Review of Yellow Hostel in Rome, Italy

The Yellow is a youth hostel located near Termini train station in Rome. I stayed there for three nights on a recent budget trip to the eternal city.

I've stayed in better hostels, and I've stayed in worse. Not the best recommendation but there you have it!

There were considerable pluses: I felt very safe with the key card security and 24 hour reception. There was a lift/ elevator. It was sterile clean, the showers and toilets worked and were in good supply, and hot water abounded. The staff were helpful and friendly and went above and beyond when my friend had a personal emergency. The little automatic door to the reception was quirky (but really couldn't they have used that money for some other more useful feature?). The free maps were a nice perk.

There were also drawbacks: despite the attempt at boutique-hostelness, and all the hype, it definitely lacked character. I prefer smaller hostels where, ironically enough, I find it easier to meet people. Arnie's Backpackers in Belfast, for example, is cozy and friendly. Added to this there was no common area, just a bar with a smoky basement and an outdoor café contingent where the live-ins, Jafa's, and hangers-on smoked cigarettes and drank endless cups of espresso, which at some point in the afternoon became beer. This was where the breakfast was served: not free, 3 or 4 euros, and apparently consisting of a slice of cake and a glad of juice. Or so I heard - I never bothered to check it out for myself. (I never bother with pay-for breakfasts, figuring I can do much better on my own.) No kitchen, but in Rome where delicious and filling slices of pizza can be had for 3 euro, that's not too much of a problem. I kept my salami and cheese (for lunch sandwiches) on the windowsill to keep cool but on the last day found the window had been locked by housekeeping and I couldn't get to my groceries! Oh well.

Another major problem is the location-but I think this is the case for pretty much all budget accommodation in Rome. Located behind Termini station, it is a good ten minute walk from anything worth seeing, including most of your transport links at Termini. There is a closer stop, Castro Pretorio, on the Metro B line, so that is handy if you are heading to the Coliseum or thereabouts.

I thought the 22 euro price tag was a little steep, particularly for January, but then I suppose it is Rome. I have a feeling they closed some of the bigger dorms for the season because it said on the website they were full when we tried to book, but there definitely weren't THAT many people around and our 6-bed dorm was never full, in fact the last two nights it was just me and two other people (which was nice). As usual my roommates were a combination of working holiday Aussie-Londoners and holidaying holiday Aussies (the hazards of traveling in the off-season, but they're generally friendly and harmless), with a marauding pair of American guys thrown in the last night for good measure.

In short: I'd stay there again, but probably first I'd try out some other hostels in Rome to see if I can't find something better. If you're into partying 'when in Rome', then probably you'll like this place: the bar seemed very popular. There was a huge party for Australia day while I was there, but all I got out of it was a marmite sandwich and, let's face it, that's not worth too much.