Cardinal Hotel St. Peter

Hotel Description

You know what struck me first about the Cardinal Hotel St. Peter? It’s tucked away on Via Leone Dehon in this quiet residential pocket of Aurelio that most tourists never find – which honestly works in your favor. I mean, you’re still only about a 15-minute walk to St. Peter’s Basilica, but you’re staying where actual Romans live, with their little corner bars and family-run pizzerias that don’t have English menus.

The hotel itself feels like someone took a mid-century Roman apartment building and gave it a thoughtful renovation without losing its character. The lobby has this warm, lived-in quality – marble floors that have actually been walked on for decades, and the front desk staff who genuinely seem to know the neighborhood inside and out. When I asked about getting to Trastevere for dinner, the evening clerk didn’t just point me toward a taxi; he sketched out this route through side streets that locals use. The rooms are what you’d expect from a solid 4-star – clean, comfortable beds, decent bathrooms with surprisingly good water pressure (always a gamble in Rome), and air conditioning that actually works during those brutal August afternoons. Nothing fancy, but everything you need is there and working properly.

What really sold me on this place was the morning routine. There’s this little café right around the corner where the hotel guests mix with neighborhood regulars grabbing their espresso and cornetto before work – it’s that authentic Roman morning energy you can’t manufacture. The area gets properly quiet at night too, unlike staying near Termini where you’re dealing with sirens and late-night chaos. Sure, you might need to plan your Vatican visit for early morning to beat the crowds, and yes, you’ll probably end up taking the Metro from Cornelia station more than walking everywhere, but honestly? That’s part of experiencing Rome like someone who lives here rather than just passing through. The 7.4 rating makes sense – it’s not going to wow you with luxury touches, but it delivers exactly what it promises in a part of the city that feels genuine rather than tourist-manufactured.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $172. Classic Double or Twin Room with 1 large double bed and 2 single beds for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $267. Superior Double or Twin Room with Terrace with 1 large double bed and 2 single beds for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $384. Two Connecting Double Rooms with 2 large double beds, 2 single beds and 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $302. Triple Room with 1 single bed and 1 large double bed for Max persons: 3
• Estimated price from: $356. Family Room with 2 single beds and 1 large double bed for Max persons: 4
• Estimated price from: $169. Single Room with 1 single bed for Max persons: 1

Reviews

• Very good – Nehyba from Czech Republic – 20 June 2025 (8/10)

  Check in, receptionist was really helpful and kind to us.
  
  What could be improved: Check out in the night, the staff was quite asleep and little bit rude, but I get it.

• Pleasant – Muhammad from Saudi Arabia – 25 February 2025 (6/10)

  Big room
  
  What could be improved: Location
  Breakfast

• Good for the price – Sharon from United States – 13 October 2024 (7/10)

  Breakfast was great! The location was much further away from city center than expected.
  
  What could be improved: The location was too far and required taxi to get anywhere.

• Our stay was very comfortable overall we also dined in the restaurant which was great! – Sue from Australia – 15 September 2024 (8/10)

  Plenty of selection to eat the food was fresh the coffee machine took a bit to work out. The location was really good a short taxi ride to all sights of interest.
  
  What could be improved: Decor a bit outdated in rooms.

• Thanks – Salem from Denmark – 30 August 2024 (8/10)

  Relax
  
  What could be improved: Breakfast

• Great location and pool facilities. – Jared from United Kingdom – 21 August 2024 (8/10)

  Great location. Free parking in underground garage. Helpful and attentive staff. Clean pool facilities.
  
  What could be improved: Breakfast was a solid 7/10.

• Good for relaxing – Aura from France – 18 August 2024 (8/10)

  The jacuzzi area and the room were very nice. The pool too
  
  What could be improved: The schedule of the pool is not very convenient. They run out of food at breakfast very fast (8:30am)

• Almost perfect – Abigail from United Kingdom – 30 July 2024 (8/10)

  The pool always had a bed available and the bar area was perfect for a drink and icecream.
  The staff were so helpful when asked about taxis or local info, and all spoke English perfectly! (We were very thankful for that) Rooms were just as described, everything you need as a tourist for the week and shower from above and handhold was amazing in the heat. Breakfast had everything we needed, couldn't complain.
  
  What could be improved: Only downside is that one night we waited 20 minutes for the restaurant. We asked reception where we wait and staff kept passing us, not even saying they'll be with us soon. It was also a little far from the centre, 20m walk partly uphill for the metro and €20 taxi, but we always managed to get one where needed so wasn't a huge issue for us.

• Great location, nice pool – Maciej from Poland – 29 July 2024 (8/10)

  Good location, very good breakfast (comparing to my previous Italian experiences), nice pool. Very good time.
  
  What could be improved: Waiting 50 minutes for a burger for lunch is a little bit too long. AC temperature is controlled by the reception – had to call every time I wanted to change it.

• Staff amazing, rooms comfortable and overall great for overnight stay. Small observations that would have irked if we we – John from United Kingdom – 19 July 2024 (8/10)

  The hotel was light and airy with a great looking pool and was clean throughout the hotel. Our room had a great view and was great for our stop over in Rome
  
  What could be improved: The hotel was a bit further away than expected from accessible routes. We took taxis to and from the Vatican etc when we planned to walk/metro. Breakfast wasn’t the expected standard but fit purpose of our stay.

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities