Grand Hotel Palatino - Rome, Italy     

We chose this hotel for it's location- it is situated on a main road that connects Termini Station with the Colloseum. It is probably a 5-10 min walk from the hotel to the Colloseum and the Roman Forum, which is a plus with all the walking that you do in Rome! It is about 15 mins from Termini, where the train from the airport comes in, so it's an easy transfer. If you're not a keen walker, which given the way that the Romans drive is understandable, the hop on/off sightseeing bus stops directly oustide the hotel, every hour or so I think. It is a great way to see the architectural features of the buildings and take good pictures of the ruins, it stops at all the useful tourist spots you could want. On to the rooms, they are fairly standard and non descript in that general hotel way, but are very clean, as are the bathrooms. We had a room overlooking the Via Cavour, which is noisy if you open the window as you would expect from a main street in Rome, they won't drive quietly! The room had adequate air conditioning, which I thought would be a good feature for Rome in late summer. The staff on the front desk were a little grumpy, but I had the impression that most people in Rome were feeling a little grumpy that week, perhaps because it was at the end of summer and they were getting sick of tourists or something. Food- We did not eat in the hotel restaurant and chose to eat down the Via Cavour towards the coloseum, the restaurants are very good, though not all staff speak english so have that phrasebook handy! They are a little touristy but the quality is still very good. Do not eat in the restaurant right next door to the hotel, it is terrible!! I am sure that they microwaved my lasagne, which in Italy should be a crime. There is a fab pizza place on a little back street near the basilica Santa Maria Maggiore that our guidebook, one of the eyewitness jobbies, recommended, it actually had some very good restaurants in. I would also recommend the smaller restaurant in the Exedra hotel on the Piazza della Republica, the food was superb and the manager was only too happy to give us a crash course on Italian wines and recommended a wonderful barolo to compliment our brilliant food. It is a tad pricey there though.

We stayed at this hotel in early June 2008. It is an above average hotel. Our room was clean and quiet (on the roof) but small by american standards (but fine by European standards). Our room had a LCD TV with access to english channels. Staff was friendly, courteous and helpful. We were given an upgrade on arrival to an executive room on the 8th floor. The greatest asset of this hotel is its location and comfort. In my opinion, you can't find a better location to visit Rome's attractions minus the Vatican which is a little far. The coliseum and the Forum are 5 minutes walk. Pantheon, most fountains and Plazas are accessible by walk. Beds are comfortable and air conditioning is working fine. We have not been bother by any noises from the streets below nor from neighboring rooms. You also have access to a safe. There are many restaurants near the hotel. You may also find useful to know that the subway station Cavour is 4 minutes walk from the hotel (on the little street behind the hotel). From this station you have access to all of major attractions in the city. This being said, walking is the best way to get acquainted with the city's attractions if physical conditions permit to walk few hours, of course. My assessment of this hotel would have been higher with a better breakfast and free internet. You get eggs, bacon, bread cereals, yogurt and croissant, fruit salad and juices. Not extensive choice but ok to give a good start to your day. Also, I find the prices overrated compare to other hotels I have stayed on other trips (in other countries). However, for Rome, this hotel is fairly priced. I would stay there again without hesitation.