Le Meridien Visconti Rome, Italy, [Master Thread]
Jan 11, 2019, 8:41 am
#91
Join Date: Jan 2002
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott lifetime Plt, UA 1MM
Posts: 919
We completed a three night stay at the Rome Visconti Le Méridien in the first week of December. This was a mix of paid and award. Were there on holiday not work
Check-in
I had request a 10AM check-in. Our flight was early so we arrived at 8:30, and were asked to wait an hour until housekeeping was done. After a long flight, we didn’t mind killing and hour and enjoyed the walk. After an hour we returned, and our room was ready as promised. The front desk staff were great throughout our stay.
Room
We used SNA’s for this trip. Five days before our arrival we received email from the hotel confirming our upgrade. Upon arrival, we found the upgrade was to a top floor terrace suite. The suite had a separate sitting room with a sliding door separating the bedroom. As both of us had a bit of jet lag this separate room was invaluable as it allowed one to get up and not disturb the other. There was also a large bathroom with a sperate rain head shower and large tub.
The housekeeping was top-notch and included a nightly turndown service.
Breakfast
Some reviewers had commented that they disliked the layout of the breakfast area being in the basement and being dark. We had no issue with the location and found spacious and brightly lit.
Neighborhood
We greatly enjoyed being in Prati. We found it walkable to all the sights but was away from the tourist crowds. There were plenty of local restaurants to choose from.
I have included a link to my wife’s blog, the review is about the same but it has some pictures of the room, etc.
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Check-in
I had request a 10AM check-in. Our flight was early so we arrived at 8:30, and were asked to wait an hour until housekeeping was done. After a long flight, we didn’t mind killing and hour and enjoyed the walk. After an hour we returned, and our room was ready as promised. The front desk staff were great throughout our stay.
Room
We used SNA’s for this trip. Five days before our arrival we received email from the hotel confirming our upgrade. Upon arrival, we found the upgrade was to a top floor terrace suite. The suite had a separate sitting room with a sliding door separating the bedroom. As both of us had a bit of jet lag this separate room was invaluable as it allowed one to get up and not disturb the other. There was also a large bathroom with a sperate rain head shower and large tub.
The housekeeping was top-notch and included a nightly turndown service.
Breakfast
Some reviewers had commented that they disliked the layout of the breakfast area being in the basement and being dark. We had no issue with the location and found spacious and brightly lit.
Neighborhood
We greatly enjoyed being in Prati. We found it walkable to all the sights but was away from the tourist crowds. There were plenty of local restaurants to choose from.
I have included a link to my wife’s blog, the review is about the same but it has some pictures of the room, etc.
You are being redirected...
Feb 5, 2019, 3:01 pm
#92
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 88
I am a Platinum Elite with Marriott. This is a category 5 hotel costing 35,000 Marriott points per night for a standard room. If I use only Free Night Certificates (good on 35,000 point rooms), is there any chance to get an upgraded room for a family of 4?
If not, can I use the free night certificates and add some points to get that larger room to hold 4 people?
If not, can I use the free night certificates and add some points to get that larger room to hold 4 people?
Mar 20, 2019, 10:07 pm
#93
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 905
I am a Platinum Elite with Marriott. This is a category 5 hotel costing 35,000 Marriott points per night for a standard room. If I use only Free Night Certificates (good on 35,000 point rooms), is there any chance to get an upgraded room for a family of 4?
If not, can I use the free night certificates and add some points to get that larger room to hold 4 people?
If not, can I use the free night certificates and add some points to get that larger room to hold 4 people?
I’m giving it one last try next week, mostly because I like the area rather than the hotel itself.
May 28, 2019, 11:38 pm
#94
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Dulles, VA
Programs: UA Life Gold, Marriott Life Titanium
Posts: 2,757
I'm considering staying here in July. Can anyone update the current situation with the heating/cooling units, at least as it pertains to summer? Are they still shutting the AC off at night, or setting it very high temperature-wise, or is each room controlled 100% in the room?
Also, are the showers in most rooms the crappy half-glass thing instead of a full walk-in shower or just a tub/shower with a full curtain or full door/slide? Someone mentioned the half-door setup upthread, and I've simply never understood why that's somewhat common in European hotels. I suffered through it for a week in Athens a few years ago (non Marriott prop).
Also, as a Life Titanium, can you verify that breakfast is free each day in lieu of an arrival gift?
Also, are the showers in most rooms the crappy half-glass thing instead of a full walk-in shower or just a tub/shower with a full curtain or full door/slide? Someone mentioned the half-door setup upthread, and I've simply never understood why that's somewhat common in European hotels. I suffered through it for a week in Athens a few years ago (non Marriott prop).
Also, as a Life Titanium, can you verify that breakfast is free each day in lieu of an arrival gift?
May 29, 2019, 12:07 am
#95
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,668
May 29, 2019, 7:00 am
#96
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 905
I'm considering staying here in July. Can anyone update the current situation with the heating/cooling units, at least as it pertains to summer? Are they still shutting the AC off at night, or setting it very high temperature-wise, or is each room controlled 100% in the room?
Also, are the showers in most rooms the crappy half-glass thing instead of a full walk-in shower or just a tub/shower with a full curtain or full door/slide? Someone mentioned the half-door setup upthread, and I've simply never understood why that's somewhat common in European hotels. I suffered through it for a week in Athens a few years ago (non Marriott prop).
Also, as a Life Titanium, can you verify that breakfast is free each day in lieu of an arrival gift?
Also, are the showers in most rooms the crappy half-glass thing instead of a full walk-in shower or just a tub/shower with a full curtain or full door/slide? Someone mentioned the half-door setup upthread, and I've simply never understood why that's somewhat common in European hotels. I suffered through it for a week in Athens a few years ago (non Marriott prop).
Also, as a Life Titanium, can you verify that breakfast is free each day in lieu of an arrival gift?
The standard response about heating/cooling is that it’s mandated by govt, ie not our fault. As to the veracity of that, I have no idea.
The breakfast is *ok*, nothing to write home about but worth taking in lieu of the points.
Location is the key advantage of this property. It’s not that great but the location and relatively good value make it more appealing.
May 29, 2019, 8:08 am
#97
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Dulles, VA
Programs: UA Life Gold, Marriott Life Titanium
Posts: 2,757
That really is astonishing on the central air. I've stayed at European hotels that didn't have AC at all and it's miserable in the summer. I remember a big heat wave in Germany in May 1998, when it was well into the 90s F for several days and only into the 70s F at night. Absolutely miserable in the room.
Rates are really cheap in Rome for the first week of August. E$80.00 at the Courtyard, even less the Marriott and two Sheratons out to the west. The Meridian is at E$130.00 a night, but with no AC controls, I'm not going to risk it.
Rates are really cheap in Rome for the first week of August. E$80.00 at the Courtyard, even less the Marriott and two Sheratons out to the west. The Meridian is at E$130.00 a night, but with no AC controls, I'm not going to risk it.
May 29, 2019, 8:47 am
#98
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 905
That really is astonishing on the central air. I've stayed at European hotels that didn't have AC at all and it's miserable in the summer. I remember a big heat wave in Germany in May 1998, when it was well into the 90s F for several days and only into the 70s F at night. Absolutely miserable in the room.
Rates are really cheap in Rome for the first week of August. E$80.00 at the Courtyard, even less the Marriott and two Sheratons out to the west. The Meridian is at E$130.00 a night, but with no AC controls, I'm not going to risk it.
Rates are really cheap in Rome for the first week of August. E$80.00 at the Courtyard, even less the Marriott and two Sheratons out to the west. The Meridian is at E$130.00 a night, but with no AC controls, I'm not going to risk it.
Those other Sheraton’s are way out in the boondocks...there isn’t any value out there, IMO, once you factor in your time getting anywhere.
€130 is a pretty good rate for the Visconti.
Maybe someone else will have better information about the cooling system in summer.
May 29, 2019, 9:16 am
#99
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Dulles, VA
Programs: UA Life Gold, Marriott Life Titanium
Posts: 2,757
I'm leaning towards the Courtyard at 80 Euros a night. I posted in the Courtyard thread, but do you happen to know if the multi-day Rome transit cards include travel on the overground rail lines within the city?
May 29, 2019, 9:27 am
#100
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 905
Edit to add: good value when the metro stations are open: Repubblica and Barberini we’re closed for months because of faulty escalators.
Last edited by paolo64; May 29, 2019 at 9:34 am
Jul 26, 2019, 10:19 am
#102
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 542
I am staying here now and there was a police officer murdered last night in the Piazza Cavour down the street. Two suspects were arrested in the hotel in the middle of the night and we saw a man arrested right out front early the next morning. I'm not blaming the hotel for this but it is certainly shocking. http://m.ilgiornale.it/news/2019/07/26/carabiniere-ucciso-a-coltellate-fermate-due-persone-in-hotel/1732148/
Jul 27, 2019, 6:13 am
#103
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 905
I am staying here now and there was a police officer murdered last night in the Piazza Cavour down the street. Two suspects were arrested in the hotel in the middle of the night and we saw a man arrested right out front early the next morning. I'm not blaming the hotel for this but it is certainly shocking. "Ho ucciso io il carabiniere": uno degli americani confessa - IlGiornale.it
The first reports said those responsible were immigrants from North Africa, later changed to Americans. But just shocking and tragic regardless of who is responsible
Jul 27, 2019, 8:41 am
#104
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
I saw that on the news: very shocking , I’ve spent a lot of time in Prati and never so much as a hint of violence; always felt totally safe day and night.
The first reports said those responsible were immigrants from North Africa, later changed to Americans. But just shocking and tragic regardless of who is responsible