Hotel Lord Byron

We love the Hotel Lord Byron! We have stayed here for 22 years and it never disappoints! The location, friendly staff and service keep us coming back. It is a very quiet oasis in a crowded city.

My wife and I stayed two nights at this hotel as part of a holiday package. The hotel is located in an affluent residential part of Rome and is a fair distance from the normal sightseeing attractions. The location was not an issue for us as we had already visited Rome on numerous occasions. We checked in at 10.30am and were told that our room would be available at 2.00pm. The receptionist provided the various check-in guests with a tourist map and used a pen to highlight Rome's main tourist spots. I asked him to highlight the hotel's location but it wasn't within the boundaries of the tourist map ? This hotel has kerb appeal and is a grand, classical example of a converted patrician villa. Access to the hotel is by 13 (unlucky for some) steps which are fairly steep. We decided to spend the time until 2.00pm getting our bearings and familiarising ourselves with the area. We are elderly and enjoy walking on level surfaces as my wife can find stairs a bit of a challenge. We walked to Bioparca di Roma which houses the main zoo in Rome and spent some time at the cafe near the zoo entrance enjoying two cappuccinos and and two large danish pastries for the princely sum of 6 euros 60 cents.
We returned to the hotel after 2.00pm and my wife unfortunately tripped on the final entrance step and fell into the reception area on level 2. The staff were attentive and provided an ice pack after which the male receptionist advised that our room was ready and we should follow him. We were required to firstly take an elevator ride then be confronted by another set of internal stairs to access the allocated room. I advised the receptionist that the additional stairs were a potential hazard for my wife and could we get a more accessible room. His immediate response was to tell me that the hotel was fully booked.
After a short time in this room I could see that my wife was still distressed and I again approached the receptionist and reasoned with him that although I knew that the hotel was full, surely as the time was 2.30pm not all guests have arrived and could he look again at switching our room for one which did not involve further internal stairs. He said to leave the matter with him and eventually we were moved to room 204 which is level with the reception area. We stuck with this room although there were a few niggles. There was a loose toilet seat and a bathroom door which was warped and did not close. The bathroom was plush Italian marble with a few unsightly brown stains which is natural oxidation where water lies. The shower (weak) is over the bath and was a no no for my wife. Following the accident we decided to eat in the hotel and ordered room service of a shared hot pizza and lukewarm french fries and a beer for 48 euros.
The following morning we took the elevator to level 0 for the included breakfast to be met by another flight of internal stairs to access the breakfast/restaurant area. The breakfast was adequate.
We spent the remainder of the day at the zoo and it is well worth a visit.
The Lord Byron hotel is a classic, clean, well staffed hotel which will suit the majority of guests but for those guests with mobility/accessible issues it might prove to be a step too far.

Location: Please note the location of the hotel is out of the main central area. You will have to walk on foot through the park into the city before starting your day sightseeing. Depending on your walking speed this could be 20-30 minutes. Of course you can also taxi into the city if you wish. Location was not an issue for us and it was nice that it quiet and also in an area where it was clean and free from graffiti and homeless people.
Staff: FOH staff were very polite, their English was very good and they were all very warm and friendly, greeting us every day and asking what our plans were and where we had been. Can not fault the staff at all and I thank them all for their big smiles and friendly approach. The cleaners were also respectful and left the room clean and clothes neatly folded in new piles each day.
Breakfast: We paid for breakfast and it was a sorry uninspiring start to the day. We left and went elsewhere for breakfast every day after that. The coffee was okay though! You can definitely pick up some nicer croissants (cornetto's) from nearby bakeries and cafe's. The poor breakfast made us think twice about eating an evening meal there.
Room: We had a standard double I think. It was typical Italian red carpeted floor and marble bathroom. It was basic though and lacked any wow factor. Positives - the bed was comfortable, the room was clean. Negatives - The closet space had only 8 hangers which made hanging all our clothes up impossible. The hanging space was above the drawers leaving not enough room for my Italian inspired midi and maxi dresses. The toilet seat (at least we had one as It became apparent in the city that toilet seats are a luxury!) is not soft close; if you are used to one then a few startled cries may happen. The shower which ran hot every morning (a positive) is above the bath, however the bath did not drain fast enough meaning it filled up whilst you were showering so you can add a paddle to your experience. One of the USB sockets did not work and one plug socket did not work. The coffee machine had not been cleaned since the last user; there was water in the tank and the tank needed a good clean, therefore we skipped using the machine. If you have a thing for clean linen, then this may put you off, as a pillow case has been stitched closed over the pillow and they put a clean pillowcase over that, meaning that the one inside is old and yellow! Lastly, the key holder which you put your key into in order to turn your electrics on needed a helping hand of some folded card wedged with the key in order to keep the lights on. There was a basic hairdryer which worked, but no iron and no small ironing board; something which we are used to finding in hotel rooms nowadays. Remember to bring a travel iron with you!

