The Yellow Hostel Rome Review Contents:

Overall Rating | The Atmosphere | The Yellow Bar | Mamma Angela’s

The Staff | The Room | The Location | The Price

Two years ago I was attending an event in London when I met Fabio, Marco and Luigi. Three young Italian guys from the same family, they were bursting with enthusiasm for their hostel, and I just knew I had to visit The Yellow.

When I booked my flight to Rome at the end of 2015, one of the first things I did was email Fabio. “I’m coming to Rome – and it’s about time we worked together!”

A few months later I bumped into him at the STAY WYSE Conference in Amsterdam and demanded an answer as to why he hadn’t replied to my email! Turns out, he hadn’t received it, but was just as keen for me to visit as I was to finally experience The Yellow Hostel for myself. I mean, it had been two years!

Well thankfully I wasn’t disappointed. The Yellow exceeded any expectations I had and by my second night, standing open-mouthed in awe at the Tonika dancers on stage at The Yellow Bar, I knew I’d found something you guys will love…

The Yellow Hostel Rome Overall Rating

The Yellow Hostel Rome Review

The Atmosphere

So firstly I want to point out that The Yellow is a party hostel, for those of you who still need to watch the vlog.

But at the same time, it’s so much more than a party hostel.

Over the five nights I spent at The Yellow I made so many hilarious friendships with people I can’t wait to see again!

Whether it be the staff (more on them later!), or the California girls Karen and Amanda, Kevin the architect from England, Tyler and Jackie (check her blog too) from the US, Aaron and Vodka-Red-Bull-Jimmy from the US, and fun-loving Erica – I want to see all these people again!

And those are just the people whose names I remember! The Yellow is designed to facilitate fun and guest interaction. So each morning at breakfast I would be saying hello to people I shared a beer with the night before whilst desperately trying to recall their names!

For those who love to make new friends on the road, and maybe share a few shots with them, The Yellow is the best place for you.

But it’s just not the bar that brings the guests together. The Yellow run their very own tours of Rome and it was during one of these incredible tours that I met Kevin, Tyler and Jackie – plus others that I partied with later that night on the Rollin Bar!

And this is what makes The Yellow Hostel so special. It’s more than just a hostel. It’s more than just a party hostel. And it’s more than just budget accommodation.

It’s The Yellow Square Experience…

So what’s The Yellow Square?

To get the best idea, watch the vlog. But essentially, the incredible enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit of Fabio, Marco, Luigi and their team in Rome have created more than just a hostel.

The street on which the hostel stands is also home to The Yellow Bar, Mamma Angela’s Italian Restaurant, and soon a hair salon and bike store (including a bike workshop and coffee house). I can’t wait!

The Yellow Bar

As I’ve already spoken so much about The Yellow Bar, it’s only fair I gave it it’s own section in the review. I’m also pretty sure I spent more time here than anywhere else in Rome so let me explain why…

The Food

The Yellow Bar is open for breakfast every morning from 7:30 – 11:30 for those who need to settle their stomachs after the night before. Breakfast isn’t included in the price of the room, but it’s cheap and tasty and you’re not likely to find such a great price for their Italian Job (pastry and coffee) elsewhere in the city!

The muffins and pastries are so delicious, as is the coffee! But if you need a little something extra make sure to try their incredible pancakes or their full fried breakfast…

And with an American head chef behind the scenes, food served the rest of the day is a combination of incredible burgers, the best sausage bap I’ve ever tasted, tasty wraps and salads. In the evenings they serve American chicken dishes so good that I was told by American guests that it was as good as anything they get back home!

But whilst the food is good, the events at The Yellow Bar are what you really need to know about…

The Events

Live bands, The Dating Game, karaoke, beer pong championships, the Rollin Bar, live DJs in the Arcade, and… Tonika! I need to write a whole new blog article just to explain everything!

Tonika

I’m going to start with Tonika because it was my favourite night so I’m biased.

Once we actually got past the bloopers, Bar Manager Domenic explained Tonika as “an amazing fitness party that we have at the bar”. I’d probably explain it as sex, hula hoops and the most fun I’ve had at a hostel EVER.

