Rome – 5* hotel advice

I’m also interested in any Rome recommendations, I am going next month with my mum and my sister to celebrate my Mums 70th birthday.

We have booked the Indigo. Would love to hear some more off the beaten track ideas, I found an old thread and have taken note of the behind the scenes Colliseum and Vatican tours. We also have two Platinum dining benefits to burn on the trip.

The Intercontinental is a very new and very pleasant conversion of an old building. Service is impeccable, and, depending on what’s on your agenda, the location is good.

As a rule of thumb, though, avoid the big chains in European cities unless you have points to burn. In most cases, they are overpriced and cater primarily for the American market – which can only be regarded as a Good Thing if you have American tastes and want to wash down a club sandwich with an overpriced cocktail in blingy surroundings.

+1 on NH. Some nice properties plus an Anantara too. I stayed at the Westin Excelsior after the Intercontinental failed to open on time. Westin cost a bloody fortune and was full of Americans and little else. I did get upgraded as a Titanium to a suite though; 4 juliet balconies and decorated as if Mussolini’s dotty great aunt had only left it yesterday. One problem with the Westin is that it is due a refurb and a reflag as The Luxury Collection so at present no kettles and no irons in the rooms due to fire risk from the old furnishings.

Candor wrote:

jj wrote:

The Intercontinental is a very new and very pleasant conversion of an old building. Service is impeccable, and, depending on what’s on your agenda, the location is good.

As a rule of thumb, though, avoid the big chains in European cities unless you have points to burn. In most cases, they are overpriced and cater primarily for the American market – which can only be regarded as a Good Thing if you have American tastes and want to wash down a club sandwich with an overpriced cocktail in blingy surroundings.

Noted, just planning to generally touristy stuff as it will be our first visit there

Have found better value with a couple of other hotels NH Collection Roma Plazzo Cinquecento and The Grand Palace Hotel Rome around £1200 for 3 nights for mid level rooms, The Intercontinental was coming in around £1800 for a standard room

Rome is nuts for hotels. Before we arrive in Rome, we’re in Venice where we’re paying less than this for a suite in a 4* with a balcony on the Grand Canal. It seems worse than London.

More 4* really, but 2 years ago we stayed in Barberini Hotel – brilliant location for all sightseeing.

Last weekend we stayed in Monti Palace which I got on a deal from secret escapes. Great hotel, rooftop bar, good breakfast and another great location.

Both of these were on 6 Nations weekends, so quite popular times.

Rome Cavalieri (Waldorf Astoria) is splendid and Imperial Club benefits genuinely do make the stay feel exclusive – perfect for a celebration. One word of caution regarding The Vatican is that it is a simply horrific, crushed place to walk around unless one books the sort of experience that Claire mentions.

We did Rome. Cavalieri on a 342 booked via Emyr a few years ago. No upgrade as hotel full so a bit of a shame but club lounge was lovely.previous visit had booked ‘skip the line’ for various tours…. Brilliant .

Grand Hotel Palace is looking promising for my trip in May. 3 Avios/£ via the BA shopping portal for Millennium Hotels – any other points options that people know of?