Overall the hotel was fine for a bed for the night, however we were very surprised it is listed as a 'small luxury hotel of the world' as there really were no luxuries.

Beautiful hotel. Great friendly helpful staff. Would definitely come back here and would recommend to anyone visiting Rome.

Nice staff and easy access

Great hotel, staff, cleanliness, food—everything was top! Truly recommend and will plan on staying there again.

I rarely leave reviews, but I feel compelled to share this experience so others don’t go through what I did.

I stayed at this hotel in May 2025 as a Hilton Diamond member, and from start to finish, the stay was filled with issues:

Construction: The hotel is undergoing loud construction but still charges guests full price while denying there’s really any noise. Both mornings I was woken up by hammering and banging directly above my room.

Outdated & uncomfortable: The entire hotel feels like stepping into the worst parts of the 1980s—stale smell, old carpets, stuffy rooms, no modern adjustments. It’s long overdue for renovation, but unfortunately, they’re doing it while guests are staying there and charging the same.

Room chaos: I was moved from a noisy room to another with a broken AC in the middle of the night, then back again, only to be told later that another room that was less noisy was available. The disorganization was exhausting.

Bad food: Their room service food was of such low quality that it made us sick. The hotel flat-out denied this possibility. The room service menu was so bad we picked chicken sandwiches to play it safe but a child could've made them they were that bad. We also ordered gelato since were in Rome and it was the worst gelato of the trip. Very low quality and brightly colored artificial looking.

Forced transfer: At checkout, the front desk pushed us into a private transfer to the train station that we never asked for. An Uber would have cost €30, but they imposed their own service as a kind gesture—later charging it against us.

The aftermath was even worse than the stay. Despite months of back-and-forth, the hotel refused to take responsibility. They insisted their food “couldn’t be bad,”the noise wasn't that loud, treated the unwanted transfer as a “gift,” and after endless circular emails, only agreed to refund one night—but only after deducting things we didn’t want in the first place.

In short:

The hotel is old, stuffy, and smells bad.

Construction noise is ongoing, but they’ll deny it's even that loud.

Food is poor quality.

Management is dismissive, defensive, and unwilling to accept fault.

Even Hilton Diamond members are treated with disregard.

I’ve stayed at Hilton properties all over the world and never had an experience this unprofessional. Don’t waste your time or money here—there are far better options where your comfort and concerns will be respected.

The most friendly and helpful staff. Breakfast is the best. Our room to the garden is amazing. We definitely want to stay in this hotel when we come back next time, and for sure to refer to our friends as well.

Very very nice interiors

Amazing decor,excellent staff would recommend,will return to the Hotel

When travel delays threaten to ruin a special birthday trip, an unexpected overnight stay at Lord Byron made everything better. We had stayed here once before about 5 years ago. It was a pleasant as we remembered. We were greatest with kindness and care when we arrived after almost 48 hours of airline delays. The beautiful bathroom was a welcome sight for a shower. A lovely dinner followed at a nearby restaurant recommended by the front desk. There is nothing better than a comfortable bed and a great nights sleep to make one feel 100% better. That sleep followed by the lovely breakfast was just what we needed to continue our birthday travels. We intend to return again and spend some extra time at one of our favorite places.

As a Hilton Diamond Member and loyal guest of Hotel Lord Byron (HLB) since 2012, I’m devastated by its shocking decline, clearly driven by poor management and ownership. Checking in yesterday at 9 AM after booking the prior night, I checked out today at 1 PM—enduring a frustrating hour-long process—due to an utterly deplorable stay marred by rude reception, sketchy service, and dishonest practices.

