5 of the best budget places to stay in Rome ( Updated Sept 2026 )

 

Following my guides of the best budget places to stay in Amsterdam, London, Paris, Berlin, Edinburgh, Lisbon and Venice, excited to be finally be able to share with you my best budget places to stay in Rome. There’s a nice mix of my favourite luxury hostels and budget hotels to choose from, depending on your budget. Hope you find the guide useful and if you are visiting Rome, do checkout my other guides to the best cheap eats in Rome and the 20 best things to do in Rome.

1. The Rome Hello

Rome’s, and possibly the world’s, first street art and social enterprise hostel, with extremely comfy beds a short walk from Termini.

Perfect for : Couples ,Solo Travellers and Art Lovers

The RomeHello has the unique distinction of being Rome’s, and possibly the world’s, first street art and social enterprise hostel. World-famous street artists such as Alice Pasquini, Facte and Victoriano were invited to decorate its walls. The result is colourful, inspiring and full of energy. It reminded me a lot of another of my favourite luxury hostels, the Gallery Hostel. I love the idea that a hostel can double as a creative space and give local artists a platform to show their talent. Inviting street artists in was born from owner Lorenzo Busi’s passion for graffiti. A former graffiti artist himself, he had seen first-hand how these artists can inspire change in places where there is little hope of it.

That theme of change carries into the hostel’s other identity as a social enterprise. High unemployment among the city’s young people, and among people from disadvantaged backgrounds, led Lorenzo to hire his staff from those groups. One member of staff has Down’s syndrome. Several are asylum seekers and refugees. For this reason alone, the hostel gets a massive thumbs up.

The rooms are a mix of spacious dorms and privates, all with extremely comfy beds and en-suite bathrooms. Every bed has a reading light, a USB charger and a roomy storage locker underneath. Just remember to bring your own lock.

On the ground floor you’ll find a well-equipped guest kitchen and a cosy lounge. There’s a Nintendo Switch, plus sofas to sink into with a travel guide from the bookshelf. Prefer a beer? The Barrel Bar is an American, post-industrial style bar where you can mix with guests and locals. It hosts live music from the best of the Roman and international scene. Breakfast is a generous buffet: fruit, fresh bread, beans, bacon, scrambled eggs, coffee, tea and cake. It costs an extra €8, or €6 if you book online in advance.

The hostel has excellent partnerships with local tour providers. If you’re short on time and want to see the main sights of Rome in a few hours, I highly recommend a tour with The Roman Guy. As well as covering the big sights on foot, they drive you around the sights and the hills of Rome.

You’ll get the perfect panorama from the dreamy Giardino degli Aranci on the Aventine Hill. You’ll catch sunset over the Roman Forum from behind the Campidoglio. If you’re in a group, you can customise the tour. I was keen to see some Caravaggio, so our lovely guide Maura took me to the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi. It houses three of his paintings on the life of Saint Matthew.

The Best of Rome Driving and Walking Tour I did lasts three hours and costs €95. That’s not cheap. But if you’re short on time and want a knowledgeable local to guide you around the city in a comfortable car, this tour is for you.

 

Street art in Tor Marancia

Stefano from the Big City Life project in front of Parisian artist Seth’s mural, The Redentore Child.

Into street art? The hostel can put you in touch with Stefano from the Big City Life project. It has turned a once run-down housing estate in the suburb of Tor Marancia into an open-air street art museum. Thanks to Stefano and the residents, artists from around the world were invited to paint one wall of each block of flats. The families living in each block chose the imagery. The result is 22 breathtaking pieces of art, each with its own story. A tour with Stefano costs just €5. That’s a bargain for street art lovers and anyone who wants to see a different side of Rome. To book, email Stefano at [email protected] with the date and time you’d like to visit.

2. The Beehive Hotel and Hostel, Rome

An oasis of calm next to Termini, for anyone who likes places with a personal touch and attention to detail.

Address: Via Marghera 8, 00185 Rome, Italy

Perfect for: couples, solo travellers and vegans

Right next to Termini station, this eco-conscious hostel-meets-hotel is an oasis of calm in a fast-paced city. It has a garden and an organic vegetarian café serving generous portions of locally sourced, home-cooked food.

A hybrid of hostel, hotel and holistic retreat, The Beehive is the perfect place to unwind after a day exploring Rome. Just two blocks from the chaos of Termini, you’re ushered into a blissful garden. It’s the perfect spot to mingle with other guests over a glass of their organic Umbrian wine (€2 a glass, €8 a bottle).

I loved the contemporary design touches: the Philippe Starck-inspired chairs at reception, the warm colours, Steve’s beautiful family portraits and the organic café in the basement.

The owners, Steve and Linda Brenner, are passionate locals with great tips to share. Ask them for the best gelateria in town, a subject of fiery debate among Romans.

Breakfast isn’t included, but it’s a real treat if you splash out. Options range from scrambled tofu with veggies to juk, a Korean rice porridge (order it a day ahead), or French toast with fruit and honey. They also host pop-up dinners and lunches from local chefs, a weekly vegan aperitivo buffet, cooking classes and a monthly storytellers’ night.

