Mecenate Palace Hotel, Rome

LOCATION The location of this hotel is fantastic! It is a 10 minute walk from the Termini train/metro station and only a 3 minute walk from the Vittorio Emanuele metro station. Within 2 blocks of the hotel there are at least 10 pizzerias and 5 gelato shops so it is very easy to find places to eat and take a break. The Santa Maria Maggiore church is also right around the corner. In the vicinity of that church there are also souvenir shops and a Rome Tourist Information booth which really comes in handy if you want to buy the Roma Pass or get some help with directions. Both the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum are approximately 20 minutes away by foot. On top of all that, there is a supermarket (called “SMA”) just around the block!! If you want cheap bottled water, pop, or wine, you must go to the supermarket. We loved this hotel because it was close to everything that a tourist would need. ACCOMMODATIONS We have tried 2 different rooms at the hotel (unit 7 in the executive wing) and a unit on the 5th floor of the main wing. Both were very nice and equivalent to four-star quality in Canada and the U.S. Both rooms had a king-size bed, a phone, a shower/bath, a minibar and desk. The rooms were the same size as the Westin/Marriot/Sheraton hotels in Canada. To enter the executive wing you have to leave the hotel lobby and from an entrance down the street, go up the stairs to the 2nd floor. The room’s window looks onto a quiet but very lovely garden patio. There is hardwood flooring in the room. The 5th floor has a slightly less spacious layout, but it is carpeted and has a double vanity in the bathroom. The window faces Santa Maria Maggiore. Wireless internet is available at a rate of around 15 euros for 24 hours and is great if you bring your own laptop. I don’t recommend you use the computer in the room because it’s really slow and you can’t download or upload any files. One of the best things about the hotel is their daily breakfast that is offered on the rooftop patio! The patio is really lovely and there is a canopy side where there is shade, or you can eat your breakfast out in the sun. The food selection is quite good considering the meal is included in the room price. From what I can recall during my stay there, they had the following available for the buffet breakfast: croissants, pastries, 2-3 deli meats, dinner rolls, cheeses, fresh fruit, yogurt, 4-5 different cereals, etc. The staff replenish food quickly and are quite attentive. There was also juice, coffee and tea. For an extra fee you can order hot eggs, espresso or cappuccino. The breakfast filled us up and gave us the energy to get through the busy mornings we had! CUSTOMER SERVICE I had heard stories about European customer service (or lack of it….) but was pleasantly surprised at the hotel’s great service! The front desk staff (Carlo and Claudio) were very pleasant, friendly and helpful to us every time we spoke to them. Most importantly, they speak English!! The fact they could speak to us in English made our trip so much more enjoyable. The porters also speak English and were helpful. Even the cleaning lady was friendly! The front desk was able to hook us up with wireless internet, arrange a taxi to take us to the airport, arrange an excursion with one of the tour operators, and even call another hotel to book a massage for me. EXTRAS We used Priceline to book this hotel. We made a bid and this hotel accepted our offer. We didn’t actually choose this hotel but I’m so glad we got it!

Beautiful hotel, centrally located...wonderful atmosphere and service was impeccable ! Will be returning to Rome in Spring of 2008, and plan to stay here again !

Quite often a vacation yields many surprises. It is always delightful when those are pleasant surprises! The rooms were well appointed, clean, and comfortable, even on a few warm Rome days in the high 80's and low 90's (F). The staff was wonderful, very accomodating and helpful, and assisted us in many ways throughout our stay. The daily breakfast was always tasty. We were also lucky to experience (unplanned) a surprise treat - a papal visit to Santa Maria Maggiore, a beautiful church located directly across the street. The hotel put on a wonderful event on the roof including drinks, hors douvres, and a delicious dinner. The location may not be perfect for walking sightseeing, but given the wide geographical locations of the many key sites of Roma, that's pretty much a non-issue, with convenient access to public transportation, taxis, or via a tour. We can happily recommend the hotel quite highly!

The rooms were small but clean, and the location near the Termini helped. They were very helpful when we were arriving and leaving, and the restaurant provided some good food during breaks. It was a good experience.