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Marriott hotels in Rome, Italy

JIMinNC said:
I can second the recommendation for Walks of Italy. Last fall we did a tour with their affiliate in Barcelona and two tours with them in Rome - the Colosseum/Roman Forum on one tour and the Vatican on the other. In Rome, one tour was led by a professor of art history and the other by a expat American archeology professor (a PhD I think) living in Rome. Both tours were very in-depth and the guides were amazing.
Click to expand...

Ditto, another plug for Walks of Italy....very good tours.
Besides those mentioned by JIMinNC, we used Walks to tour the Borghese Gallery......awesome.

https://www.walksofitaly.com/rome-tours/
 
Swice said:
On our second day we pre-booked a tour with Eating Italy Food Tours. This was also a fantastic experience. It took us just outside the main tourist areas through the Testaccio neighborhood. We visited a gourmet grocery store where we tasted “aged” olive oils, sandwich and pastry shops, a produce and food market, had a pasta lunch at a neat restaurant inside what used to be a Roman trash dump (a mound made out of broken pottery jars) and were taught how to spot “real” gelato from the mass produced stuff.
Click to expand...

We took a cooking class in Rome. http://www.danielascookingschool.com
 
We are just about to leave the Palazzo Naiadi for the port. We are doing a Mediterranean cruise. I wanted to share my thoughts.

Good: It’s a beautiful hotel. The staff are outstanding. Every staff member we encountered was friendly, welcoming and professional. When we arrived we learned about a one night only Placido Domingo concert. It was held at the ancient Caracalla Baths. The concierge tried to get tickets and found they were sold out. She then said she had a contact and would try that route. She found tickets and had them delivered to our room. She went above and beyond. We were upgraded to a suite with a view of the piazza. The bathroom was marble from floor to ceiling. The window in the suite is larger than a regular room. The breakfast buffet is one of the best we have experienced. We went early one morning and found that the croissants were warm and crispy from the oven. I had the fresh peach juice every morning. It was DELICIOUS! Taxi stand and metro is right outside the hotel in the piazza. Access to good restaurants was a real plus. No additional fees such as resort fee was charged.

Not as good: We loved the suite, but it was two story and the stairs are not carpeted and steep. (Very slippery in socks) The only thing upstairs is the bed. Our house is a 5 level split floor plan so we are accustomed to stairs, but having to walk up and down stairs to use the bathroom in the night is not enjoyable. The extra room was appreciated though. I have mixed feelings about the location. It has been SO hot and humid while we have been here that we have used taxis more than anticipated. From most of the sites we visited it was an uphill walk returning to the hotel. However, while the Piazza Repubblica is a busy place, it was not as crowded as near the ruins or Vatican. Other than the bathroom, the suite looked a little tired and worn.

Overall we were very happy with our stay at the Palazzo Naiadi. In cooler weather we would not hesitate to stay again.
 
californiagirl said:
We are just about to leave the Palazzo Naiadi for the port. We are doing a Mediterranean cruise. I wanted to share my thoughts.

Good: It’s a beautiful hotel. The staff are outstanding. Every staff member we encountered was friendly, welcoming and professional. When we arrived we learned about a one night only Placido Domingo concert. It was held at the ancient Caracalla Baths. The concierge tried to get tickets and found they were sold out. She then said she had a contact and would try that route. She found tickets and had them delivered to our room. She went above and beyond. We were upgraded to a suite with a view of the piazza. The bathroom was marble from floor to ceiling. The window in the suite is larger than a regular room. The breakfast buffet is one of the best we have experienced. We went early one morning and found that the croissants were warm and crispy from the oven. I had the fresh peach juice every morning. It was DELICIOUS! Taxi stand and metro is right outside the hotel in the piazza. Access to good restaurants was a real plus. No additional fees such as resort fee was charged.

Not as good: We loved the suite, but it was two story and the stairs are not carpeted and steep. (Very slippery in socks) The only thing upstairs is the bed. Our house is a 5 level split floor plan so we are accustomed to stairs, but having to walk up and down stairs to use the bathroom in the night is not enjoyable. The extra room was appreciated though. I have mixed feelings about the location. It has been SO hot and humid while we have been here that we have used taxis more than anticipated. From most of the sites we visited it was an uphill walk returning to the hotel. However, while the Piazza Repubblica is a busy place, it was not as crowded as near the ruins or Vatican. Other than the bathroom, the suite looked a little tired and worn.

Overall we were very happy with our stay at the Palazzo Naiadi. In cooler weather we would not hesitate to stay again.
Click to expand...
How was the Placido Domingo Concert? You were so lucky that the concierge located the tickets for you.

Enjoy your Mediterranean Cruise!
 
