Rome can be hellishly expensive. Especially if you're travelling in high season, booking last minute, or simply don't want to stay an hour from the centre.

That was exactly the case for me.

When planning my trip, I wasn't looking for a boutique hotel with a view of the Colosseum or a designer rooftop bar. I had one requirement: a private room with a private bathroom at the lowest possible price.

After a few hours of comparing hotels, hostels and various dubious guesthouses, MEININGER Roma Termini was the one that worked best for me.

And after a few nights I can say one thing: I got exactly what I expected. Which is actually a praise in this price category.

Choose the best hotel in Rome

What is a MEININGER?

If you haven't come across the brand yet, it's neither a classic hotel nor a classic hostel.

MEININGER puts its concept somewhere in between.

In one building you will find:

• shared hostel rooms
• private rooms
• family rooms
• common areas
• hotel services

The result is a product that targets travelers who want to save money, but who are past the days of sleeping in a bunk bed next to ten strangers.

How much did I pay?

For the first two nights in Rome, I was alone without a partner. I don't need any fancy hotels to do that, and I wanted to experience for myself how practical it is to live near the main Termini train station.

I spent my second solo night in a traditional Italian "affitacamere hotel", the Domus Giulia, near the Vatican.

• 💰 1 night in a room with private bathroom - 168 eur
• 🥯 Extra breakfast - 9,90 eur
• 📆 Date - end of April 2026
• 🕗 booking in advance - approx. 3 weeks

In high season (May to August) and when booking less than a week in advance, prices are significantly higher (well above 210 eur).

Conversely, in low season or when booking more months in advance you will pay around 125 eur.

This time I booked MEININGER through Revolut for the sake of collecting RevPoints (which I continue to convert to airline miles).

MEININGER was on sale for my dates and I earned 10x more RevPoints than usual for booking, a total of 1162 points.

Get Revolut with bonus

You can also book your stay traditionally through booking.com for the same prices.

Is the location near Termini worth it?

The biggest advantage of the hotel is without a doubt its location.

The hotel is not directly opposite Termini, but the station is about a 10-minute walk away.

• Via S. Martino della Battaglia 16, map
• 🚉 Termini Train Station: 10 minutes on foot
• 🚇 Metro B: Castro Pretorio station 1 minute on foot (for example, direction Colosseum)

At the same time, you are no longer right in the most chaotic part of the station area, which tends to be a bit strange in the evening.

For a touristic exploration of Rome, I think this is a very reasonable compromise, although there are better options. But these are either significantly more expensive or significantly less well rated.

I didn't have a wheeled suitcase, so I didn't mind the 10-minute walk (more like 7-8 minutes, realistically) to Termini.

Alternative hotels near Termini

Right by the station, but with a significantly higher price:

• NH Collection Palazzo Cinquecento *****

Similar or lower prices to MEININGER, right across from Termini, but pretty bad reviews:

• Madison Hotel ***
• Hotel Milazzo Roma ** (very cheap by Rome standards)

Room: very austere and basic

This is where we get to why the hotel was the cheapest option I found.

The room was practically new.

But at the same time, it looked exactly like what you'd imagine the amenities ordered under the "as long as it's cheap" criteria would look like.

The furniture is relatively new, functional and clean, but at the same time without any hint of quality or atmosphere.

No detail that catches your eye.

No feeling of being in a hotel where you would go to sit down and relax.

It's just a room meant for sleeping in.

And that's something to be reckoned with.

No comfy desks to work on your laptop and no big closets. Just hangers for clothes in the open space.

There are no minibar, safe or iron type amenities in the room at all. There is also a lack of free bottled water.

Functional and clean bathroom

The bathroom is very spacious, exemplarily maintained. No mould and no dirt.

There is a free hair dryer, towel, soap and shampoo.

Totally sufficient and one of the main things why I booked this hotel: good price and private bathroom with toilet.

The biggest problem: the soundproofing.

If you have to take one thing away from the whole review, it's this.

Soundproofing is practically non-existent.

And by that I mean virtually non-existent.

I've heard:

• people in the hallway
• doors opening
• doors closing
• suitcases
• casual conversations from the other rooms

If you are a light sleeper, I would recommend packing earplugs.

For some, it'll be a small thing.

For some, it's a reason to never go back to a hotel again.

MEININGER is also a hotel that is often used by young travellers. And they usually come back to the hotel very late in the evening and are quite noisy.

The breakfast surprised me

And it was really pleasant.

From a cheap hotel near Termini I expected a basic breakfast with poor quality ingredients.

The reality was better.

The selection was of course not comparable to more expensive hotels, but everything looked fresh and I was very positively surprised by the wide variety of dishes.

The only problem was the poor coffee from the vending machine. Don't take it in Italy and go for an espresso for 2 eur in any cafe!

For a stay of a few days completely without problems.

It was the breakfast for me that was one of the biggest positives of the whole hotel.

Breakfast is not normally included in the price of the room, but only costs 9,90 eur per person. The breakfast buffet is open daily 6:30-10:30am.

And that's certainly less than you'd pay for a much poorer breakfast at the PAM supermarket, which by the way is right next to the hotel.

By the way: speaking of food, here are my picks for the top restaurants, gelato and bars in Rome.

Services at the hotel: luggage room, laundry and bar

MEININGER understands its target group well.

You will find a few practical things that will come in handy for a longer stay:

Luggage storage

The hotel also offers luggage storage after check-out or before check-in in the form of self-service lockers.

Just beware - it is not free, as is usual in hotels.

Prices vary according to the size of the locker and the length of the storage period:

	2 hours	5 hours	24 hours
Small locker	2 eur	3 eur	4 eur
Large locker	3 eur	4 eur	5 eur

Payment can only be made by contactless card.

Self-service laundry

For 5 eur you can wash your own clothes. A great price compared to better hotels, where 5 eur you spend not for a full wash cycle, but for a single item of clothing.

Very useful for longer European trips.

Shared kitchen

Guests can use the equipped kitchen.

If you don't want to spend money on restaurants every day, this can significantly reduce your budget.

Lobby bar

In the hotel lobby, right next to the reception, you can use the bar, which sells alcohol, coffee, sandwiches and other bits and bobs.

Game room

You can entertain yourself with table football or billiards in the communal games room next to reception.

Vending machine

A 24/7 vending machine with drinks is also handy, located in the lobby by the reception.

You can pay with a contactless card and coins.

How satisfied was I? Would I recommend MEININGER?

✅ Yes, if:

• you are looking for the lowest price for your own room and bathroom
• you want to live near Termini
• you prefer a well-known brand to an anonymous guesthouse
• you plan to spend most of the day in the city

❌ More likely not, if:

• you are sensitive to noise
• you are looking for the atmosphere or character of a hotel
• you want more comfort
• you plan to spend a lot of time in your room

💡 My experience:

I would describe MEININGER Roma Termini as a very fair compromise.

It is not a hotel you will remember in ten years. It's not even a hotel where you go for an experience.

But if you need a reasonable price, a private bathroom, a good location and the security of a certain standard, it fulfils its purpose very well.

When I compare prices to other hotels, I can't complain.

A nice bonus that saves time and money was the fine breakfast.

Book a room at MEININGER Roma