Just finished my one-night stay, pre-departure from FCO. I was upgraded to a Junior Suite, which wasn't that impressive. The "suite" aspect consisted of a separate barebones anteroom for watching TV.

Observations:
- Secure underground parking is free.
- No free Internet anywhere in the hotel, (at least that I could ferret out, and I did ask.) My request to just print a boarding pass was met with a stumped look.
- Breakfast costs 25 or 30�€, but as elite guests we were offered coupons for 50% off. (I'm not sure of the exact price, because we didn't take breakfast.)
- Room was spacious and comfortable, although a little noisy. The front door opened to an outside corridor on the main street, motel-style, and the windows faced another busy street.
- High-tech:rolleyes: television alarm clock failed to sound at the programmed hour.
- There was no bell cap service to speak of. In fact there appeared to be only 2 people working in the entire hotel, one at the front desk, one at the bar.
- There is no shuttle to the airport. Taxi is 40€.
- By car the hotel is a good 30 minutes from FCO, but very easy to get to and all on the autostrada, well-marked. If you have a car, it is well suited for a last-night pre-departure stay.

We also tried to go to the highly recommended Trattoria down the street, La Bomboniera, but it was closed. We ended up at an excellent wine/cheese/prepared food shop, around the corner. One can take-out or eat-in, and very late at night we got a perfectly scrumptious meal that was quick, easy, and filling. Roasted chicken, veal scallopine, three vegetable sides, bread, wine, and water came to 19€ for two.
Bar BonAnni, Via Ascanio Vitozzi 30 (across the street from the AGIP gas station)

Here are the Shuttle timetables:
HOTEL to CITY CENTER
Hotel .... Metro EUR Fermi .... Piazzale dei Partigiani
8:00 .............. 8:15 .................... 9:00
10:00 ........... 10:15 .................. 10:45
11:30 ....................................... 12:00
15:30 ........... 15:45 .................. 16:15
17:00 ........................................17:30
18:00 ........... 18:15 .................. 19:00
22:30 ........... 22:45 .................. 23:00

CITY CENTER to HOTEL
Piazz. dei Partigiani....Circo Massimo.... Hotel
9:00............................. 9:10 ........... 9:45
10:45........................... 10:55 ........ 11:30
12:00........................... 12:10 ........ 12:30
16:15........................... 16:25 ........ 17:00
17:30........................... 17:40 ........ 18:00
19:00........................... 19:10 ........ 19:45
23:00........................... 23:10 ........ 23:30

Hope this helps all,
Alfonso

Note: the Piazzale dei Partigiani isn't really in the City Center proper. It's at the Roma Ostiense Metro stop, about 1½ kilometers (1 mile) south of the Forum and the Coliseum.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9630/4.7.1.40 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

I am looking to get some feedback about this property. Please post your experience at this property. How have you been treated as a plat? How has the city shuttle worked out since it is some distance outside the city? How is breakfast at this property from a price/quality standpoint?

Thank you in advance for any replies/feedback.

We stayed here earlier this month. It was a cheap points stay, but we were unimpressed. The primary reason we choose it was because (for 8k points per night), we could get into a Family Suite that accommodates 4 people and get a free shuttle back and forth to downtown Rome.

We checked in on 1/31/10, and were informed that effective the next day, the shuttle would be 5 Euros per trip or 8 Euros roundtrip, per person. That would have been an extra 32 Euros per day for us. I asked to speak to the manager and was told he would be in the next morning and I could talk to him them. I insisted that they get the manager on the phone and that I wouldn't be staying there if they were going to charge me for the shuttle. She got on the phone and told me to wait. A few minutes, the GM came out to the lobby and told me that there would be no charge for the shuttle. (HUH? Why did they pretend he wasn't there?!?!)

The room was very plain (even more so than a typical Four Points). The bed was uncomfortable (the worst I've ever slept in at any chain). The building was very poorly soundproofed. We could hear road noise and people in other rooms.

