Jinxy
Oct 23, 11, 12:36 am
This report is long overdue, but after the wealth of info I have received from this particular forum I hope you find it somewhat interesting! I apoligize for the quality of the photos, as I am a pretty crap photographer!
Hotel: Boscolo Exedra Rome
When: Late June 2011
Nights: 2
Room Type: Deluxe with Balcony
Cost I paid: Special 2 night rate 450 Euro per night (900 Euro total)
After struggling to find any decent accommodation available in Rome over my preferred dates, I ended up picking the Boscolo Exedra situated in the Piazza della Repubblica with mixed reviews.
The Boscolo Group have a few properties including Milan, Prague, Venice among them. I joined their loyalty program before booking, however realising it was a complete waste of time (higher prices than booking website and their own website, plus no miles except to Meridiana)
My criteria for the Rome stay was the following
5 Star
Good Location
Larger than normal room type
Outdoor Swimming Pool (only 32 hotels in Rome have a swimming pool, so trying to narrow them down to be 5 star and have availability was a challenge!)
I arrived into FCO at 6:30am from a long flight from KUL (originally from MEL) where I was stuck in the middle seat in Y next to a chatty lady who wanted to show me wedding photos of her daughter's wedding. After 2 hours of being bored to tears and having my ear-drum burst..I took an Imovane and woke up with about 2 hours to go until arrival.
I have pre-organised a driver (not through the hotel; who wanted to charge 80 euro for a one way trip, of which I paid 50 euro in a nice Merc) and the driver was waiting just after Customs with my name on the sign. 5 mins later, I was in the car and was in the centre of Rome within 20 mins (no traffic at 7am!)
My first time to Rome in many years, the drivers were still crazy, but the city still looked fantastic!
Pulling up to the Exedra was very impressive. It is a Grand Old Hotel which sweeps in a semi circle. A massive roundabout just outside the hotel provided many laughs at watching the cars navigate their way through it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/5943104447/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/5943660228/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/5943659618/in/photostream
Arriving at roughly 8am, the hotel was expecting me as I had advised to their concierge that I would be arriving early and would it be better to book the previous night stay also. They advised me not to, and had organised an early check in for by 10am which was fantastic. During the 2 hours they stored my bags, let me put valuables in the hotel safe, and provided directions to the closest place to get a Sim card. After getting a Sim for my IPhone (so easy!), we grabbed some pastries (delish!) and a coffee and relaxed in the morning sunshine.
The Head Concierge had received rave reviews on other websites, and was true to form. Nothing was too much trouble---from recommendations of places to eat, maps, organising a forgotten phone charger, walked us to an ATM machine! and more (He wouldn't accept any tip from me as he said the compliment I gave him was reward enough!)
Location: The hotel is located in Piazza della Repubblica which is a safe and well populated part of town. Literally a 3 min walk from Termini Station and 5-7 mins in a cab to the Vatican, Trevi, Patheon and all the major sites. The open top Hop on/Hop off bus stop is a one min walk from the hotel and a great way to see the sights of Rome. We mainly used cabs to get around town (as the heat was stifling at times!) and cost usually around 6 euro per time.
Room: We had booked a Deluxe and also ended up with a balcony and view over the Piazza which was simply fantastic. So lovely to leave the balcony doors open for fresh air later on at night.
We had two twin beds joined together (which is what was requested) and the beds were comfortable, however the pillows were quite flat and feather which I don't like. Housekeeping brought up a variety upon asking.
Room was very big, one of the largest in Rome and also had 2 comfy chairs and small coffee table, flat screen TV (which we didn't watch at all but one music channel in Italian), a desk, area for luggage, mini bar, cupboard and spacious bathroom with separate bath and rain shower, toilet and bidet, 2 sinks and great lighting.
There was no tea/coffee facilities in the room which previous reviews I had seen had complained about, but with so many things close by including their own cafe and McDonalds (Yes i went and had a look!), it didn't bother me.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271706770/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271707084/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271703572/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/5943108881/in/photostream
Room Service: Had room service on one occasion of Pizza and a coffee...hot and delicious though the 10 euro room service charge was ridiculous.
