Where to Stay in Rome: The Yellow

When you think of Rome, the first words that come to mind are culture, cuisine, architecture, and extravagance. Four years ago, I made the best decision of my life and studied abroad in the greatest city in the world! In fact, so did my boo! It was truly the first in my entire life that I felt alive! Not only did I fall in love with adventure and the richness of this place, but I also fell in love with the way this city made me feel! I was enchanted, I was left in awe, and I marveled at every single corner, dish, and attraction I encountered. Throughout my time in Rome, I stayed at several hotels whenever a family member or friend came to visit. All were… mediocre stays, (if all you want is a bed to sleep on and a hefty bill). It was not until a friend recommended, The Yellow Hostel that I even considered staying in a hostel! At first, she had talked this place up to another level! She described how this trendy stay was the hub for travelers and millennial locals alike: a hipster, party-style vibe, but one that feels like home. Rather than just a stay, The Yellow was an experience. An experience that offers a plethora of activities to acclimate you into the Roman lifestyle. So I was like, okurrr, did my TripAdvisor/Yelp research and let me tell you, it was clear how well liked The Yellow is… worldwide! I also discovered that the Yellow had won #1 hostel by TripAdvisor several years in a row AND was even considered as one of the cheapest stays in all of Europe! So you know, ya girl had to give it a shot!

We booked a private room (but you can do the traditional hostel way) and honestly, we were blown away by the experience! It was literally unforgettable! We learned for ourselves that this was a hostel with travelers ready to meet other travelers, those ready to share a few drinks and sing karaoke. But when the morning came, the people here were ready to explore the beautiful city.

Come four years later, bae and I decided to make our way back to Roma! The easiest part of the planning was deciding where to stay! I mean, after all, this is the place to be if you want a mix of R&R + good vibes!

I’ll talk a bit more about our recent experience in a bit, but let me start off by saying, LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!

Location:

The Yellow is so freaking close to everything! A literal 5-minute walk from the Termini Train Station (and if you’re planning on traveling really anywhere throughout the city and/or Europe, Termini will be your hub for transportation), 10-minute bus ride into the city center, and footsteps away from their popular “Yellow Bar” which also serves as a yummy brunch spot: this location will be of such convenience, TRUST ME!  (Your feet and wallet will thank you, hehe)

So straight from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, bae and I bought a $10 bus ticket into Termini. From Termini, we lugged our heavy bags only a few blocks down until we reached the beautiful, Yellow. It all felt like home again!

As soon as we walked through their reception (which is opened 24 hours a day, BTW) we were welcomed with open arms and bumping indie/house hits in the background. It was just like I remembered it, youthful and friendly as heck! We were assigned our room and holy sh*t were we in for a treat!

Private Room:

Our cozy fourth floor room, had the most picturesque classic Roman balcony views!

In addition to this bomb view, our room was equipped with a private ensuite bathroom, independent air conditioning and heating, a safety deposit box, a hair dryer, Wi Fi, and most importantly, such a comfortable bed!

If that’s not enough, what I love so much about The Yellow is that they provide TONS of activities every day of the week.

Although bae and I had plans of our own, we made sure we signed up for two classes: 1) Kitchen of Mamma Cooking Class and 2) The Night Tour (but let me tell you, they provide so many more! For reference: they have an escape room within the building, (like, what?!), a bike tour, gelato classes, an entire city tour, + more!

Kitchen of Mamma:

Leading our cooking class was Marco, an eclectic local Roman who made sure our class was nothing short of hilarious.

We shared the class with two other couples, one from the UK, and the other from NYC. Little did I know, we’d become sort of besties with these people!

Marco took us on a short walk to where he says is the best open market in all of Rome. We selected some fresh ricotta and pork for our soon to be home-made cuisine!

Once we arrived back to the kitchen (oh, yeah…The Yellow has a fully equipped kitchen), Marco began the lesson with of course, some vino!

We started off by prepping our dough and were taught the important art of rolling (never by the handles, but rather the middle).

Marco then showed us the different types of pastas we could create.

Everything smelled so good already! I couldn’t wait to eat, hahaha! I then, began cutting and stuffing the noodles for our two different pastas: Spaghetti Bolognese & Pumpkin Ricotta Ravioli.

Not only were we about to feast on some authentic Italian cuisine, but also we were sharing laughs with these just recent “strangers”!  Here we had four different cultures blending onto one dinner table! I was thinking mid way, “wow this is truly a gift, something you couldn’t get outside of here!” We laughed and ate and drank some more, (welllll after the class was scheduled to be over) and honestly were soo bummed out that we all had to split ways! And I know what you may be thinking, a hostel…no thanks! But, this type of internationally blended camaraderie could not have been found in a fancy shmancy hotel or Airbnb!

The next morning, bae and I had already been anticipating our night tour scheduled that evening. We both had previously lived in Rome and had gone on plenty of tours, so in full disclosure, we questioned if we would just be retold the same ol’ information.

Well… to our pleasant surprise, we were not at all!

Night Tour:

Lucky for us, we were scheduled with Marco again, but this time as our tour guide!

The tour was scheduled for only 2 hours, but we ended up staying out for 4. He’s seriously: the man! Funny AF, extremely knowledgeable, and just a good time!

We were joined by two solo travelers from Belgium (which I was like: yasss, more friends!)

We went around the majority of the city (by foot). But honestly, this walk was the highlight of my entire trip in Rome. Rome, to me, is already the most beautiful city in the world, but at night: man, it is truly something else!

And boy, were our fears wrong; Bae and I learned so much that night about the city, it was mind blowing! Like how did we both live in this city before and not know any of this information?! Plus, Marco (above) answered with ease like every single one of my million questions.

We ended the night with wine and gelato! Seriously could not have asked for a better night out!

The next few mornings we did our laundry (on site) and cooked a few meals in the kitchen. My fave part was sharing our breakfast together on our beautiful balcony! Full disclosure, on our last night, I cried while outside on our balcony, because the thought of leaving really shook me! And I think that is what traveling does to you! There are just certain places in the world that stick with you forever.

Ah, I could literally write a novel on how much I adore The Yellow! Both of my stays here were so perfect and I’m low-key sad even typing this because I miss Rome so much already! Whether you are planning on making your way to Rome and just reading this for leisure, just know, there may not be another person out there as obsessed with Rome as I am! Trust me when I say, The Yellow has had such an impact in my love with this city!

Avoid the hassle of finding an Airbnb or spending unnecessarily at a fancy hotel!

At The Yellow you will find culture, cuisine, architecture, and extravagance! You will absolutely love it here! Whether you’re into socializing from dusk til dawn or just some much needed R+R, this place legit has it all! Do yourself a favor and book your next trip to la Città Eterna. Xoxo