We are off to Rome to kick off our 10 year anniversary. We've never been (well it's been 20+ years). We plan to spend three nights in Rome (2 moire in Florence and 2 in Venice). I am trying to save $ and as such am debating among the following Hyatts (points/nt in parenthesis). Does anyone have experience/insights into these options.

Hotel D�Iinghilterra (21k)
Maalot Roma (21k)
Margutta 19 (25k)

The other SLH properties seem to be a bit further or less bang for buck. Alternatively, we are willing to spend up to $500 night with UR if there is something else.

 

I can't speak to any of those, but I count my stay at Villa Spalletti Trivelli as among my top three anywhere, ever. It's a true boutique property in a fantastic location with amazing, personalized service.

 

In October, I stayed at the Margutta 19's sister property located very close to it, the Babuino 181. If you choose either property, get off at the Flaminio metro station. MUCH easier to navigate and get to the hotel than if you were to get off at the Spagna metro station.

It felt more like a small apartment complex that had been turned into a hotel rather than something that had been purpose-built for a hotel. VERY spacious room, although the bedroom and bathroom felt like they were designed by two different people with different design languages. It felt... homey and upscale enough, slightly above mid-tier. Also, ENORMOUS walkin closet behind the bed. However, the entryway to the room looked like a very crude piece of plywood with a closet-style door handle on it and the lock was... questionable. The hotel did not have a restaurant, instead they had discount vouchers to try and convince people to go to the Margutta's restaurant. Rooftop bar was completely unattended; the only person there was a guest studying.

If you are trying to save money and have Hyatt points to burn, what about "The Tribune, part of JDV by Hyatt?" The hotel opened in late Oct 2021, and is a category 4 Hyatt, 12K to 18K per night depending on peak/nonpeak. Piqued my curiosity but decided to stay at the Margutta instead since it was closer to the sites I was going to that day.

 

On your recommendation, I am currently here (sipping a complimentary cocktail in one of the 3 rooftop jacuzzis) and this place is amazing. I wish there were a place like this in every major city in the world. Location is incredible, we arrived this afternoon and took a walk to the Trevi and back. Nearly everything is in walking distance, the staff are fabulous, and our suite is immaculate. 10/10 highly recommend.

 

Sounds nice! I'm going to be in Rome for 3 nights in June/July but the only thing that's available for my dates is a suite (every other room type seems to be sold out) for over 1300 euro per night; nothing available using points. I'm sure it's nice but I decided to book the Tribune for 240 euro / night instead.

 

It's a small place, 12 rooms in the main building plus two garden suites across the garden. So, makes sense that it's booked in summer. I paid a few hundred euro a night (430?) to upgrade a points booking to a suite, and it's definitely worth it, but that's not an option when the base points booking isn't available, and i agree that paying outright for a suite might not be top value. YMMV.

 

Sounds beautiful. I'm also more likely to be willing to spend that kind of cash at a resort type property where I'll spend a lot of time at the hotel rather than a city where I'll be out all the time and basically just need a place to sleep at night and eat breakfast in the morning... It would be a waste to spend that kind of cash and not enjoy the amenities. This week be my first time in Rome; maybe I'll try it on a future trip when I'm less excited about going out to see (and eat) everything

 

Fair -- we're here with our 9 month old, so we go out in 2-3 hour chunks and then come back for nap time or whatnot -- I chill in the lounge or garden while mom feeds baby. I saved at least 100 euro in bar tab yesterday with the complimentary negronis (after 5pm) and complimentary minibar (replenished daily, booze included).

 

Great to hear!

If you're still there, try Rinaldi around the corner for dinner. Family owned, fantastic seafood and pasta, very warm service. My favorite meal in Rome last trip.

 

Hah, we went there last night! I wasn't feeling like going to such a white-jacket-waitered place, but convenience won out and it was indeed excellent. Artichoke salad, pasta carbonara, and salt-crusted whole snapper were all winners, as was the service. Food price was on the high side (really just for the fish, not the other stuff), but the wine list was surprisingly reasonable (2008 vintage Laurent-Perrier millesime was 100 euro).

Currently sitting in this lounge at the hotel, under a 16th century Flemish tapistry, drinking another complimentary negroni:

 

It's more like staying at a very wealthy friend's villa than at a hotel.

 

I have booked the Maalot on points, but now am second guessing as the reviews for Travelli are so amazing. The Travelli only has a basic romantic room available on points. Did they offer you the paid upgrade or did you contact them proactively?

 

I contacted them proactively. The difference in price was exactly the difference between the "best available" rate for the points room and that rate for the room we booked. They sent a fairly old fashioned word document for me to sign agreeing to the upgrade fee, and they took a deposit of 30%, refundable until maybe 14 days out? But they said if we had to cancel our trip on short notice due to covid they would reschedule without penalty.

 

Thanks for the info!!

I am looking into doing the same. But it seems like the suites with doors between bedroom and sitting room are either the garden suite or grand deluxe suite with a Delta of 700 euros (romantic room at 630 vs suite at 1330 for garden or grand deluxe).

They also advertise Aventino Apartment at 710 euros in the building next door.

might your up charge have been from the one category upgrade above romantic room (prestige room, 770 euros)?

do you remember which suite you were in?

 

I had the garden suite, and rates at the time were 430 for the base room and 900 for the garden suite so I paid the difference. Using points for the room at 430 might not have been the best value but the euro was still north of $1.10 at the time and I wasn't going to pay the 900/night outright, though now that I've stayed there I would absolutely do so in a heartbeat unless there was a compelling alternative option.

This place deserves its own thread and I've been meaning to do a write up with pics. I will try to do that this weekend.