Hotel cafe/Bar: Ate there quite often and the service from the wait staff especially Evan was terrific. Lots of choice on the menus...lovely surprise was ordering coffee and getting complimentary cakes to go with it. Prices were good for euro standards and the atmosphere of comfortable chairs/tables and the view of the Piazza was great.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/5943103173/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271705116/in/photostream
DaySpa: Had organised a massage on the day of arrival for 10am. Arrived at 9:50am and told I was too early and to come back right on 10! Massage therapist was great, a really good way to ease the tension of the flight and for 60 euro for 1/2 hour, i thought it was excellent value. Pasquale even brought me espresso while I was waiting which was a nice touch.
MiniBar: Had the usual choices and the prices were expensive as most minibars in good hotels, however the fridge was cold and there were no stuff ups on departure due to costs or anything.
Lobby: was relaxing and really lovely feel to it. Very quiet and some magazines etc
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271703192/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271702874/in/photostream
Business Centre: 3 Acer computers in the Business Centre as well as magazines, refreshments. It was open to any guests and a nice big space. I did tell off one guest however who brought in his young children under 5 (2 of them who were screaming) and I asked him politely if he could move elsewhere as people were trying to work. He pretended not to know how to speak English, but within 2 mins he and the children left!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271181991/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271182391/in/photostream
Pool Area: Quite small but did the job and great views over the city. 8 or 9 lounge chairs, 2 lifeguards and also an area to sit and have drinks and the bar. It was on the rooftop and was never crowded which was great.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271706112/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271705792/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271706470/in/photostream
Lifts: 4 lifts and always opened straight away. They were tiny however.
Internet: No free Wifi, which many hotels in the world do charge for, however we had data on our Sim cards which was fast and cheap. The Internet access in the business centre was free so we could upload photos and print boarding passes etc.
Problems: Our minibar wasn't working, however someone was sent up within 5 mins, as were requests for more towels etc. Service was always quick and never a problem.
During the quick stay we went to the Trevi Fountain, Vatican, Colosseum, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Hop on/Hop off Bus Tour, various great restaurants, ate copious amounts of gelati, got sunburnt, had someone try to steal my friend's bag, brought some tacky Rome souvenirs and generally had a wonderful time!
2 days was too short (next stop after Rome was the fabulous Sorrento for one night before visiting family on the French Riviera near Monaco!) and I can't wait to return again to Italy in July 2012.
All in all, this is a high quality hotel (ask for a Balcony room) with excellent staff and a terrific Rome location. 5 star quality does vary throughout the world, however the building, amenities, ambience and room size are up with the best of them.
With our currency conversion however, I just hate paying in Euro!
Hotel: Boscolo Exedra Rome
When: Late June 2011
Nights: 2
Room Type: Deluxe with Balcony
Cost I paid: Special 2 night rate 450 Euro per night (900 Euro total)
After struggling to find any decent accommodation available in Rome over my preferred dates, I ended up picking the Boscolo Exedra situated in the Piazza della Repubblica with mixed reviews.
The Boscolo Group have a few properties including Milan, Prague, Venice among them. I joined their loyalty program before booking, however realising it was a complete waste of time (higher prices than booking website and their own website, plus no miles except to Meridiana)
My criteria for the Rome stay was the following
5 Star
Good Location
Larger than normal room type
Outdoor Swimming Pool (only 32 hotels in Rome have a swimming pool, so trying to narrow them down to be 5 star and have availability was a challenge!)
I arrived into FCO at 6:30am from a long flight from KUL (originally from MEL) where I was stuck in the middle seat in Y next to a chatty lady who wanted to show me wedding photos of her daughter's wedding. After 2 hours of being bored to tears and having my ear-drum burst..I took an Imovane and woke up with about 2 hours to go until arrival.
I have pre-organised a driver (not through the hotel; who wanted to charge 80 euro for a one way trip, of which I paid 50 euro in a nice Merc) and the driver was waiting just after Customs with my name on the sign. 5 mins later, I was in the car and was in the centre of Rome within 20 mins (no traffic at 7am!)
My first time to Rome in many years, the drivers were still crazy, but the city still looked fantastic!
Pulling up to the Exedra was very impressive. It is a Grand Old Hotel which sweeps in a semi circle. A massive roundabout just outside the hotel provided many laughs at watching the cars navigate their way through it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/5943104447/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/5943660228/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/5943659618/in/photostream
Arriving at roughly 8am, the hotel was expecting me as I had advised to their concierge that I would be arriving early and would it be better to book the previous night stay also. They advised me not to, and had organised an early check in for by 10am which was fantastic. During the 2 hours they stored my bags, let me put valuables in the hotel safe, and provided directions to the closest place to get a Sim card. After getting a Sim for my IPhone (so easy!), we grabbed some pastries (delish!) and a coffee and relaxed in the morning sunshine.
