The service
As bubbly as a case of prosecco that has been transported by a three-legged donkey along the entire length of the Appian Way.
For families
In many respects very good, if you can look past the sex toys and porn. (Which you can’t.) There are 19 family rooms and no fewer than 116 interconnecting rooms. Extra beds are available in 68 rooms. The bambini are well looked after with presents and goodies; groups of them can be specially catered for in the restaurants. The biliardino tables, arcade games and pinball machines, as well as the bocce court in the summer garden, are likely to be irresistible – though not only to kids.
Eco effort
There are plants and solar panels on the roof, and a hi-tech carbon-monitoring system to optimise energy consumption. Toiletries are from the organic Mama Skin range, developed in partnership with the French brand Absolution.
Accessibility for those with mobility impairments
All the common areas in Building A are accessible to guests with mobility impairments, and there are 17 accessible rooms. Building B and the swimming pool are not accessible to guests in wheelchairs.
Anything left to mention?
The Mama Shelter management have struck a deal with two of the most charming and original local guides you could hope to meet, who may well transform your perceptions of the city even if you thought you knew it well already. Ask for them by name. Isabella Calidonna (archeorunning.com) is an art historian and triathlete who has rather brilliantly merged her interests and now offers running tours of Rome’s historical hotspots. Reducing your waistline while enlarging your mind? Genius! Rodolfo Pegan (scooterino.it) does something similar, only on vintage Vespas. Just hang on, enjoy that famous waspy engine note and worry about your waistline later.
Hotel address: Mama Shelter Roma hotel, Via Luigi Rizzo 20, 00136 Rome, Italy
Website: mamashelter.com/roma
Phone number: +39 06 94 53 89 00
Price from: From £109 a night
