Fishbait

I am looking forward to your report! I had no idea the Westin was located directly next to the US Embassy! Good luck, and travel safely!

Robin

HLS2002

I just returned from a free stay at the Excelsior Rome, and I thought it was a good experience. I arrived at 9 a.m. and received a room immediately without any comment or hassle. They gave me a large room with a courtyard view, room 456. Everything appeared to be in perfect condition; the room must have been very recently renovated. It was a smoking room, but there was no trace of smoke (I'm a non-smoker). There was a chandelier over the bed and green upholestery on the walls. The "heavenly" king bed consisted of two singles pushed together. The very large bathroom included the usual Westin bath products, robe and slippers, and heated towel rack. As a mere SPG Gold, I didn't have any basis to request a suite. I've never stayed at the St. Regis Rome so I can't really respond fully to the original question, but I can report that the Excelsior was completely adequate for me. One caveat: I walked by a room across the hall that was being cleaned, and it seemed substantially smaller and less posh.

mtacchi

I have stayed at ALL the Rome Starwood properties, ect the golf one. I recently (three weeks ago) returned from a stay (my first) at the Westin Excellsior as Plat.

Don't waste your points. I plan to write a another thread on each of the Rome properties in the near future, but for know I will highlight some of the low points of this hotel.

During our stay we were given a king room facing the courtyard. (This will prove to be a really bad thing). No upgrades were possible (although going to SPG.Com clearly showed 6 suites available), and apparently no rooms with outside windows (an upgraded room to me does not include view of large green tarp with pigeon dropings, it does include a view of Via Veneto. SO were were stuck facing a crappy inside courtyard where on one night of our stay they had a event (concert/Dance type) that ended sometime after 1am, keeping my faily, and I'm sure the entire court room section awake. The hotel after complaining about the obvious problem, hotels are for sleeping are they not, credited one nights SPG points back, but I still am ticked. The was no Platinum ammenity in the room, or was there ever one placed over 5 days. I required a shirt pressed on Saturday eveing only to be told that they couldn't do it till Monday (St.Regis offers pressing anytime. I even asked the concierge if he could have my shirt taken to the St.Regis, very close, and have them do it, but he couldn't be bothered). There was much more, but I leave some for my Rome report.

The Westin is a solid 3.5 star. In North America it would your standard cat 3/4 depending on city downtown hotel. It is NOT a luxury hotel such as the St.Regis in Rome, Grande in Florence, or Danielli in Venice.

If you are looking for a good solid downtown hotel, then perhaps choose the Excelsior. Should you wish to have a luxerious experience the only choice can be the St.Regis. Unfortunatly, it too seems to be living on reputation a little as my last stay had it's problems too, but those were of a Cat 6 hotel expecations. Our next stay in Rome will be the St. Regis again, or possibly another non SPG 5 star (Hassler/Russi).

The Westin really shouldn't be otherwise considered. IMHO

ed

Getting back to your original question, we also stayed at the Excelsior this month with 2 adults, 2 kids (teenagers) and needed two rooms. These were award rooms and I am SPG gold. We requested non-smoking connecting rooms, one with double bed (or queen, etc.) and one with two twin beds for the children. The rooms they first took us to were connecting rooms with two twin beds each. They said there weren't any configurations of connecting rooms with a double and two twins on the non-smoking floor. (We had just come from the Hilton Sorrento where we had this configuration). We ended up being shown a beautiful king bed room down the hall overlooking Via Veneto, and it worked out fine not having connecting room with the kids (ages 17 and 15).
Hotel and rooms were beautiful but concierges not too helpful for us. I asked where I might find Canali shirts at a good price and he hadn't heard of the brand. I asked about a shop for old coins and currency and he sent me to the street with all the antique stores (don't recall the name) but there were no coin shops.

Fishbait

Thanks all for your replies. I am going to check the rates again today and book the St. Regis if it hasn't gone up in price (there was a $3 difference between the two last time I checked). Since our kids are older as well (13 and 15), connecting rooms are definitely NOT necessary, actually just 2 rooms fairly close would be preferred!) Whichever hotel we end up in, I am sure we will have a terrific (very brief!) stay.

Thanks again!