The Head Concierge had received rave reviews on other websites, and was true to form. Nothing was too much trouble---from recommendations of places to eat, maps, organising a forgotten phone charger, walked us to an ATM machine! and more (He wouldn't accept any tip from me as he said the compliment I gave him was reward enough!)
Location: The hotel is located in Piazza della Repubblica which is a safe and well populated part of town. Literally a 3 min walk from Termini Station and 5-7 mins in a cab to the Vatican, Trevi, Patheon and all the major sites. The open top Hop on/Hop off bus stop is a one min walk from the hotel and a great way to see the sights of Rome. We mainly used cabs to get around town (as the heat was stifling at times!) and cost usually around 6 euro per time.
Room: We had booked a Deluxe and also ended up with a balcony and view over the Piazza which was simply fantastic. So lovely to leave the balcony doors open for fresh air later on at night.
We had two twin beds joined together (which is what was requested) and the beds were comfortable, however the pillows were quite flat and feather which I don't like. Housekeeping brought up a variety upon asking.
Room was very big, one of the largest in Rome and also had 2 comfy chairs and small coffee table, flat screen TV (which we didn't watch at all but one music channel in Italian), a desk, area for luggage, mini bar, cupboard and spacious bathroom with separate bath and rain shower, toilet and bidet, 2 sinks and great lighting.
There was no tea/coffee facilities in the room which previous reviews I had seen had complained about, but with so many things close by including their own cafe and McDonalds (Yes i went and had a look!), it didn't bother me.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271706770/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271707084/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271703572/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/5943108881/in/photostream
Room Service: Had room service on one occasion of Pizza and a coffee...hot and delicious though the 10 euro room service charge was ridiculous.
Hotel cafe/Bar: Ate there quite often and the service from the wait staff especially Evan was terrific. Lots of choice on the menus...lovely surprise was ordering coffee and getting complimentary cakes to go with it. Prices were good for euro standards and the atmosphere of comfortable chairs/tables and the view of the Piazza was great.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/5943103173/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271705116/in/photostream
DaySpa: Had organised a massage on the day of arrival for 10am. Arrived at 9:50am and told I was too early and to come back right on 10! Massage therapist was great, a really good way to ease the tension of the flight and for 60 euro for 1/2 hour, i thought it was excellent value. Pasquale even brought me espresso while I was waiting which was a nice touch.
MiniBar: Had the usual choices and the prices were expensive as most minibars in good hotels, however the fridge was cold and there were no stuff ups on departure due to costs or anything.
Lobby: was relaxing and really lovely feel to it. Very quiet and some magazines etc
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271703192/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271702874/in/photostream
Business Centre: 3 Acer computers in the Business Centre as well as magazines, refreshments. It was open to any guests and a nice big space. I did tell off one guest however who brought in his young children under 5 (2 of them who were screaming) and I asked him politely if he could move elsewhere as people were trying to work. He pretended not to know how to speak English, but within 2 mins he and the children left!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271181991/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271182391/in/photostream
Pool Area: Quite small but did the job and great views over the city. 8 or 9 lounge chairs, 2 lifeguards and also an area to sit and have drinks and the bar. It was on the rooftop and was never crowded which was great.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271706112/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271705792/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxy11/6271706470/in/photostream
Lifts: 4 lifts and always opened straight away. They were tiny however.
Internet: No free Wifi, which many hotels in the world do charge for, however we had data on our Sim cards which was fast and cheap. The Internet access in the business centre was free so we could upload photos and print boarding passes etc.
Problems: Our minibar wasn't working, however someone was sent up within 5 mins, as were requests for more towels etc. Service was always quick and never a problem.
During the quick stay we went to the Trevi Fountain, Vatican, Colosseum, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Hop on/Hop off Bus Tour, various great restaurants, ate copious amounts of gelati, got sunburnt, had someone try to steal my friend's bag, brought some tacky Rome souvenirs and generally had a wonderful time!
2 days was too short (next stop after Rome was the fabulous Sorrento for one night before visiting family on the French Riviera near Monaco!) and I can't wait to return again to Italy in July 2012.
All in all, this is a high quality hotel (ask for a Balcony room) with excellent staff and a terrific Rome location. 5 star quality does vary throughout the world, however the building, amenities, ambience and room size are up with the best of them.
With our currency conversion however, I just hate paying in Euro!