Hotel Review: St. Regis Rome

Trip Report Index:

Introduction
Getting There
Hotel Review: St. Regis Rome
Hotel Review: Hotel De Russie
Visiting Rome
Hotel Review: The Westin Europa & Regina
Visiting Venice
Hotel Review: St. Regis Venice San Clemente Palace (previously reviewed)
Driving around Lake Garda
Hotel Review: Hotel Sirmione
Day in Sirmione
Hotel Review: Hotel Ideal
Night in Verona
Lake Idro
Lake Iseo
Lake Maggiore
Hotel Review: Sheraton Milan
Retrospect

After taking the train from the airport to the main train station, the St. Regis Rome was just a 10 minute walk away. Soon the familiar St Regis flag was in view.

The St Regis Rome is an iconic hotel that made Condé Nast Traveler’s 2011 Gold List. There are 138 guest rooms, which are decorated in a combination of Empire, Regency, Regency and Louix XV styles. Its location is great with the popular Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain within a short walking distance, and lots of shops and restaurants nearby.

Stepping inside, reception was a hotbed of activity which was to be expected in the middle of a summer day. It was only around noon, but there were people checking in, people waiting for the concierge, and hotel employees dashing this way and that.

Luggage was stored in a room down the hall, but it had overflowed into the hallway.

Through some French doors right off the lobby was the Grand Hall Cafe where some people were waiting for their room to be ready.

Things quieted down after a few minutes, and I went to check-in. Unfortunately our room was not ready yet. I was on a paid rate, but even as a Platinum it was difficult to get a suite in the summer. Because it was also a very busy weekend the best they could do was offer an Imperial Room.

I was invited to have a seat in the Grand Cafe until it was ready, which I gladly accepted.

After taking a seat, a waiter appeared and took our order for some chilled water, coffee and tea. Just as quickly he reappeared with the drinks and some small nibbles.

The dishes were elegant and the sugar holders even had clawed feet.

It was a beautiful place to wait, with soaring ceilings and exquisite designs. It was also nice and cool which was a welcome change from the heat just outside. The room was finally ready, and I collected the key and headed down the hallway with all the luggage since the elevator was back there.

Arriving at the right floor, getting off the elevator it felt as if I was in a fancy house rather than a hotel.

The hallways were long, wide, and had cabinets, mirrors and colorful rugs.

There were even a few couches in case you needed a rest along the way!

Finally I reached our room, 330.

Inside felt like a room for royalty.

The walls were carefully decorated with artwork.

The bathroom had a rain shower and separate tub.

Some hotel rooms have a measly 3 towels, but this one had a whole slew! I counted 6 hung around the shower and tub, plus there were an extra 7 stocked on a shelf. They were wonderfully large towels too.

Double sinks had well-sized Remede amenities arranged on a plate in the middle.

There was a thick robe on the bathroom door, and another in the closet.

A small table near the bed had complimentary chocolates.

There was even a fireplace with real wood, though since there was no chimney it was just for show.

The free waters came with a fun tag that made it look as if they were wearing bow ties, and a opener was thoughtfully placed next to the glasses.

The desk was placed right next to the window where there was plenty of natural light.

The room came with a menu for the Butler service, which was helpful. In the bathroom I had found a lavender bath pouch which smelled great.

A fridge was stocked with large bottles of Aqua Panna and San Pellegrino water, along with some sodas and juice.

I pulled out the drawer labeled “Gourmet Bar” expecting some goodies, but instead found an empty drawer.

Nearby were some nuts and Pringles though. Are Pringles well-liked the world over? From Sri Lanka to Italy just about every hotel mini bar seems to have Pringles.

There was a DVD player underneath the TV, though I didn’t use it during my stay.

A gorgeous Murano glass chandelier hung in the center of the room, and was fastened on the ceiling with a snowflake pattern around it.

There were touches around the room that were reminiscent of the original building.

The closet had colorful padding against the wall to protect clothes.

There were some long flimsy bars on the floor of the closet. I wasn’t sure what they were for, perhaps to keep my suitcase up off the floor? At first I thought they were for shoes, but mine slid right between the gap. There was a small chest of drawers in front, so I ended up not using that space.

The air conditioning vent was well-located so it wasn’t blasting straight at the bed, and the walls were a beautiful creamy gold color.

Pillars in the room and the backs of doors were carved and gilded with intricate designs. A dressing table with lighting was out of the way of the main area but a nice touch in the room.

The bedside table had a JBL docking station, but it was for an older type iPhone so I wasn’t able to use it.

We had dinner plans, so after getting unpacked we left the hotel for several hours. Once we returned, the place was much quieter.

The hotel’s car had been brought in to the courtyard for the night. Talking with the doorman, he mentioned that VIP guests (such as heads of state or celebrities) have a separate entrance with its own foyer and elevator.

Back in the room, I saw that housekeeping had been there to do turndown service. A cloth had been placed bedside with a pair of slippers ready for each of us.

A sweetly decorated bag of treats had been left, along with a box of fruit jellies.

After a good sleep, the next morning I decided to use the butler service. According to the menu, it was free to get juice, coffee, and tea in the morning. I called the butler line but it took a while to get through to them. The line transferred to the front desk who then had the butler call back, because they were busy. Once I reached them and placed my request a tray of tea, juice and coffee was delivered to the room along with some small freshly baked cookies.

After getting ready for a day out and about town, we headed down to breakfast which was held in the Grand Cafe. There were favorites like pancakes in fancy containers laid on marble counters.

Plenty of juices were laid out.

I stayed with tea and juice, but saw two types of Bloody Marys.

They even had salad, which I don’t consider a typical part of breakfast but may have been for some.

Aside from the juice, tea, and coffee, there was an iced coffee machine.

There was also a champagne table.

We were seated at the top of a flight of stairs, just beside some very grand pillars.

Waiters wore starched white shirts and black vests, some in suits.

I ordered an omelet from the chef, which was made just the way I had hoped.

Talk about grand surroundings!

After breakfast it was time to pack up and check-out. I could easily have stayed here another several days, but at least I’d had the chance to try this hotel out. I would come here again, but during a quieter time of year. The property was beautiful but service was slow at times, during the summer rush.

The St. Regis Rome

SPG Category 7 property. 30,000 to 35,000 Starpoints for a free night.