Casa Howard (Sistina) - Rome, Italy 

A warm welcome from a Filipino butler, wonderful honey at breakfast, courageous interiors by a hip designer and entombed in mortuary-like silence might be among the selling points. But, as the marketing blurb boasts, this is NOT a hotel. No, it certainly isn't. The problem is that it isn't a private home either. Not by a long stretch. The property, on the second floor of a non-descript building in Rome's via Sistina, is a small apartment that has been cleverly carved into several tiny guest rooms off a corridor. There are no "common parts" to speak of. Nowhere to lounge on a sofa. Or, in my cramped room, not even an armchair. (to be fair, real estate prices in Rome are astronomic) The bathroom:is spotlessly clean - some nice coloured tiles too but a shallow shower alcove, leaving one tussling with a horrid plastic shower curtain. To sit on the WC was a challenge for this tall guest who had to wedge himself under the protuding towel radiator. Floors are mainly polished concrete, the colour of smudged lipstick, the walls, in this so-called "Indian Room" were a sharp yellow. As a guest, one feels somehow unhappy. There is no "feel-good" factor here, no charm, no warmth. Why? Was it the frosted glass window preventing one from seeing outside? Was it the lack of fruit or flowers, no paper and pencil to write on in the room, no magazines/books except on a shelf outside the hallway, the PAPER napkin at breakfast and the foil-wrapped caterer's portion of butter, the lonely de-frosted croissant resting on two sad-looking rusks (are there no decent bakeries in Rome?) You feel neglected, abandoned, uncared-for. Sort of like waking up on the deck of the Marie Celeste. Everything is in place but the crew have gone AWOL. The "honour bar" consisted of a standard domestic fridge in the hallway outside, containing an unimaginative choice of either 50 euro bottles of champagne or a range of sodas and water, with nothing much in-between. To sum up, this whole experience smacks of penny-pinching no-frills airline meets top international designer chic. Cost:- 190 euros for a single, plus 10 euros for breakfast. Totalling 320 us dollars at today's conversion rate. Value for money? You decide. .

We booked Casa Howard through Chic Retreats who we have booked with before and were not disappointed. The rooms are delightful and we were looked after by Edgar who made our stay so comfortable and special. It is near the Spanish Steps so very central and I would recommend anyone to stay there. We had a wonderful time.