vbroucek

So I have just checked to this apparently five star establishment. First impression was not bad, although the surrounding area is bit scary and I doubt I will venture out during the night.

Being Gold, I have booked three nights in standard room for myself and Mrs vbroucek (at average of 220Euro/night for B&B) and hoped for an upgrade. After asking for it, I got it. So far so good.

Well, since then everything is going down the hill...

• Although the booking is for two, room is set up for one person only and I have to ask for the second bathrobe and slippers.
• The quality of cleaning is, mildly put, questionable...
• I am getting ready to complain about lack of welcoming gift (Gold Perk) when someone knocks on the door and delivers it... But wait! It is one single teabag of Bombay Chai and a card!!! I though I was in Rome!!! Perhaps it reflects the surrounding area? The card says "...hope all arrangements will exceed your expectations". Well, rest assured, no, they do not.

Obviously, I will raise this with the manager tomorrow morning, but I thought it might be worth posting here too.

Well, to be honest, I have already started to move my travels to Marriott and Hilton chains (Marriott giving me challenge and Hilton match) and this experience just confirms the right decision, particularly after fantastic stay at Marriott in Lisbon, Portugal few days ago.

spankytoes

To give you a benchmark, my travel partner and I booked the Hotel Memphis for one night, which equated to 7 hours in a hotel after a midnight arrival, for $200.00 instead of using 50,000 CC points on that dump. (Seriously...showers in the middle of the room?)

The only benefit is that it's near the train station. Unfortunately, that usually equates seedy areas. (See Frankfurt)

vbroucek

Yeah, this one has similar "feature". Bathroom separated from the bed by glass wall, cupboard replaced by steel rod hanging from the ceiling. For picture see http://www.radissonblu.com/eshotel-r.../superior-room

Additionally, superior rooms are all on 6th floor. That would be great, but there are restaurants on 7th floor. And staff tends to reconfigure those restaurants for breakfast every night. So no much sleep for hour or so after closing time

DavidAL

Any other thoughts about this hotel? It seems it's not too far out of the way compared to the SPG properties I could stay at. Just don't know if it's better to spend 50K CC points for this, or 20K SPG for the Westin. Thoughts?

spankytoes

The area itself is a graffiti pit. The only real plus is that it is next to the train station. So, if you arrive by the Leonardo Express, you simply walk out and there you are. However, if you are traveling with at least one more person, it’s cheaper to get a cab as FCO now has fixed rates of 40 or 45 Euros to the city from the airport. You won’t get the same consideration on the way back though. Obviously, it is beneficial if you are arriving by train.

3 of our nights in Rome were near the Trevi Fountains. The last was at the Hilton Rome airport for a morning flight back home. We bought a 3-day metro pass for $13.00 and used it maybe 4 times. (Roundtrip to the Vatican and the Coliseum) If you stay in Rome proper, it’s a very walkable city. No, you don’t want some dump, but location to me trumps quality outside the city. We could reach the river, where the metro doesn’t run, from the Spanish Steps in under 45 minutes. So, for that reason alone, the hotel is ideal. But, to be perfectly honest, if the hotel was located in any other city it would be a 28,000 point redemption. It’s CC’s sole property in the city and therefore commands a premium.

So, to answer your question, it’s solely in the eye of the beholder. You are spending a premium in points for convenience over amenities. It’s a nice way to save $250.00 a night in a similar quality hotel in Rome proper.

Isoveli

There is no information about breakfast in redemption rate description for standard room at this hotel. Is it included?

seat56f

If it's not in the rate description, it's not included.

Have stayed at the hotel, didn't particularly fancy the hip layout with bathroom in-suite (not ensuite...). Got an upgrade as CC Gold to a business class room, by the way, that didn't include breakfast either.

The rooftop pool rocked, though!

Paul4Travel

As i know, usually is not included!
in my case, using F&F was included (very good!)

sk3

Since this thread is again current, thought I should provide some corrected info to the post quoted above (bolding mine). The fixed rate for a cab either going to FCO from the city center, or vice versa is now €48.

Here are some official links:
Taxi - Info, fares, infoline
How to move in Rome by Taxi

And I don't quite follow spankytoes math regarding what's less expensive. The Leonardo Express train that goes from FCO to Termini Station is €14 per person.

But there are actually cheaper ways than this to get from FCO to Termini (or vice versa) - with the least expensive way being Terravision's direct non-stop shuttle for €4 per person.

Paul4Travel

Indeed!
don't forget that a cab run FCO-Roma|Roma-FCO is a fixed rate, so the driver can't change it without previous advice.
Furthermore i would suggest to everyone to ask for receipt to the cab driver, because itguarantee You by any scam or fraud: basing on the receipt, the Cab Reservation Center (and the Police) can verify almost everything (rate, conduct, professionalism , etc.). So,

CLAIM ALWAYS FOR YOUR CAB RECEIPT!

About Leonardo Express, i would suggest it when You have less time, because that's the fastest way to reach FCO.

Terravision is the cheaper way to reach Fco/Rome, but many times, traffic congestions make you journey really exhausting!

Sweet Willie

Thanks for posting sk3, we arrive ~7:30pm into FCO and will be departing on a train early the following morning, so even though seedy, seems this property will work perfect for us.

drspear

with the downgrade to cat 5 from cat 6 so now 44k points per night we were looking at this hotel for a weekend in July

arriving at CIA, departing from FCO

most important is how to get to Vatican on the sunday for the mass by el papa, and the coliseum on the Saturday ^

vbroucek

Metro plus walking. Easy!!!

drspear

ok no problem, its a choice between this one or crowne plaza st peters ( they do a bus to Vatican ), going to have to choose this week so I am ready for the points going down on 1 May

mgo72

I will stay there in 2 weeks. Doubt also between this one and Crowne Plaza.

What are the size of the rooms? We will be 5 persons and description does not give details.