The shuttle was inconvenient, running every 1.5 - 3 hours. (The schedule posted earlier in the thread looks similar or identical to the schedule when we were there.) They recommend that you make a reservation in advance, which we did. Only once was it full. On that day, the desk agent came out to say there were two others who wanted to come and to ask if our kids could sit in our laps. I'm 235 pounds, my wife is 7 months pregnant, our kids are 4' and 4'6", and there's not a lot of space in the van to start with. Needless to say, it wouldn't have even been possible to put the kids in our laps. I wouldn't have felt comfortable not having the kids buckled in anyways. More about the shuttle... The schedule is really "loose". We had one day where it picked up in Rome 12 minutes early (fortunately we were there) and another day where it was over 20 minutes late. It typically took 45-60 minutes either direction, which was more inconvenient than we had expected.

If you call a taxi (which we did going to the airport from here), it'll come with charges already on the meter. Ours already had 17 Euros on it. Apparently, that's standard in Italy. And since it's so far out of the way, you HAVE to call if you want a taxi.

The only two good things we have to say are that there's a grocery store and a great restaurant, each about a kilometer away (a safe, easy walk). The grocery store is very easy to get to (turn right out of the hotel), and we were able to get food, drinks, water, etc. Four days worth of drinks, breakfasts and snacks cost us about 25 Euros. The restaurant, recommended by the hotel, was La Bomboniera. It's the opposite direction and a little more complicated to find, so ask for directions. We ate there three times and I think we tried every single pasta dish. Everything we ate was fantastic and the prices were reasonable.

Next time we go to Rome, we'll almost definitely stay somewhere else.

A few comments about other things earlier in the thread...

Breakfast was 25 Euros, with a 50% discount for elites (offered to me as Gold) and kids are free. That would have been 25 Euros for my family, but we never ate there. From what I've read, that was probably a good choice. Reviews aren't that great. (Also, I think breakfast is included with many paid stays. But not with point stays.)

La Bomboniera is closed on Mondays and doesn't open until about 7pm.

Our taxi to the airport was over 50 Euros. From Termini to the hotel was about 40 Euros. (We arrived via train from Venice and flew home after our stay there.)

Any updates on this 4points in Rome? Am considering a short stay here for the sake of stays/nights. I've got another party putting up at the Westin Excelsior, so getting to the hotel and meeting them is priority for me..

Plus point: breakfast is now included in the rate..

Be careful, the breakfast is not included in EVERY rate.

Four Points Roma West Leaving Starwood, No points/amenities for rez?
 

I have a strange situation and am not sure what to do. I booked Four Points by Sheraton Roma West Hotel for two different nights in July. Today June 28th I get a message that as of June 30th its no longer part of Starwood. A quote from Starwood: "since the hotel will no longer be affiliated with the Starwood system, you will not earn Starpoints at this hotel for any eligible charges incurred, nor will you receive any of your Starwood Preferred Guest membership amenities or benefits."

This is by far the cheapest hotel in the area. After talking to a supervisor they will honor the Starpoints but none of the other Platinum amenities. As of right now the hotel page on Starwood says there is free internet for Plats and makes no mention this hotel is not going to be around in 2 days.

Does anyone have any advice on how to handle a situation like this?

I'd give the hotel a call and ask if they'll honor the free Internet and such (and free Internet may be part of any new brand standard they have now anyway if they've joined a different chain).

must be gone - the website has been taken down. I dont think this was a good hotel.

have you stayed here yet????if yes then what was the outcome????

Any idea if they are affiliated with another chain now?

Nicolaus Hotels, who also own the Sheraton Nicolaus in Bari:

Nicolaus Hotel Roma West
http://www.nicolaushotels.com/ita/ni...-roma-west.htm

The St Regis it is not. But it is definitely much above average.

I stayed at this hotel for 2 weeks back when it was a Category 1, for 2000 to 3000 points per night. My best ever use of SPG points

+1
Stayed for a week in 2009 as Cat 2. Very good value for points. I was driving around Italy that time. Was good quality FPs, close to highways and airport. It's a pity... All 3 central hotels are Cat 6 now...:(