Robin

manku

unless you're using points, don't waste your money on these properties - they are really expensive and not in the best locations.

i'd stay at the d'ingleterra (sp) or de russie instead.

rome is a really crappy hotel city.

btw, if you can snag a balcony room at the intercontinental, try that. best views in the city.

manku

HLS2002

I have to completely agree with some of the subsequent comments and clarify my own position. Mtacchi is right on when he describes the "courtyard" as a large green tarp with pigeon droppings. It is not pretty. I was lucky and didn't encounter the noise problem at least. It's interesting he mentioned the laundry problem, too. I didn't leave any laundry, but I did get a card under my door indicating that they couldn't deliver my laundry because of my "do not disturb" sign being in place. I called "service express", and they said they would check on things. I guess it was just a mistake, but they never got back to me. The Excelsior is, at least in terms of the physical plant, a grand old European luxury hotel. I'm usually a low maintenance guest and can't say much about the service, but I did sense a certain degree of aloofness. I was satisfied, but let me make certain this is because I was paying 9000 starpoints per night (12k - 3k change bonus). There is no way I'd pay to stay at the Grand or the Excelsior. I think Hotel Majestic and Hotel Lord Byron, both coincidentally part of the "Leading Hotels of the World" group, are better and cheaper. I'd pay about EUR 200 for the Excelsior, but I see they're advertising a EUR 350 promo on the website.

PDX1K

I just returned last night from a week tour of Starwood Hotels in Italy. We spent 3 nights at the Rome Westin and was somewhat disapointed overall. I am a Platinum and we were staying on points so maybe that was the problem. We were given a very standard sized room though with an outside window on the narrow rear street. When I nicely asked about if there were any room upgrades available I was assured that I was in an upgraded room. Of course I now realize that having an outside window is an upgrade. The clerk at the front desk assured me that this was an upgrade and even went so far as to say "This is the type of room we give to customers that we want to come back".
As far as Platinum amentiy goes, there was a small box of Godiva choclolates in the room. Very tasty.

The other hotels we stayed at were the Westins in Florence and Venice. Nice room upgrades in both and great service.

Hope this helps,
Doug

mtacchi

That tiny 6 chocolate box was the ammenity? I thought it was simply part of the room. At ANY other Italian Luxury collection hotel (even the Rome 4pts), I have been given a huge fruit plate with a bottle or two of water. Mostly a bottle of wine or champagne is also included. If those 6 tiny chocolates were the ammenity, the ammenity program there is a scam. Next a bottle of shampoo and conditioner will be left out, and THAT will be called the ammenity!

Jills

I certainly hope I get more than Godiva chocolates for my stay next week! The 4-Points Sheraton in the suburbs of Rome gave me a fruit plate last month. The Marriott Grand Flora next door gave me a bottle of champagne last year. I SOOOO hope that all the negative posts about the Excelsior are the exception and not the rule for this property. I would hate to think I'd been hoarding SPG points for the last year for a standard room and poor service.

I have to disagree with those who say the location is bad though. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather stay in Rome than on the Via Veneto. Location is a personal issue. "Where do you WANT/NEED to be?"

Anyway, I'll report back next week.

thesilb

You realize now, you've disclosed enough information to get yourself added to Starwood Lurker's super-secret database, eh?

JOUY31

I was young and presumptuous (that was last week). Now I know better ...

Jills

Hmm.. Not sure exactly to what JOUY31's note refers. . . But, I assure you, I'm neither young, naive, nor an unseasoned traveler. I'm merely "hopeful".

I love this board and have learned volumns from it. But I take property slams w/ a grain of salt. A paradigm is typically formed as the result of a single experience, and one's personal expectations...which is why my post essentially asks for the other perspectives.

I HAVE been in the lobby of the Excelsior and found it to be quite nice. I HAVE visited with the front desk personnel, as well as the concierge, bell captain, and MOD and found them all to be delightful - even though I wasn't a guest at the time.

Anyway, sorry to rant. I get a little peaved lately when some people condescend. "Hopefully" I mis-read the tone.

I will post my experiences for any other anxious SPG-ers when I return.



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AA EXP, 1MM, Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Starwood Platinum

geo1005

EXCELLENT point. I agree. Not to slight the individual post above, but the concierges ability or inability to point one to a coin shop has never been a way I would judge a hotel property. Everyone's desires are slightly different and the asumption that we all desire the same thing from a hotel is not the case. I like to base my decision on many resources so, IMO, the more opinions the better.


Back to topic: No one has yet to mention that for a visit to Rome for just two nights (with kids) the Westin is (arguably) in a better location for a tourist visit than the St. Regis. I can think of no better way to start a day of Rome sightseeing than to walk four minutes and head down the Spanish Steps onto the Via Conditi.

(OK, a stay at the Hassler might be better but.....)

JOUY31

Sorry if I have hurt anyone's sensitivity. I just meant that I had read about the lack of amenity and that the upgraded room would be a room with a view on a courtyard of large green tarp with pigeon droppings. I nevertheless disregarded those comments and chose to stay there last week; well, those comments were true. In addition, I had asked for a King bed, and I got two separate single beds. I do enjoy having a large bed. No morning newspaper. Finally, I found the breakfast buffet average and outrageously expensive (42 Euros), compared with my experience at the Grande Bretagne two days earlier in Athens for half that price, or to earlier stays at the Trianon Palace in Paris for 27 Euros.

I, and only I, have been naive.


[This message has been edited by JOUY31 (edited 04-25-2003).]