The concert was AMAZING! To be sitting in Rome, where people bathed 2500 years ago, listening to a living legend...priceless! During the summer Caracalla is used as a theater for ballet, opera and other concerts.
 
One more thought. We did two tours with Walks of Italy. They were wonderful. We did other tours with other tour companies and they were not as good. The size of the groups were much smaller with Walks. Without question they would be my first choice.
 
californiagirl said:
We are just about to leave the Palazzo Naiadi for the port. We are doing a Mediterranean cruise. I wanted to share my thoughts.

Good: It’s a beautiful hotel. The staff are outstanding. Every staff member we encountered was friendly, welcoming and professional. When we arrived we learned about a one night only Placido Domingo concert. It was held at the ancient Caracalla Baths. The concierge tried to get tickets and found they were sold out. She then said she had a contact and would try that route. She found tickets and had them delivered to our room. She went above and beyond. We were upgraded to a suite with a view of the piazza. The bathroom was marble from floor to ceiling. The window in the suite is larger than a regular room. The breakfast buffet is one of the best we have experienced. We went early one morning and found that the croissants were warm and crispy from the oven. I had the fresh peach juice every morning. It was DELICIOUS! Taxi stand and metro is right outside the hotel in the piazza. Access to good restaurants was a real plus. No additional fees such as resort fee was charged.

Not as good: We loved the suite, but it was two story and the stairs are not carpeted and steep. (Very slippery in socks) The only thing upstairs is the bed. Our house is a 5 level split floor plan so we are accustomed to stairs, but having to walk up and down stairs to use the bathroom in the night is not enjoyable. The extra room was appreciated though. I have mixed feelings about the location. It has been SO hot and humid while we have been here that we have used taxis more than anticipated. From most of the sites we visited it was an uphill walk returning to the hotel. However, while the Piazza Repubblica is a busy place, it was not as crowded as near the ruins or Vatican. Other than the bathroom, the suite looked a little tired and worn.

Overall we were very happy with our stay at the Palazzo Naiadi. In cooler weather we would not hesitate to stay again.
Click to expand...

A couple of questions- no rush answering- enjoy your cruise!
1) was your suite a jr. duplex suite?
2) if we needed a rollaway bed where do you think it would go- upstairs or down?
3) if you hadn’t stayed at this hotel, where would you have chosen?
4) was the breakfast free and if so why? We are platinum elite.
5) what sites did you choose to use tours for vs just visiting on your own? Which did you do with walks of italy. I am looking for advice as to how to structure about 3-4 days of site seeing for a first time visit.

Again, no rush answering I’m planning for October.
Thank you!
 
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Pamplemousse said:
5) what sites did you choose to use tours for vs just visiting on your own? Which did you do with walks of italy. I am looking for advice as to how to structure about 3-4 days of site seeing for a first time visit.

Again, no rush answering I’m planning for October.
Thank you!
Click to expand...

I know this question wasn't directed to me, but for what it's worth, the two tours we did last fall with Walks of Italy were:
1) Premium Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum & Palantine Hill
2) Pristine Sistine Early Entrance Small Group Vatican Tour
Both were outstanding with superb guides. See their web site for detailed info https://www.walksofitaly.com
 
JIMinNC said:
I know this question wasn't directed to me, but for what it's worth, the two tours we did last fall with Walks of Italy were:
1) Premium Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum & Palantine Hill
2) Pristine Sistine Early Entrance Small Group Vatican Tour
Both were outstanding with superb guides. See their web site for detailed info https://www.walksofitaly.com
Click to expand...
Exact same 2 we did in Rome with Walks.
 
A couple of questions- no rush answering- enjoy your cruise!
Thank you! It’s past midnight and my sleep/wake cycle is so confused I’m not the least bit sleepy.
1) was your suite a jr. duplex suite?
Yes
2) if we needed a rollaway bed where do you think it would go- upstairs or down?
It would have to be downstairs...it would not fit upstairs. One other comment about the room, the stairs and railings would be completely unsafe for mobile babies and small children. A small child could fit between the balusters and fall.
3) if you hadn’t stayed at this hotel, where would you have chosen?
Probably somewhere closer to the Vatican or Piazza Navona. We really liked those areas.
4) was the breakfast free and if so why? We are platinum elite.
Free because we are platinum elite
5) what sites did you choose to use tours for vs just visiting on your own?
We did tours for the Vatican Scavi, Pristine Sistine, Catacombs after hours and Palatine hill & Forum. On our own we visited the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona and just wandered the small side streets of the city.
Which did you do with walks of italy. I am looking for advice as to how to structure about 3-4 days of site seeing for a first time visit.
We did the Pristine Sistine and Catacombs with Walks of Italy. The guides were outstanding. I was a little disappointed with the Pristine Sistine because there still were lots of people doing tours at the same time. However when we saw the crowds later in the day we realized it could have been much worse. The catacombs tour exceeded our expectations. It was after hours and we were the only people at the site. Very intimate experience.

