Re Testa Rome

Worst place I’ve ever stayed in my life. Yesterday morning we were awoken at 5 AM to an alarm in the hallway and the smell of smoke. We opened the door and the smoke smell was overwhelming. We rushed to the front desk to ask what was going on and were told «do not worry. It’s a faulty alarm. Just go back to bed.»
When we pointed out that there were now mounds of smoke filling the hallway, the man at the front desk screamed «oh shit» and ran off. Rather than bang on people’s doors and try to get them out, he kept just running back and forth doing nothing. We got ourselves outside and finally someone– not him– called the fire department. People were still being evacuated– and choking from the fumes that were still coming out– an hour and a half after we first notified him. We were outside for almost two hours when a previous tour we had booked to Tuscany picked us up. While gone we found out via Google news– not from the hotel– that the hotel was evacuated.
When we arrived back that night, no lights were on, but because they give you a key we were able to get in. We only went in because we had stuff there and were leaning on a flight early the next morning. Upon entering, we saw every door flung open and it looked like the place had been ransacked. Oddly enough, sitting at the front desk was the night attendant who greeted us with a «good evening» as if nothing was wrong. We were obviously unnerved and rushed to our room to quickly gather out stuff, which luckily was still there and very easily could have been robbed.
Upon exiting, I gave the key back to the man and told him we were not planning on paying for this. He said «of course you won’t pay me. You’ll pay the owner.» I said «no, we’re not paying anyone, as this was an awful experience.» I tried to explain that I wasn’t upset by the fire, as things happen, but by the way it was handled. He quickly cut me off to tell me it didn’t matter, as everyone was okay. I said that they wouldn’t have been okay if we had listened to the person at the desk and gone back to bed, as we– among others– would have died or had major issues from the smoke. He then raised his voice and started screaming at me, telling me I was the only one who complained the entire day, and then wagged his finger in my face, yelling, «you are the one with the problem, not the hotel.»
We ended up leaving, but suffice it to say this is the worst experience I’ve ever had in a hotel. If you care about your safety, your well being, and being treated well on a trip, then do yourself a favor and AVOID this awful place at all costs.

Re testa is located a little bit out of the «centre» — but it is only «a little bit» out of town. Metro station Pyramide and train station Ostiense (actually both are at the same place) are only a few minutes away. FR1 train takes you from the da Vinci airport straight to Station Ostiense. A taxi from there to the hotel will cost you € 5.
The area looks a little run down but is a hip place at night. Lots of restaurants … A museum of modern art is around the corner.
Rooms are big — actually small apartments with kitchenette and a terrace. Individual air condition. WLAN is fast and the codenworks for more than one device. Nice flat TV with pan-​European channels. No breakfast room — it will be served. Breakfast is small but the coffee is good. It almost deserves four or even five stars: the price is very good, the size of the room is fantastic, the staff is helpful and friendly (except that they will not change money for coins to use the vending machines).
So why am I giving only three stars: it is not maintained well (my first room was dirty and the sliding window door would not close), the rooms to the street are noisy until 4am and if you are noise sensitive (I am mot) bringing down the shades and closing the massive door will not give you the quietness you may expect or wish for. But I have to say that I will/​would come back anytime in the near future.