Domus Australia

Stayed here for my girlfriend’s birthday. There’s a lot of mixed reviews of this place. It’s no where near as bad as some people are saying. Overall we have a lovely stay here and the staff were lovely and service was good. The room was spacious,clean and had a huge bed. The breakfast was average but a nice touch that it was included in the price. It wasn’t the best breakfast we have ever had but good enough to fill us up for a day of exploring. The staff left a card and a bottle in the room for my girlfriend’s birthday which was lovely. Overall I don’t think this is a 5 star hotel but I would definitely stay here again for the right price.

Firstly, this is NOT a hotel!! It is a pilgrim guesthouse managed by the Roman Catholic Church for the Archdiocese of Sydney. The rooms not in use by the pilgrims are being miss-sold on Agoda and other booking sites as a 4 or 5 star hotel. It’s NOWHERE close!! I have utmost respect for the church and respect it entirely as I do my own religion. However, my issues are with the behavior of the staff and the mismanagement of this place. I am highly surprised by how other reviewers speak positively of this property, which is why I had booked it. The decor of the property and rooms are stuck in 1980’s and cry for refurbishment. Never have I ever since cool white CFL lights in a hotel, but then clearly, this is not a hotel. The corridors were dimly lit, looking like it was straight out of a horror movie setting. The bathrooms have grime and calcium marks all over the glass. Room floor tiles have grime marks all over. The pictures attached speak louder than words. The rooms stank of mold which was purposely overladen with excessive use of bleach. The most shocking thing we faced was that the air conditioning was switched off from midnight till 5am. When we spoke with reception, they claimed that it’s a government mandate to conserve energy. This was our 3rd stay in a hotel in Rome but we have never faced this issue before, even in peak summer. We could not find anything online which could prove the hotel management’s claim. The hotel did not inform us of this alleged rule on the website or while checking in. We only came to know when we woke up in the middle of the night because the rooms were hot and suffocating. The air conditioning was switched on much after 5am after repeated calls to reception. After repeatedly requesting for a fan to use, they did finally give us standing fans for the following nights but it wasn’t enough for the unbearably hot summer in Rome. To top this, the staff were extremely rude. One of them laughed at us when we complained of the foul smell in the rooms.

The central air conditioner doesn't cool too much. The service from the reception is quite indifferent. Reasonable breakfast. Good location, close to bars, restaurants and supermarkets. Good rooms, with all the amenities. The difference is the chapel attached to the hotel, very beautiful.