There are so many hotels in Rome that finding the right place to stay can feel overwhelming. On my first trip to Rome, I was looking for somewhere close to Roma Termini, the main train station, because I wanted to make getting around a little easier. The problem was that many of the hotels in the area were well outside my budget.
Then I came across Hotel Sileo.
The price was right(€50), the location looked convenient, and I decided to take a chance.
We found the hotel easily, thanks to Google Maps and a little help from Street View. I always like to look around a place virtually before I arrive, especially when I am traveling somewhere completely unfamiliar.
When we walked into the building, the first thing we noticed was the elevator.
It was very old.
And very, very small
We decided we would just walk up the four flights of stairs. After all, how hard could it be?
Well... apparently harder than we thought.
After climbing, gasping for air, and making several stops along the way, we decided that we would take our chances with the ancient elevator rather than make that trip up the stairs again.
The elevator was so tiny that it could hold about two people and two small bags. Fortunately, that worked out pretty well for us since half of our luggage never made it to Rome with us anyway!
Our Room
Our room was small but comfortable, with a lovely old-fashioned wardrobe for our clothes. We also had a private bathroom, although it was located down the hall from our room.
It certainly was not a fancy hotel, but that was not what we were looking for. We wanted somewhere affordable and convenient, and what we got was something even better — a chance to experience a little bit of everyday Rome.
Our Hosts
Our hosts were Maria and Alessandro.
Alessandro spoke some English, while Maria did not speak any English at all. Communication could be a challenge at times, but somehow we managed to understand one another.
And honestly, that became part of the fun.
They were incredibly sweet to us. Every time we headed out the door, Maria would hand us an umbrella if the weather looked like rain.
They were so sweet and Maria handed us an umbrella ever time we headed out the door.
A Little Rome-to-Arkansas Computer Help
One of my favorite memories from our stay happened when Alessandro had a problem with his computer.
He asked us if we could help.
Now, there was a slight problem with that.
Everything on the computer was in Italian.
But computers are computers, and the commands were in the same general places as they were on ours. Somehow, I managed to figure out what needed to be changed and got his computer working again.
And my reward?
A very enthusiastic and very heartfelt "Grazie!"
More Than Just a Place to Sleep
Maria also showed us around the hotel, which had only about ten rooms.
Somehow, between her limited English and my very limited Italian, she managed to tell us about her family. She showed us trophies Alessandro had won during his sailing days and explained that their daughter had painted the beautiful murals throughout the hotel.
Looking back, this is one of the things I remember most about that first trip to Rome.
The hotel was not luxurious. The elevator was questionable. The bathroom was down the hall. And communication sometimes involved a lot of pointing, smiling, and trying to figure things out.
But we were welcomed.
And that mattered.
I had come to Rome as a small-town girl from Arkansas, traveling to a city that felt completely different from anything I was used to. Everything about Rome seemed bigger, older, louder, and more chaotic than home.
But staying at this little hotel gave us a glimpse of something beyond the famous sights. We got to meet people, share a few laughs, help someone with a computer, and experience a little piece of everyday life in Rome.
That is the kind of travel memory I treasure most.
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