IC Rome De La Villa - Master Thread [merged] - no longer a IC
Dec 18, 2015, 7:07 am
#466
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 176
How is this compared to the Hotel Indigo St. George?
Dec 18, 2015, 2:20 pm
#467
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,860
I've stayed at both hotels.
Neighborhoods: IC is northeast, by the Spanish Steps and Spagna subway stop. The neighborhood is bustling. High-end shops at the footsteps of the Spanish Steps. Crowds all the time right outside your door. Via Sistina is semi-busy.
Hotel Indigo is "over" by the river. Piazza Navone is nearby, in fact - everything is nearby. The neighborhood is quiet and quaint. The only thing not nearby is a subway stop. But you are so centrally located that you may find yourself walking everywhere. I waffle on which neighborhood I like more. But the Indigo will definitely force you to walk or cab it. I did love the fact that the IC was so close to the subway.
Hotel Experience: I have stayed at the IC twice, the Indigo once. The IC is grandiose and baroque. The IC is also showing its age, especially when you compare it to the brand new Hotel Indigo. The Indigo is a little more compact and modular feeling. You hardly notice you are walking in to an IHG hotel when you walk in to the Indigo. IC has more room inventory to work with. Everything also has a baroque touch to it at the IC.
Rooms: Indigo rooms are smaller than the IC rooms. The rooms in the IC seem larger, but dated. The rooms are dated in the sense that the furniture is older, there will be chipped paint by the windowsills.
Indigo bathroom is much smaller. The IC bathrooms are always well appointed and spacious from my experiences. The Indigo bathroom if I recall - does not have a sliding glass shower door. I will browse thru some photos of both properties to try and show them off. So that was a bit odd, you just kind of showered in the open. The Indigo did a have a heated towel rack.
I was in a street facing 2nd floor hotel room at the Indigo - which would have been noisy at the IC, but due to the quiet backroad here - you didn't hear much noise. No upgrades at this hotel, but it is much smaller.
First room in the IC was a 2nd floor street facing room as an IC Platinum. You could open the window and hear the street noise. The second room, as a now Spire Elite, was a 6th story room with 2 walk out double doors to a terrace. It was really awesome. Big kudos to IHG for this upgrade.
Rooftop Bar: Both places have a rooftop bar. Indigo is cheaper. IC has the better view.
Verdict: Better bathrooms at the IC, better upgrade options at the IC, bigger rooms. But the IC is an older hotel. Indigo offered up a bottle of wine and some tray of chocolates or fruit (I forgot) for platinum recognition. The Indigo is definitely boutique and not a cookie cutter IHG experience. The Indigo Rome embodies the message this brand tries to convey.
Modern vs. baroque, and the neighborhoods may steer you one way or another. You will want an Uber to/from the Indigo and the airport. The IC is more doable with public transport with Spagna subway stop right there.
I personally waffle on if the terrace/bathroom is worth the older room - or if the Indigo isn't a better hotel. I really don't like older hotels with chipping paint and stuff - so I would pick the Indigo, simply because it is brand spanking new. All of my stays have been on points. I really do stay with IHG hotels 30-40-50 nights a year, so my upgrade experiences are those of what I hope IHG defines as a valued customer.
Neighborhoods: IC is northeast, by the Spanish Steps and Spagna subway stop. The neighborhood is bustling. High-end shops at the footsteps of the Spanish Steps. Crowds all the time right outside your door. Via Sistina is semi-busy.
Hotel Indigo is "over" by the river. Piazza Navone is nearby, in fact - everything is nearby. The neighborhood is quiet and quaint. The only thing not nearby is a subway stop. But you are so centrally located that you may find yourself walking everywhere. I waffle on which neighborhood I like more. But the Indigo will definitely force you to walk or cab it. I did love the fact that the IC was so close to the subway.
Hotel Experience: I have stayed at the IC twice, the Indigo once. The IC is grandiose and baroque. The IC is also showing its age, especially when you compare it to the brand new Hotel Indigo. The Indigo is a little more compact and modular feeling. You hardly notice you are walking in to an IHG hotel when you walk in to the Indigo. IC has more room inventory to work with. Everything also has a baroque touch to it at the IC.
Rooms: Indigo rooms are smaller than the IC rooms. The rooms in the IC seem larger, but dated. The rooms are dated in the sense that the furniture is older, there will be chipped paint by the windowsills.
Indigo bathroom is much smaller. The IC bathrooms are always well appointed and spacious from my experiences. The Indigo bathroom if I recall - does not have a sliding glass shower door. I will browse thru some photos of both properties to try and show them off. So that was a bit odd, you just kind of showered in the open. The Indigo did a have a heated towel rack.
I was in a street facing 2nd floor hotel room at the Indigo - which would have been noisy at the IC, but due to the quiet backroad here - you didn't hear much noise. No upgrades at this hotel, but it is much smaller.
First room in the IC was a 2nd floor street facing room as an IC Platinum. You could open the window and hear the street noise. The second room, as a now Spire Elite, was a 6th story room with 2 walk out double doors to a terrace. It was really awesome. Big kudos to IHG for this upgrade.
