Il Boom

An utterly charming and unique oasis just a short walk from the restaurants and main sites of Trastevere. Angelo and Salvatore are wonderful hosts, welcoming and helpful in so many ways, from the delicious cakes at breakfast to restaurant recommendations and reservations and arranging a taxi to the airport. The rooms are spacious and beautifully decorated, and best of all, the lushly planted rooftop terraces where we had breakfast and evening aperitivi.

From the moment we read the description of the place, we knew this was the place for us in Rome. We wanted to stay in Trasteve because while it has a rich and glorious history of its own, it is still "off the beaten path" and Il Boom, an actual lived in apartment with its homage to film, seemed just the thing. Il Boom was even better when we saw it for ourselves. All their decor resonated with us (so, spoiler, this won't appeal to younger millennials and GenZs). Lots of space! And if you're too shy and feel you will be intruding into the lives of our hosts, you won't - the B&B area is separate. Of course if you needed to speak with them you could. Perfectly suited to the traveler, the B&B area had lots of resources like maps and books. As far as the B&B operations themselves go - checking in and out was super efficient. Communications were great all the way. There are various payment methods so you won't feel stuck. Angelo and Salvatore are as good hosts as you could wish for. Breakfast was what you would expect a European breakfast to be. On the table was laid out breads and jams and pastries and in the ref was ham and cheese and yogurt. Excellent coffee! The location was great. There are two buses that head into "town" just a couple of hundred meters away. Going back, the buses stop in front of the apartment. Later in our trip we discovered the buses that passed at the back. Take the 115, it goes uphill and stops at an outlook with a breathtaking view of Rome. We were there enough days to feel like the area was our own neighborhood - we saw the food markets, small restaurants, local groceries, the laundry. We were sorry to have to leave, but certainly vowing to return.

My husband and I just returned from a two night stop-over at Il Boom. We have stayed there multiple times in the past 10 years, but this was the first since Covid. And I must say it's only gotten better! The roof deck is amazing with views from the Janiculum Hill -- it's a great place to have your morning coffee or evening wine. The roof deck is beautifully landscaped with well-spaced tables and a comfortable day bed where you can stretch out and read or nap. Rooms are spacious and well-appointed and bathrooms are spotless. The breakfast is self-service, featuring everything you'd want: yogurt, fresh fruit, ham and cheese, and gorgeous pastries. Angelo is on-site and available to help with reservations, directions, and any advice you might need. Five stars!

We stayed at Il Boom in June 2023 in the room devoted to Anna Magnani (Italian screen siren of the 1940s through 70s). It was a delight. The room was spacious with a massively high ceiling and a view over Rome. We had our own bathroom just across the corridor, complete with huge spa bath and bidet. The hosts clearly have a love for pop culture of the 1950s through 1980s with posters and pieces referencing movies, music and life, generally – a couple of highlights are the epoxy resin lego side-table complete with lego telephone and the 1960s pinball machine. The whole place was spotlessly clean. Angelo, our English-speaking host, was excellent and tireless in his support of our needs. We turned out to be high maintenance guests with a wallet lost in the car Angelo had arranged to pick us up from the airport and bring us to Il Boom and a dental emergency. Angelo helped us with both issues, and we recovered the wallet and saw a dentist in Rome. Upstairs from our bedroom is the breakfast room with a choice of eggs, cheese, sliced meat, yogurt, cereals, bread and fruit to help yourself to. There are always pastries, cakes and tarts as well as coffee and tea. A beautiful terrace leads out from the breakfast room with a superb view over Rome. We spent a lovely afternoon in the sun on this terrace, joined by the hosts’ two pet tortoises and pussy cat (in case you’re missing your own pets!) Il Boom is located in Trastevere which is a really nice suburb full of gorgeous old apartment buildings, beautiful piazzas and plenty of places to eat and drink. You can easily walk easily across the river to the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and loads more restaurants, shops and cafes. A bus runs down the street and most of the major tourist attractions are a short taxi ride away if you don’t want to walk. We cannot praise Il Boom highly enough for location, amenities, breakfast and the kind attentiveness and assistance of our hosts. We would definitely return.