Hotel Caravel

Hotel Description

You know what? I wasn’t expecting much when I first pulled up to Hotel Caravel on Via Cristoforo Colombo – honestly, the area around Ostiense doesn’t scream “charming Roman getaway” at first glance. But here’s the thing about this part of Rome that most tourists miss: you’re actually in this fascinating pocket where industrial-chic meets authentic Roman life, and the Caravel sits right in the sweet spot of it all. The hotel itself has this understated elegance that grows on you – it’s not trying to be the flashiest place on the block, but everything just works. The lobby has these clean lines and warm lighting that immediately tells you someone cares about design without being pretentious about it. Check-in was refreshingly smooth (I mean, after dealing with some of the more “character-filled” places in Centro Storico, efficiency feels like luxury), and the staff actually seemed to know the neighborhood well enough to give real recommendations, not just the obvious tourist traps.

What really sold me on this place was how it handles the whole “being in Rome but not drowning in crowds” balance. You’re about a fifteen-minute metro ride from the Colosseum – the Garbatella stop is practically around the corner – but when you come back in the evening, you’re in this area where actual Romans live and work. There’s something oddly satisfying about grabbing dinner at one of the family-run trattorias nearby where you’re the only non-Italian in the room. The rooms themselves are exactly what you’d hope for from a solid four-star: comfortable beds (seriously, after walking 20,000 steps around Rome, this matters), decent-sized bathrooms, and windows that actually keep the street noise to a minimum. The air conditioning works properly too, which – trust me – you’ll appreciate in summer when Rome turns into a beautiful but sweaty sauna. I also loved that they have parking available, because if you’re doing any day trips outside the city, having a car without the nightmare of driving through medieval streets is actually brilliant.

Look, I’m not going to tell you this is the most Instagram-worthy hotel in Rome – it’s not trying to be. But what it is, is genuinely comfortable and smartly located for people who want to experience Rome beyond the selfie spots. The 8.3 rating makes perfect sense to me because it delivers exactly what it promises without any nasty surprises. Plus, there’s something to be said for being able to walk to Testaccio market in the morning for the best supplì in the city, then catch the metro to Vatican City without feeling like you’re constantly swimming upstream against tourist crowds. The neighborhood comes alive in the evenings too – there’s this great energy around the Ostiense area that feels authentically Roman in a way that’s harder to find in the more obvious hotel districts. If you’re the type of traveler who appreciates being comfortable and well-located without paying historic center prices, Hotel Caravel is honestly a pretty smart choice.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $133. Double or Twin Room with 2 × 1 large double bed and 2 single beds for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $164. Triple Room with 3 single beds, 1 single bed and 1 large double bed for Max persons: 3

Reviews

• I would stay here again! – Alexandra from Canada – 13 December 2024 (9/10)

  I had expected this hotel to be a little shabby but it was in great condition and offered great facilities. The breakfast was very good (although the breakfast room was a bit cold) and they had gluten-free bread on hand. The location was perfect for my purposes, with both Garbatella metro station and Eataly within walking distance (less than 30 minutes). I would stay here again!
  
  What could be improved: I had no complaints about this but future visitors should be aware that Hotel Caravel does NOT have kettles or coffee machines in the rooms. There's a (coffee) bar a few metres away outside and the hotel's (cocktail) bar is open in the evenings.

• Clean comfy room – Richie from Ireland – 3 June 2024 (9/10)

  Nice clean room not too far from the City
  
  What could be improved: Quite a lot of litter outside and no water or tea / coffee facilities in the room.

• Good – Daniel from Ireland – 6 February 2024 (7/10)

  Very nice, spaciuos and clean room. The location is quite good in walking distance from the Metro and the bus station.
  
  What could be improved: The hotel's wifi is working through an unsecure webserver so I rather skipped to connect it.
  
  An unexpected 22,50 Euro additional fee had to be paid as city tax at check-out.

• My favourite hotel in Rome – Tomas from Italy – 21 December 2023 (9/10)

  The comfort and the warmth
  
  What could be improved: Nothing really, well done staff

• Good overall value for money – Andrew from Malta – 15 November 2023 (7/10)

  Very strong water pressure in the bathroom, good breakfast.
  
  What could be improved: Noisy location in front of a very busy street. One of the receptionists was not very friendly, no minibar in the room

• Very good – Sarah from Australia – 21 October 2023 (8/10)

  Room was clean and beds were comfortable

• A good hotel for staying in Rome. – Anastasiia from Ukraine – 1 October 2023 (9/10)

  A clean property, nice staff working, everything necessary is in the room.

• Very good – Adrian from United Kingdom – 13 September 2023 (8/10)

  The room was big enough for two people, with a large balcony, clean. The hotel in general was very clean, there were no technical issues, the staff cleaned our room every day. The area is well connected, few buses around that can take you to the centre, a metro station within walking distance, few shops and little coffee shops/restaurants nearby as well. However, all these buses take ages to arrive, it seems like it's common in Rome.
  
  What could be improved: There was no fridge in the room, which I find a bit annoying given the price you pay and especially during the summer when it's hot and you want cold drinks or to store food so it does not spoil. I had another friend joining me for the trip and because I did not book the room for 2 people originally I had to pay an additional fee at the end which felt a bit excessive, so might be worth booking for the adequate number of people from the start. There was noise during the day due to construction work nearby, but it was not a massive issue. It did not wake us up.

• Great spot just a short trip away from historic center – Alexander from United States – 2 August 2023 (9/10)

  Great location for us – we were close to our family and a very short trip to the historic center of the city.
  
  Rooms are very nice, and spacious. Great breakfast in the morning.
  
  Staff was very helpful in arranging taxis, etc

• Staff was very friendly, clean room/bathroom, the beds are a little bit hard but we still slept amazing and our room – Daniele from Switzerland – 3 July 2023 (9/10)

  It had that „oh I bet that‘s a good hotel“ kinda vibe.

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities