, and my favorite Italian wines. Don’t even get me started on gelato. And every time I visit Roman ruins in Spain, I can’t help but think of my favorites in Italy. Needless to say, a return to Italy has been on my travel agenda for quite some time. I guess you could say I was a little homesick…or, rather, Romesick.
Naturally, I was ecstatic when I was invited by The RomeHello hostel to spend the weekend celebrating their launch in Rome, The Eternal City itself.
I often get asked by readers where they should stay in Rome, and I can finally say that I have a great recommendation!
The RomeHello is a unique, brand new, quirky street art hostel perfect for those looking for a place to relax after a busy day sightseeing and meet other travelers.
About The RomeHello
During my stay at The RomeHello, I had the opportunity to chat with Lorenzo, a fellow traveler, and the hostel’s CEO. His family has worked in the hotel and hospitality business for years, and he first got the idea to open the hostel through his own adventures around the world. He realized that Rome didn’t really have the type of hostels he enjoyed staying at-the type of hostel that is modern, well-located, and provides the perfect environment to socialize with other like-minded globetrotters.
What really struck me during our chat with Lorenzo, however, is the fact that The RomeHello isn’t just a good hostel, it’s a hostel that does good.
The RomeHello is actually a non-profit hostel, meaning that the profits from the hostel are donated to local and international charities. You can both literally and figuratively “sleep well at night” knowing that your booking is helping to support organizations that are in need. And that’s pretty rad, if you ask me.
The RomeHello Street Art
Another unique aspect of The RomeHello is the fact that the space is decorated with some amazing street art. As an art lover, I love the idea of viewing ancient Roman ruins and classical art by day and returning to a hostel filled with modern art inspired by Rome and travel by night.
If you are a fan of street art, you may recognize some of the artists whose work is featured throughout the hostel. You’ll find pieces by artists from around the world, including artists from Italy, France, Spain, Austria, Mexico, Germany, and Ukraine. The art is as international as the hostel’s guests!
The art really transforms the hostel into a space filled with color, life, and energy, and the works provide some pretty great conversation starters if you are traveling solo and hoping to make some friends. I honestly spent quite a bit of time walking around the hostel, as if it was a museum itself!
Checking in: Staying at The RomeHello
Location, Location, Location
The RomeHello is conveniently located just a 10 minute walk from Roma Termini train station, and is also less than 20 minutes walking from other Rome must-sees, such as the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Colosseum, and the Roman Forum. You are also just a 5-minute walk from the Repubblica metro station, making getting around the city a breeze!
The Rooms
There are a variety of rooms available for travelers looking to stay at The RomeHello-4, 8 and 10-bed mixed dorms, female-only dorms, as well as private rooms.
Since I was staying for the launch, I wound up staying in a private room, but I also got to take a peek into one of the dorms.
I love that all of the dorms and private rooms have ensuite bathrooms, and because the hostel is brand new, everything in the hostel is in pristine condition! Other features I really enjoyed were the under-bed lockers and bedside USB chargers and reading lights.
The rooms are spacious and well-lit, with clean design making for a relaxing atmosphere to spend the night. I thought that the beds were extremely comfortable, and will probably be singing praises about the shower for weeks. (I’ve been making do with the world’s smallest hot water heater in Spain, and haven’t had a shower where the hot water lasted more than 7 minutes in months.) And did I mention there are hair dryers? I honestly wish I could move in.
The RomeHello is also a budget-friendly hostel! If you are planning a visit to Rome, you can actually save 10% by clicking here and using the code “MISSADVENTURESABROAD”.
Common Areas
When you aren’t catching some Zs, you can enjoy the hostel’s common areas-a kitchen, spacious living room equipped with comfy couches, tables, chairs, and lockers, and an outdoor terrace just made for socializing. I loved how there were always people in these areas, and that the vibe was so chill and friendly.
As I quietly spent some time blogging in the common room, it was cool overhearing other travelers cooking and sharing meals, and bumping into the blogger friends I made over the weekend, while still feeling like I had peace and quiet to actually get a few things done. The RomeHello really offers the mix of social opportunities and tranquility, making it a great place to hang out no matter what mood you are in!
Staff
The staff at The RomeHello really couldn’t be friendlier. Whether I had a question about Rome or was checking in, I was always met with a friendly smile and felt welcomed. The energy and enthusiasm of the staff was apparent, which was really nice in contrast to some hostels I have stayed at where staff members were either unwelcoming or unfriendly. I particularly loved the staff who worked at The Barrel-they remembered me throughout my stay, and seemed genuinely excited to greet me each day-they would even point me in the direction of my newfound friends when I arrived for breakfast each morning. Which brings me to my next topic…the food!
The Barrel: Drinks and Dining at The RomeHello
Breakfast
I don’t know about you, but when it comes to hostels and food, there are two things I love-a great hostel breakfast and a cool hostel bar, and I am happy to report that The Barrel is both.
Breakfast isn’t included in your stay, however, it is just €6 if you book online before your stay. And let me tell you, this was hands down the BEST hostel breakfast I have ever had. In fact, it was so good I hesitate to even call it a hostel breakfast. There were your hostel standards-pastries, toast, cereals, and then some not-so standards- eggs, sausage, fresh fruit salads, and…dare I say it? BACON. Oh, and the coffee machine? A+
My breakfast totally counted as my breakfast and lunch during my stay, so in the future, I would definitely choose to add breakfast on each day of my stay. In my opinion, it is so worth it.
The Bar
A good hostel bar is such a great way to meet people, especially if you are flying solo, as I frequently do during my travels. The Barrel has a great selection of snacks, many of which I got to sample during the weekend.
The bar’s cocktails are reasonably priced at €6, while wine costs €4 a glass, and beers range between €3-€6, depending on what size you get. There are 10 beers available on draft, one of which is an IPA which made me extremely happy! (I am not loving all of the Cruzcampo in Spain!)
The RomeHello Launch Weekend
I couldn’t do a review of The RomeHello without mentioning what an amazing time I had at the launch party and throughout my stay!
During my weekend, I had the opportunity to meet a pretty awesome group of bloggers and explore Rome and get to know the hostel.
On Friday night, after I went on a day trip to Tivoli, I returned to The RomeHello ready to partayyyy! I had such a great evening sipping beers, getting to know some fellow bloggers and hostel guests, and had a blast bopping along to No Funny Stuff jug band, a funky band that played some pretty amazing covers and some wacky instruments-like a saw, watering-can-o-phone, washboard, and more.
After our late night, we all slept in, enjoyed a yummy breakfast, and then headed to the Big City Life Street Art Tour of Tor Marancia. Here we learned all about this fascinating open-air street art museum, and how art completely transformed an area in need.
If you loved the street art in the hostel, and are looking to discover more while you are in Rome, then be sure to put this place on your list of things to do in Rome!
Next on the agenda was a walking and driving sightseeing tour with The Roman Guy. I’ve been on my fair share of tours of Rome, and I must say that I was really impressed by our guide Maura, who managed to take us not only to Rome’s main tourist attractions but also brought us to a few spots that I had never been to before!
Photo: The Hostel Girl
I am constantly being asked about great tour companies to go with when in Rome, and definitely would recommend The Roman Guy if you are looking for a quality tour of the city.
We rounded out our day with a delicious dinner at Oregano Campo de Fiori, where I consumed entirely too much food for my own good. But after months of missing Italian food, I simply couldn’t help myself!
It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend, and I am happy to say that I am now cured of my Romesickness…at least temporarily. I may or may not have already booked another flight to Italy in April-stay tuned to see what I get up to in Milan and Florence!
Overall Thoughts
If you are headed to Rome, then I highly recommend staying at The RomeHello hostel. I had an excellent stay at the hostel, and only have great things to say about my stay there! Everything from the comfortable rooms and friendly staff to the chill vibes and phenomenal street art made me feel welcome and at home. I will definitely be staying again the next time I’m in town!
It really was a perfect weekend, and I am happy to say that I am now cured of my Romesickness…at least temporarily. I even managed to make some new blogging friends along the way!
I also have to say…I may or may not have been inspired to book another flight to Italy in April-stay tuned to see what I get up to in Milan and Florence!
Disclaimer: Miss Adventures Abroad was welcomed as a guest at The RomeHello, and also collaborated with Big City Life, The Roman Guy, and Oregano Campo de Fiori. As always, the opinions expressed here are 100% my own!
Are you planning a visit to Rome anytime soon? What do you look for in a great hostel? Let me know in the comments!
You might also enjoy these Italy posts:
- Two Incredible Weeks In Italy: The Complete Itinerary
- Racing Through Roma: How to Conquer Rome in a Day
- 50 Travel Tips For Visiting Italy
- Rome Day Trip: Escape to Tivoli’s Villa D’Este + Hadrian’s Villa
- How To Spend 1 Day In Florence: The Complete Itinerary
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