Rooftop Bar: Both places have a rooftop bar. Indigo is cheaper. IC has the better view.
Verdict: Better bathrooms at the IC, better upgrade options at the IC, bigger rooms. But the IC is an older hotel. Indigo offered up a bottle of wine and some tray of chocolates or fruit (I forgot) for platinum recognition. The Indigo is definitely boutique and not a cookie cutter IHG experience. The Indigo Rome embodies the message this brand tries to convey.
Modern vs. baroque, and the neighborhoods may steer you one way or another. You will want an Uber to/from the Indigo and the airport. The IC is more doable with public transport with Spagna subway stop right there.
I personally waffle on if the terrace/bathroom is worth the older room - or if the Indigo isn't a better hotel. I really don't like older hotels with chipping paint and stuff - so I would pick the Indigo, simply because it is brand spanking new. All of my stays have been on points. I really do stay with IHG hotels 30-40-50 nights a year, so my upgrade experiences are those of what I hope IHG defines as a valued customer.
Last edited by factory81; Dec 18, 2015 at 2:26 pm
Dec 18, 2015, 3:05 pm
#468
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,742
factory81, you've done a great job of bringing the Indigo to my attention. I have a sour feeling about the IC. I stayed while a Royal Ambassador. The room I was assigned was barely bigger than the king size bed and faced an internal airshaft. In order to get a room with a view, I accepted a single bed that perhaps was suitable for a maid some hundred years ago. But I did get an external view, very important to me. I was on an award stay and they weren't giving out upgrades, regardless of status. The best thing was the hot chocolate available in the lobby bar. It's a challenge to get a chain hotel in the central historic area of Rome. I used to be in Rome 2 or 3 times a year on business and tried many. I'm now aware of the Indigo and hope to try it on a future visit. Thank you.
Jan 22, 2016, 10:13 am
#469
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 289
I sent an email to the hotel inquiring why there was no availability on IHG.com from April onward and received this...
Unfortunately InterContinental De La Ville Roma will be closing its doors on 25 March 2016 because the lease on the property has expired. The hotel owner and hotel leaseholder have worked hard to try and secure the hotels’ future but circumstances have meant that regrettably this has not been possible. InterContinental Rome has been welcoming guests for over 15 years. We'd like to thank all those who have stayed with us over the years and our teams who have worked so hard to make the hotel a home for guests
Jan 22, 2016, 10:24 am
#470
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Wow that is a serious loss for IC. I'm going to miss this hotel.
Jan 22, 2016, 10:25 am
#471
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,742
I'm shocked. I didn't have the great stays as stimpy did but it is a terrific location and a real loss to the brand.
Jan 22, 2016, 10:29 am
#472
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: IHG, RC, HH, AA, QF, UA, Aeroplan
Posts: 2,690
such a beautiful property, whilst a big disappointment, and will be missed, can't imagine they won't find another location in Roma, although hard to beat that iconic spot right at the top of the Spanish Steps.
Jan 22, 2016, 10:38 am
#473
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
Well, at least we experienced it once and will always cherish the memories.
Farewell IC Rome.
Farewell IC Rome.
Jan 22, 2016, 11:05 am
#474
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Grey areas and blue zones
Posts: 428
Does anyone remember when the hotel first became an IC? This hotel, along with the IC Budapest, used to be a Forum hotel. Both were converted to ICs.
Jan 22, 2016, 11:59 am
#475
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: IHG, RC, HH, AA, QF, UA, Aeroplan
Posts: 2,690
Jan 22, 2016, 6:28 pm
#476
Moderator: Mileage Run, InterContinental Hotels
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 5,912
That's a serious loss! Thanks for all the terrace suite BRGs, technical problems with rate adjustments, and hundreds of thousands of points!
Jan 22, 2016, 9:47 pm
#477
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 3,975
If we consider this a done deal, no chance of reprieve... I have a credit card annual free night reservation there for May, still showing. If the Indigo shows availability on points, should I expect it to be available for this free night, so I'd be safe in cancelling the De La Ville booking and making a new one for the Indigo? Rather than needing to call to force availability?
Jan 23, 2016, 2:10 am
#478
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: PARIS (France)
Programs: AF/KLM Club 2000 | InterContinental Diamond RA |AMEX Plat | Visa Infinite |Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 10,955
The hotel location is so perfect and Rome is such a major tourist destination that any major luxury brand like Mandarin Oriental, Raffle's, Four Seasons, Rosewood, Belmond can easily manage this property - after renovation.
Jan 23, 2016, 3:15 am
#479
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,735
If we consider this a done deal, no chance of reprieve... I have a credit card annual free night reservation there for May, still showing. If the Indigo shows availability on points, should I expect it to be available for this free night, so I'd be safe in cancelling the De La Ville booking and making a new one for the Indigo? Rather than needing to call to force availability?
Jan 23, 2016, 4:27 am
#480
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,210
A loss to the IC portfolio.