Glad I got that off my chest.

#TonikaMeetsTheYellow begins with a couple of incredible dancers popping their crazy moves on stage behind the bar, and finishes with a massive crowd of people dancing and singing along to the DJ with the professional dancers.

It’s insane. You have to watch the vlog to get it. Or check their Instagram page. Or click on the photos below…

The Rollin Bar

If watching dancers getting steamy on stage isn’t your thing and you’d just rather get drunk on a party bus – then it’s time you signed up for the Rollin Bar!

With stops across town for those of you who want to admire the beauty of Rome at night (or more likely just use the loo to make room for more vodka) the Rollin Bus is the best way to do it!

Party music, stripper poles, the best staff ever and unlimited alcohol whilst on a bus crossing the city with strobe lights combine to make one of the funniest experiences you’ll ever share with strangers in a new city!

The Dating Game

Now, if you haven’t already got the message – it’s pretty damn easy to meet fantastic new friends whilst staying at The Yellow.

But if you’re looking for something a little deeper, welcome to The Dating Game! British readers here may remember Cilla Black’s iconic dating show, Blind Date. Well this is that; except on stage at The Yellow Bar with a free drink, a rowdy crowd and romantic red mood lighting.

And yes, the night’s presenter Kevin though that as it was Valentine’s day I should really put myself out there a bit more…

It’s a little rude, often inappropriate, extremely funny and free for anyone to take part! And it doesn’t just take place on Valentine’s day but every week. So if you’re looking for love in one of the most romantic cities in the world, head on over to The Yellow Bar and sign yourself up as a contestant.

And if you don’t find love, you may just make some awesome friends for the night! The boys below were so up for a laugh – thanks for being my bachelors!

Live Bands

I’ll be honest with you here – aside from an epic week of late night dance sessions in the basement of The Yellow Bar, I’m really not much of a clubbing person.

I grew up going to dirty gigs in Portsmouth wearing jeans and Converses and the most British part of my personality shines when I’m sat in a pub listening to live music. So I loved the fact that The Yellow Bar also hosts live bands throughout the week!

Not only does it make sure that there is something for everyone, by providing great live entertainment for those of you who may not like Tonika (although I don’t know why you wouldn’t love Tonika…), but it provides even more opportunity for you to meet people with similar interests at the bar.

The Arcade

And finally, back to those of you who show their true selves in front of a DJ on the dance-floor!

The Arcade is the basement of The Yellow Bar, where you will find DJs every night! As well as that there is a second smaller bar downstairs so you don’t have to keep coming upstairs for your shots, plus a table-football table. And if you’re really lucky you’ll be there for beer pong championship night!

Mamma Angela’s

I mentioned before that The Yellow isn’t a hostel – it’s The Yellow Square.

Well part of the Square is home to Mamma Angela’s Trattoria. A beautiful and authentic Italian restaurant that is also part of the family business, the Trattoria gives guests the opportunity to break away from the madness of The Yellow Bar and immerse themselves in the food culture of Rome.

With walls lined with Italian wines and a four course menu on offer (it took me a while to understand how one person can eat four courses!), an evening at Mamma Angela’s is a must do for any guest at The Yellow Square.

I really fell in love with the food at Mamma’s, and I also loved the fact that there was a place to eat in the square that was a little calmer, and a little more beautiful, than the bar.

And this is one of the things I love most about The Yellow. Their commitment to the guest experience is almost untouchable when held against my previous experiences.

You can see more of the evening I spent at Mamma Angela’s in my travel vlog of Rome, but I also found this beautiful video on Youtube that does the restaurant more justice…

The Staff

Where do I start?