One more thought. The Scavi tour at the Vatican was the highlight of the week for me. A friend suggested it to us back in April. Only 250 people a day are allowed to tour it. You contact the Vatican directly. (Google it) They will ask you what language you speak and which days you are in Rome. They will assign you a day and time to visit. You don’t get to choose. We planned our time in Rome and tours around it. If you are lucky enough to get tickets the tour will be so much more meaningful if you read the book The Fisherman’s Tomb.
 
Sorry, one more bit of info. The first day after we arrived we hired a driver (again arranged by the same concierge) for two hours to give us an overview of the city. He was wonderful! He drove us in a 2019 Mercedes S class. When he suggested we get out of the car to appreciate the view or site better, he dropped us right in front and returned immediately to picked us up. It really helped us get our bearings in Rome. I am so glad we did this as opposed to using the hop-on/hop-off bus. The buses can not drive into certain areas that our driver was allowed to. It cost more but we saw more.
 
californiagirl said:
A couple of questions- no rush answering- enjoy your cruise!
Thank you! It’s past midnight and my sleep/wake cycle is so confused I’m not the least bit sleepy.
1) was your suite a jr. duplex suite?
Yes
2) if we needed a rollaway bed where do you think it would go- upstairs or down?
It would have to be downstairs...it would not fit upstairs. One other comment about the room, the stairs and railings would be completely unsafe for mobile babies and small children. A small child could fit between the balusters and fall.
3) if you hadn’t stayed at this hotel, where would you have chosen?
Probably somewhere closer to the Vatican or Piazza Navona. We really liked those areas.
4) was the breakfast free and if so why? We are platinum elite.
Free because we are platinum elite
5) what sites did you choose to use tours for vs just visiting on your own?
We did tours for the Vatican Scavi, Pristine Sistine, Catacombs after hours and Palatine hill & Forum. On our own we visited the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona and just wandered the small side streets of the city.
Which did you do with walks of italy. I am looking for advice as to how to structure about 3-4 days of site seeing for a first time visit.
We did the Pristine Sistine and Catacombs with Walks of Italy. The guides were outstanding. I was a little disappointed with the Pristine Sistine because there still were lots of people doing tours at the same time. However when we saw the crowds later in the day we realized it could have been much worse. The catacombs tour exceeded our expectations. It was after hours and we were the only people at the site. Very intimate experience.

One more thought. The Scavi tour at the Vatican was the highlight of the week for me. A friend suggested it to us back in April. Only 250 people a day are allowed to tour it. You contact the Vatican directly. (Google it) They will ask you what language you speak and which days you are in Rome. They will assign you a day and time to visit. You don’t get to choose. We planned our time in Rome and tours around it. If you are lucky enough to get tickets the tour will be so much more meaningful if you read the book The Fisherman’s Tomb.
Click to expand...

Thank you!
 
We have just been at the Grand Flora and found it to be perfect. Good service, rooms clean and recently refurbished, staff polite and helpful, breakfast on rooftop terrace was delicious and the view there was amazing (it was included with the room), the location was good and in a quiet and safe part of Rome. We considered the Naidi too but they didn’t have the rooms we needed.
Rome has been VERY hot the last few weeks so we used taxis. The taxi stand is just around the corner from the hotel so there was never any waiting and no chance of getting unlicensed taxis who would rip us off. BTW- watch out for these guys who will overcharge you in a heartbeat. The licensed, metered taxis are regulated and cannot overcharge. They have white cars and show that they are legit on the side of door.
There isn’t a lounge but you get points as a “gift” to make up for it.
 
tlwmkw said:
We have just been at the Grand Flora and found it to be perfect. Good service, rooms clean and recently refurbished, staff polite and helpful, breakfast on rooftop terrace was delicious and the view there was amazing (it was included with the room), the location was good and in a quiet and safe part of Rome. We considered the Naidi too but they didn’t have the rooms we needed.
Rome has been VERY hot the last few weeks so we used taxis. The taxi stand is just around the corner from the hotel so there was never any waiting and no chance of getting unlicensed taxis who would rip us off. BTW- watch out for these guys who will overcharge you in a heartbeat. The licensed, metered taxis are regulated and cannot overcharge. They have white cars and show that they are legit on the side of door.
There isn’t a lounge but you get points as a “gift” to make up for it.
Click to expand...
I just booked this for next June. But after reading this thread I also booked Palazzo Naiadi!

How to choose between the two?
Is one location better than the other? We will be taking the train to Naples when we leave.
 
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If you want to walk to the train station then Palazzo Naidi is probably your best bet. We took a taxi from the Grand Flora to the Termini Station and it was about 7 Euros.
 
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