We just returned from our 3- ½ week vacation in Rome at Hotel Lancelot and transatlantic cruise in early October ’07. After being delayed by a day due to an engine fire on our plane and having our luggage lost in Heathrow for four days, this might have been a very stressful if not impossible situation for us. However, with the help of Mrs. Kahn, and that of Analisa and the rest of the fine hotel staff, we were undaunted by the traumas and able to thoroughly enjoy our stay in Rome.

We read about the Hotel Lancelot on Trip Advisor and we were very impressed by the past guests’ very positive responses to their experience at the Lancelot. We were not disappointed, especially our balcony view of the Coliseum. We were only sorry after our five nights we had to leave. Everyone was very kind and helpful. Even with all our questions and concerns regarding absent luggage and visiting the sites in Rome everyone was very kind and helpful.

We must mention the fine dinners served at the hotel. We had planned to have a few meals in the hotel but to also eat in nearby restaurants. We dined out once and decided that after one dinner in their dining room prepared by their excellent chef, Mrs. Kahn’s son, to enjoy the rest of our evening meals at the hotel. It also gave us an opportunity to meet a number of very interesting and enjoyable people around the dining room table in the evening and to compare notes on sightseeing.

It is a wonderful hotel and we look forward to our next trip to Rome and staying at the Lancelot. It is perfectly located and the staff makes every attempt to make you feel at home. If you are going to Rome, we encourage you to stay at the Hotel Lancelot.

We stayed at the Lancelot for three nights in early October. It's in a quiet residential area with bars and restaurants nearby. The location is ideal. The room was clean but small and the bed was comfy. The staff spoke English and were helpful and friendly. Breakfast was good and we met some nice people from the US who shared their travel suggestions. I am a picky traveller, but would stay at the Lancelot again and would recommend it.

We stayed at the Lancelot for 5 nights. Like the others mentioned, it's near the Coliseum, which is to say it's not walking distance to much of Rome. While the hotel was clean, and staff friendly the rooms are quite small. And why is it that none of the hotels I stayed at in Italy provided washcloths or clocks in the rooms?

We had the dinner one night at the hotel, it was just o.k. But the biggest problem was on our last day when we requested a wake up call and a cab (large enough for the four of us that were traveling and our luggage) and the staff completely failed on both counts.

We never received a wake up call (which could have been disastrous as we had an early flight to catch) and they never called for the cab, though they came up with several excuses for the cab being late (my favorite was that it was Wednesday and the pope had a public audience on this day!) When a cab came 45 minutes later we were stuck in typical Rome traffic and were 5 minutes from missing our flight. Stress like that is not what you want on a vacation!

For this reason, I can not recommend this hotel. There are others more centrally located, more modern and more reliable.

We had a lovely time in this hotel. Here are some practical points and tips which you might find useful. If you're flying from Ciampino airport there is a flat 30 euro taxi fee to Rome. Make sure you take an official white taxi [there are plenty of them just outside the airport]. It's quite a schlep from Ciampino to Rome so it is good value and you're not messing around on buses and metros with piles of luggage. The hotel has a brilliant location. You walk down the little street it's on [Capo di Africa] and wham bang there's the Colisseum looming up in front of you. We love walking and Rome is surprisingly intimate - you can get to most places without needing a bus. You might want to take one to the Vatican - we did on our second visit there - we walked the first time. The number 81 stops frequently at the end of the Capo di Africa and you can buy your ticket for the princely sum of one euro from the friendly and attentive reception staff [you can't pay on the bus itself]. The hotel is small and friendly. Our room was OK - tired furniture and some scuff marks on the walls - and we didn't get a balcony - but it was perfectly adequate. The shower and the loo were brilliant - big fluffy towels and excellent maid service. Breakfasts are good: cold meats, silver foil cheeses, fresh rolls and crosissants, decent coffee, cereals and juices. Tables are fairly large so you can have companiable breakfasts with other guests. We didn't try to the evening meals in the hotel but we hear they are good. Tourist Rome more or less stops at the Colisseum so one advantage of the Lancelot is that there are good restaurants nearby which are frequented by locals and which charge reasonable prices. We recommend the Naumachie and ate there twice. We had a grim experience in the Papagio. It looks great but despite booking in advance we were poorly treated - shoved in a corner and kept waiting for over an hour for our first course by waiters with poor eye contact and dirty fingernails. Avoid! A really important tip if you're going to the Vatican: Don't be put off by the huge queues. They move! Above all don't be conned by people promising you wait-free guided tours at 40 euros. They are all deeply dodgy. We foolishly got conned into one but the Vatican police intervened and insisted everybody's money be returned to them. It only costs 13 euros to see all the entire Vatican museum - it is breathtakingly beautiful and you can rent excellent headphones for six euros [[you need to submit a driving licence or passport as a security].
Gents - best buy in Rome are gorgeous silk ties from 8 euros. Women - best buy in Rome are pashmina scarves fron 5 euros.