The Yellow Rome is a fairly large hostel, which means they have quite a lot of staff. And yet every staff member I met was fun, friendly and helpful with every request! Even when I asked if I could borrow all their stuffed animals because I didn’t have a date for Valentine’s Day…

So this calls for a speech: In my opinion, the Rollin Bar wouldn’t have been the same without Savannah (and the doorman Claudio!); The Yellow Bar wouldn’t have been the same without Domenic, Maxim, Lenny, Ben, Alan, Monica, Anna, Ernesta & the rest of the team(!); reception wouldn’t have been the same without the kind girl who chased after me to take my laundry even though I hadn’t dropped it off the day before and the dude who laughed at me getting in to bed with the stuffed animals; head office wouldn’t have been the same without Anca and João; Tonika wouldn’t have been the same without Paola and Andrea; The Yellow Guides and The Dating Game wouldn’t have been the same without Kevin and Tom; and the concierge wouldn’t have been the same without Summer, Sarah and the Russian dude who enjoyed long deep conversations in the concierge courtyard.

And I’m sure there are so many names that I haven’t mentioned and I’m so sorry for that because I think everyone at The Yellow Hostel in Rome deserves a huge shout out.

The staff here will be your mum when you need help with your laundry, your brother when you need to fend off a drunk Italian, your dad when you’ve lost your keycard and can’t get in to your room, your best friend when you need someone to laugh at your bad dancing, and your university buddies when you just want to do shots on a party bus.

The Room

I say in my vlog of Rome that The Yellow is more than just a room. Which is true, as you can tell already! But the room also deserves a mention!

Like any hostel, The Yellow offers a mix of dorms rooms, female only dorm rooms and private rooms – all of which were spotlessly clean every day.

I grabbed myself a private room (well I did have to be out every night to film a vlog for you guys!), and whilst I usually recommend taking a dorm room if you’re travelling solo as it often helps facilitate making new friends – the atmosphere at The Yellow clearly facilitates that all by itself!

Which meant I could get a little privacy and calm now and then from the craziness…

Whilst the room was pretty free of colour, the soft tones of The Godfather poster and the desk (the design of which I loved!) combined with the clutter free atmosphere gave it a really modern vibe. Plus, you’re not meant to be in the room anyway unless you’re sleeping, when you have the Bar and Mamma’s just downstairs!

The facilities were also great. I found the locker a little too small for my laptop, but as it was a private room and I had the only key and trusted the cleaning staff, this wasn’t a problem.

Aside from this, there were coat hangers, a book exchange, a full-length mirror and a hairdryer and soap in the spotless en suite bathroom.

The verdict? I loved the modern design and facilities in my room at The Yellow and slept peacefully every night…

Other facilities

I also want to point out that The Yellow has even more than just The Yellow Bar, Mamma Angela’s and the room. For those who prefer to cook than eat out, there is a guest kitchen and lounge in another building next to the bar…

The Location

The Yellow Hostel and Square couldn’t be any easier to find from Rome’s main train station: Termini.

From Termini, the hostel is just a five-minute walk. In actual fact, you just need to walk straight down Via Vicenza and take the fourth left and you’re there!

And it’s super easy to get to Termini from Fiumicino Airport. Just follow the signs in the airport for the train station and pay 14 EUR at the ticket machines (that run in English) for the express train that takes just half an hour!

The Price

Considering just how much The Yellow has to offer I was really surprised to find out that it’s one of the cheapest hostel in Rome! Not kidding!

My mini double/twin room costs 52 EUR per night – which is actually ridiculously cheap for a private room in Rome, the capital of Italy! If you’re keen to meet even more people than you would in The Yellow Bar and save some money for beer, then a bed in a 10-bed mixed dorm costs 15 EUR. The hostel also offers 6-bed mixed dorms (20 EUR, or 21 EUR with en-suite), as well as female only 6-beds (22 EUR, or 23 EUR with en-suite) and female-only 4-beds (19 EUR, or 23 EUR with en-suite)*.

 

*Prices for March 2016. Breakfast not included.

And we’ve come to the end of another epic hostel review.

I spend a lot of time researching and travelling to what I believe to be the best hostels for you guys and girls. And I know you’re not all party hostel people, just like some of you aren’t surfers when I review a surf hostel. But what I want most of all is to provide you with a choice of the best.

And I honestly think that The Yellow Rome is one of the best hostels I have ever stayed at in terms of fantastic facilities, staff, and their excellence at creating a truly fun and exciting guest experience.

I would like to thank The Yellow Rome for sponsoring my stay with them, but as always opinions are honest and entirely my own.