I started planning a surprise milestone birthday trip for Mr. Ericka about a month ago. He is a world history buff, so Rome was a natural, but the choice of hotel wasn’t so easy. There is nothing quite as nerve-wracking as planning a surprise trip for someone who is generally frugal, especially in this economy. Whereas I might normally “talk him into” a somewhat expensive vacation, the decisions for this one were all on me. I was determined to keep the costs under control.
With this in mind, I began researching hotels and enlisted the help of DavidO. The best deal by far was the St. Regis, which was offering a MasterCard third night free promotion which included Virtuoso amenities like upgrade, one lunch, and breakfast (a tremendous value in Rome where breakfast buffets go for as much USD 60 each).
We arrived at the hotel around 9:30am. The décor was in keeping with our taste… old-world, grand-dame. But happily, I didn’t notice any of the wear or tear that usually accompanies these older hotels. We were shown to our room about an hour later. As we entered the room, we asked what category it was. The gentleman said, “This is a deluxe, but….” He never finished his sentence. He didn’t need to. The room was very small. So small that the chair for the desk opposite our bed had to be placed to the side as it didn’t fit otherwise! We were anxious to start touring as we only had 2.5 days in the city, so we agreed to let it go. The room had all the big room amenities in a smaller package….king bed, high ceilings, chandelier, marble bath, separate tub and shower, bidet, a little dressing room, two nice-sized closets, etc. They had gotten us into the room early and had acknowledged my request for a nice view, and had we been willing to wait a little longer, I’m sure they would have been happy to find us something bigger. The lesson here is that the rooms at this hotel come in all different sizes. You can see this especially on the hotel’s emergency exit map. If room size is important to you, make sure you say it upfront.
Service was pretty good and everyone was generally friendly and helpful. The hotel had butler service which included unpacking, complementary espresso, cappuccino, tea and afternoon cookies. The manager acknowledged Mr. Ericka’s birthday with a welcome note and a bottle of Prosecco. Still, we were pretty much a room number for most of our stay but I expect that at any large hotel these days. The only hiccup was one missed/late turn down. We had returned to our room after dinner before heading out for the rest of the evening and had to notify the front desk that housekeeping had forgotten about us. We used the concierge for dinner suggestions and were happy with where he sent us. I had booked my own car service and guide so we didn’t use the concierges for much else.
While in Rome, we did the usual touristy stuff; a half-day just casually walking around, a full day at ancient sites, and a full day at the Vatican. All in all, it was a great weekend.
By the way, we flew UA biz class. The lay-flat seats and IFE were great, but the food this time was pretty awful. And any Star Alliance folks flying through IAD should use the Lufthansa lounge over the UA RCCs....better food, newer, cleaner, quieter.
Had a great stay at the St Regis Rome two summers ago. Booked three rooms with Virtuoso agent and given two wonderful upgraded rooms and one to a suite that we all used as the place to hang out. The butler service happened to be wonderful. We had the hotel provide transportation from the airport. Rooms were not ready for about an hour but we had a glass of prosecco, some antipasta, and then brought to our rooms and spent a happy weekend in Rome. The only thing I did not love was that you needed a car to get to everything. Nice report Ericka and smart move with booking the car service. We also liked the restaurants the the concierge sent us to and felt well taken care of at the St. Regis.
Last edited by zigzag; Nov 6, 09 at 9:14 am.
Reason: spelling
As we entered the room, we asked what category it was. The gentleman said, “This is a deluxe, but….” He never finished his sentence. He didn’t need to. The room was very small. So small that the chair for the desk opposite our bed had to be placed to the side as it didn’t fit otherwise!
Welcome to Europe! Glad that the small room didn't stop you from enjoying that wonderful city. Thanks for the review.
We stayed at St. Regis as recently as this August and 4 times in the past 5 years. Good hotel, but many don't like its location, which, IMO, is better than walking out and hitting the crowds (Hassler/Excelsior). Like their room service & restaurant.
We were very happy with the location! We were able to walk very comfortably to the Borghese Gardens, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, etc. Cabs were also readily available and never cost more than $12.
I think the location allows to walk comfortably almost anywhere in the city center and as far as the Vatican. The only time I remember getting a cab within a city is when I wore new shoes and got a terrible blister, but whose fault was that?
We were very happy with the location! We were able to walk very comfortably to the Borghese Gardens, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, etc. Cabs were also readily available and never cost more than $12.
I agree, I thought this hotel was quite conveniently located even though it is not in the heart of the tourist triangle. Some reviews on other sites refer to this hotel as being so inconveniently located you would think it was located in the boomdocks.
Ok guys. I just got a PM from someone saying they cancelled their reservation at this hotel because this trip report lacked my usual "excitement". I feel I should address why the report might read a little flat. Here are my thoughts.
- We booked a base level room.
No splashy suites this time. Admittedly, our room lacked a little "wow" factor. I know there are some beautiful suites at this hotel and I know there are some large, lovely deluxe rooms as well. We just didn't get one and basically, we didn't want to wait around for one. Plus, I do believe you get what you pay for and on this trip, we weren't paying much.
- We didn't use many hotel services.
I wish I could rave about the personal airport pickup or the excellent guide they picked out for us, but I did it all myself. That doesn't mean the hotel's services aren't good.
Every interaction that we had with the hotel staff was excellent. We would stay here again. Of course, I do want to try the Russie one day when budget allows.
Thanks for the report. I love large hotel rooms, but totally understand that you chose not to complain about this and instead went out to see Rome. Also, when in a big city, I feel that a hotel room is more just for sleeping compared to when I am on a beach holiday, therefore I would also be willing to save money on room (meaning not book a suite) in a big city.
Breakfast was a buffet just off of Le Grand Bar. There were several different types of juices, fruit, cheeses, proscuitto, salame and breakfast pastries. I especially enjoyed the European yogurts and the several different types of honey. There were also premade scrambled eggs, omelets and other eggs cooked to order, American bacon, pancakes, and French toast as well as bottomless capuccino, espresso, lattes or American coffee.
If anyone would like to hear about our tour guide or our favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant feel free to PM me. These things are probably off topic for this forum as I did not book them through the hotel.