Despite booking for early check-in, most hotels wouldn’t charge for the prior night given my 9 AM arrival, yet this was the least of the issues. After resting, I requested room cleaning in person that afternoon, but it was ignored; my room remained uncleaned through checkout. Requests for pillows and coffee were disregarded, construction noise ruined sleep, and the breakfast was a sketchy, poorly replenished mess unfit for a “luxury” SLH property. My Diamond status was acknowledged, but the “amenities”—standard WiFi and one bottle of water, given to all guests—were a stingy insult, reflecting management’s failure to honor elite guests.

The afternoon receptionist confirmed I could check out early without charges, and I informed the evening manager, Simone, of my early checkout. Yet, this meant nothing to the front desk staff at checkout, revealing abysmal internal communication. These staff were confused, rude, and dismissive, ignoring my requests and comments. When I quietly and respectfully noted their rudeness and lack of follow-through, they defensively talked over me, then played the victim, transferring their angst onto me. Worse, I was wrongly charged €400 ($430) per night for two unspent nights and a comped transfer from a prior stay six weeks ago—a blatant display of dishonesty. Even the grips apologized for the front desk’s behavior, while the exemplary Cheema witnessed the service failures.

Spending 340 days a year in hotels, I’ve rarely encountered such appalling service and deceptive practices. Poor leadership has gutted this once-cherished hotel, failing to deliver basic services or coordinate internally. I’ve relocated to another Rome hotel at $500/night. I urge management to refund the €800+ in wrongful charges and address this catastrophic decline.

We stayed here for 2 nights as a family of 4 in two rooms. Real gem of a place. Staff couldn’t be more helpful and kind. Spoke English really well. It’s in a nice quiet part of town but a cheap taxi or walk to the tourist areas. Breakfast was really amazing. Will definitely come back next time we are in Rome!

Lovely hotel 🏨 5 ⭐️!!!

Friendly staff

very nice , very clean , very comfortable .
cozy.

This hotel was very comfortable, pristine and has staff that goes beyond expectations. We were treated like royalty.

Service was excellent — gracious, friendly, and professional. Shary and Ivan were particularly helpful. Our room was a nice size, and we managed to get one with a balcony. It was comfortable, quiet, and well-appointed, with a beautiful wood floor, and a large, tiled classic bath. Linens were very nice, and our bed was comfortable. We had a $100 credit thru Amex, which we used in their Bistro — pizza, salad, wine, and Aperol Spritz were good. The Bistro is the same room as their fine dining room, which is very elegant. Their breakfast rooms are also very elegant, perhaps the most elegant of any we’ve come across — and not at all crowded when we were there. We had several lunches at the nearby (10 min walk) Ristorante Ambasciata d’Abruzzo, which we really enjoyed. Our next hotel was the Intercontinental in Lisbon, whose breakfast area was such a stark contrast the next day — large, crowded, and noisy — with a long wait to get on the lift (and to check-in the day before). There’s a lot to be said for small hotels… We highly recommend.

Outstanding hotel, service and setting. Breakfast included and ìt was the best of our trip. Would return anytime

Unfortunately, the hotel does not point out the long-lasting construction site on the 5th floor when booking. The extremely loud work, which starts at 8am and continues into the afternoon, can be heard throughout the hotel, even at breakfast on the 0th floor. However, the staff did not care that the stay was massively affected by this.
In addition, the service in particular does not meet 5-star standards. This begins on arrival: the bellboy prefers to walk up and down the entrance instead of helping with the luggage. The reception staff are particularly keen to generate additional revenue, be it through pushy recommendations of restaurants, trips with caddies or ticket sales. However, if you ask for a second bottle of water in your room, this is denied with horror but very firmly.
The rooms are also not up to 5-star standard: the air conditioning barely works, the sockets are loose and the shower and toilet drains are blocked. It is even difficult to get a room with two beds.
Unfortunately, the manager is also not bothered by the shortcomings, does not look for satisfactory solutions and then does not answer any more emails.
All in all, far too overpriced for the poor service.