There’s an option for every traveller and budget. Dorms include several female-only rooms, and there are stylish privates plus guest rooms with self-catering facilities off-site. The privates are the pick: bright colours, beaded lamps, huge windows that let the light pour in, plenty of wardrobe space, your own sink and handmade local vegetable soaps.

If you like places with a personal touch and attention to detail, The Beehive is the place for you in Rome.

Book your stay at the Beehive Rome

In the low season dorms start from €25, singles from €40, doubles from €60 per room booking via Hostelworld.com

Address: Via Marghera 8, 00185 Rome, Italy.

3. The YellowSquare

Possibly the greatest party hostel on earth, and so much more than just a party palace.

Address: Via Palestro 51, 00185 Rome, Italy

Perfect for: couples, solo travellers and party lovers

YellowSquare is possibly the greatest party hostel on earth. It’s designed for you to have the wildest night of your life, with plenty of spaces to meet fellow guests. The best of them is the Yellow Bar.

But it would be a huge mistake to label it just a party hostel. YellowSquare is a bold concept in hospitality where you can eat, party, sleep and work in one place. A hostel is no longer just somewhere to rest your head.

Things to do

Cooking classes at YellowSquare.

Catch a local band. Go on a food tour of Rome with a local, or join a cooking class and make something typically Roman, like pasta with guanciale. Travelling for work? There’s a brand new coworking space. You can even get your hair cut in the recently launched salon. There are plans for an escape room too. It’s a very fun space.

YellowSquare caters to every type of traveller. Travelling solo and want to meet people and party? The en-suite dorms are perfect (there are non-en-suite dorms too). They’re clean and comfortable, with a reading light, power socket and locker. Most importantly in summer, the en-suite dorms have air conditioning.

After something quieter? The private rooms in the newly launched Yellow Hotel across the road are great. Each has its own en-suite bathroom, direct-dial phone, air conditioning, heating, safe, hairdryer, mini fridge and wired internet.

Tonika at the Yellow Bar

The Yellow Bar across the road is where the action happens. Drinks are some of the cheapest in town, and there’s a regular programme of local bands and DJ nights in Arcade, the basement club.

The cherry on the cake is Tonika: bizarre but entertaining. An X-rated live fitness video is one way to describe it. If that doesn’t get your pulse racing, pay to grab a seat on the Rollin’ Bar, a magical mystery tour of Rome by night. Picture a van with strobe lights, half-crazed backpackers knocking back unlimited booze and the surreal, beautiful sight of Rome after dark.

Food and facilities at the YellowSquare Rome

Breakfast is à la carte. Most importantly, they have a proper coffee machine. The all-day menu runs from burgers to salads, which is pretty decent for a hostel.

My preference is Mamma Angela’s Trattoria across the road. Great antipasti, fab bruschetta and, among many other dishes, a fantastic Roman classic: cacio e pepe.

The hostel runs a variety of great walking tours and hosts cooking classes in the new basement kitchen in the hotel building. The guest kitchen is open to everyone staying. The hotel building also has a movie garden, a hidden courtyard where you can watch classic films or just relax with a book during the day. There’s a laundry service too: for a small fee, they’ll wash your dirty clothes.

The verdict

Crazy, sexy and fun are the three words I’d use to describe YellowSquare. If you’re young at heart and want to party like it’s 1999, you’ll love it. If you’re not the partying, social type and want something calmer, look elsewhere.

Still, YellowSquare is more than a party palace. It’s an experience that will stay with you for years.

4. Generator Rome

Perfect for: Couples, Groups

More hotel than hostel, with friendly staff and a fab rooftop terrace with panoramic views.

Address: Via Principe Amedeo 251, 00185 Rome, Italy

Perfect for: couples and groups

If the three hostels above are full, the stylish Generator is well worth a look. It’s handy for Termini. With just 12 dorms and 53 doubles, it’s more hotel than hostel. Rooms have clean, comfortable beds, vintage-style desks, air conditioning, wifi and en-suite bathrooms. The staff are friendly and helpful.

Breakfast gets you unlimited coffee, juices, pastries, cereal, cold meats and cheese. There’s also a fab rooftop terrace with panoramic views, a hip cocktail bar and a chill-out lounge.

The hostel includes a fab rooftop terrace with panoramic views, a hip cocktail bar and chill-out lounge.

5. Lilium Hotel

Romantic and stylish, with pastel rooms named after flowers a few steps from Michelangelo’s Porta Pia.

Address: Via XX Settembre 58A (third floor), Rome, Italy

Perfect for: couples

After something more romantic and stylish? I highly recommend the Lilium Hotel. It’s on the third floor of an Umbertine palazzo, a few steps from Porta Pia, the ancient city gate Michelangelo designed in 1561.

The 14 rooms are named after flowers and painted in pastels, with purple parquet floors and turquoise doors. All have free wifi, a flat-screen TV and a mini fridge. They’re spartan but comfortable. You can upgrade to a superior room, which is better furnished, with potted plants and a leafy terrace.

One of the highlights is the excellent complimentary continental breakfast.