Hostal Roma is located in central Lima so if you are looking for this location it is a good, basic choice. For the cheap price, you get what you pay for. The courtyard was cute (opens to the sky, lots of plants) but the rooms were very basic. We had enough space and the bathroom was clean, but the beds were (honestly) disgusting. My sister slept fully clothed as to not touch the sheets and I slept in a sleeping sack.

If Hostal Roma got new bedding I would give it another star. Also, the night we stayed there it was VERY loud (noise echos in the hallways) and there was quite a lot of racket in the neighborhood that kept us up.

However, it gets a positive rating for friendly service and a reliable airport pickup/transfer service and a good basic stay for the price.

(As far as staying in Lima, I would choose Miraflores over central Lima)

I picked this place because of its central location. Due to the low price I wasn't expecting much, but the place managed to disappoint even the lowest expectations. I understand the concept of "basic" rooms, but how anyone could describe this place as clean (Lonely Planet) is beyond me. There was hair of what appeared to be 2 different people in the bathroom (I had a single room). Also, when I got to the room at night after going out I was too tired to check carefully, but in the morning I realized there was actually hair on my pillow (definitely wasn't mine - wrong color and length). The bed felt damp (might be due to the humid climate) at night and there is no insulation - rooms get seriously cold at night and blankets are skimpy. After all that, I thought maybe the supposedly great coffee would compensate a little bit, only to learn the next morning that breakfast is only served Mon-Fri. Really, stay away from this place if you can. There must be 100 places in Lima that are better.

I booked this hostal via email prior to my stay and they arranged to have me picked up from the airport on a late night arrival. Errol Branca was there on time and waiting. The rooms are rather basic and as noted in a prior review, there was no windows only a large skylight. Central Lima is in walking distance, but closes up early at night as all the nightlife action is in Miraflores.

The breakfast was good for the price. Errol arranged a plane ticket to Cuzco and offered any other assistance that was needed. Overall, I was satisfied with my stay. It's about what you expect for budget travel.

My Girlfriend and I stayed at Hostal Roma for a couple of nights on a way to Cuzco for the Inca Trail. Recommendations had been to stay ´down town´ Lima if you only had a couple of days and this hostal was ideal. Miraflores is just to far out to really experience Lima and the down town area is not ´unsafe´ as many guidebooks say, as long as you keep your wits about you and don´t wander around late at night (which is the same as most cities I´ve been to around the world).

The building is a lovely colonial style right in the centre of town, literally 2 minutes from the main square and shopping district. The rooms are pretty basic and we decided to sleep in sleeping bags instead of using the bedding, however that isn´t to say that they weren´t clean, it was just more comfortable that way. The rooms are perfectly adequate to get your head down in order to have a whistle stop tour of Lima.

The staff at Hostal Roma were very friendly and very helpful. The Hostal is very cheap at 25USD per night and we arranged a taxi to and from the airport for 30USD. The taxi was waiting for us at the airport on arrival, despite us booking the transfer 6 weeks in advance.

The cafe attached the Hostal is absolutely lovely. The breakfast is fab and the coffee the best in Lima (Obivously my opinion only!)!! Even if you don´t stay at the Hostal the cafe is worth a visit.

The immediate surroundings of the hostal are very busy, with many little shops, traditional/local restaurants and many printing workshops. However don´t be put off by this as this gives you a true insight into Lima.

Overall, excellent value for money given the location, which is superb, however has basic rooms. Would recommend to like minded people.