The Hotel Artemide is a 4* rated hotel situated in Rome, Italy. The hotel was very clean with beautiful interior and exterior features. Our room was a good spacious size and the bathroom very functional and modern (please note we stayed in a double room as a couple). All in all, our weekend stay at the Hotel Artemide at the beginning of this month (September 2011) was superb and I highly recommend the hotel to others.
Hotel Appearance
The Artermide has a very grand and antique appearance from the outside. I believe the building was a 19th Century one, with a tall rectangular shape and grand archways around the windows. I believe the hotel has 5 floors and offers a variety of different standard sized rooms. The reception is very clean, mainly consisting of wood with antique furniture. The guest living room area has a clean red carpet, white striped walls, antique looking lights and comfy white leather chairs.
Room Appearance
We chose a double room which was a very good size and was very clean and functional. A TV was included in the room and we paid slightly extra to get free wi-fi access for anyone with a computer/internet needs. The bed was a good size and it felt nice to sleep on, having clean white sheets. The walls of our room were white which gave the room a light appearance. There was black wooden desks which were a modern touch but fitted well into the antique styled decor of the hotel on a whole. Mirrors were also dotted around our room with handy table lamps there too. The bathroom consisted of a light coloured marble which looked very smart and easy to keep clean. We had a sink, toilet, towel rail and a shower/bath combo with a white curtain that keeps your privacy. Lighting was also very good in the bathroom and it wasn't too dingy. There was also a little mini-bar in our room which again, was a great finishing touch. The walls were thick and well sound proofed so we didn't hear rabble and conversations from next door which I have fell victim to in other places I've stayed.
Staff
The staff were very friendly and courteous around the hotel and handled themselves in a very professional manner. Checking in was efficient and the staff go out of their way to make you feel at home. I'm not certain if the reception is manned at all times, but whenever I went past the front desk there was always somebody there if you needed assistance.
Price
For a weekend, earlier this month, it cost us just under £400 for the 2 nights. We did book well in advance, around a year or more before we actually stayed here. The price is quite steep since we've had 11 day stays in some cheaper (albeit very much poorer) hotels but Rome is an expensive location and a good 4 star hotel doesn't come cheap. With this £400 price tag, came our double room, free Wi-fi access and access to the breakfast buffet which was downstairs. The Artemide isn't the cheapest hotel out there but for such a good clean and well run hotel in a top location, you really get what you pay for; a superb hotel.
Breakfast
The breakfast was included in our deal but I don't think it is included if you don't need it and there are plenty of fine restaurants nearby should you wish to eat out. The breakfast was in a buffet style and catered for a wide variety of people from different diets/cultures. The chairs were wooden and comfy, with antique white walls and wooden decor. There is a few mirrors and paintings hanging on the walls too which looked very decorative. The food was of good quality, not the best i've ever eaten, but certainly to a very good standard.
Location
The Artemide is in a fantastic location in Rome. You can walk to all of the attractions by foot and there's taxi bays and bus stops close by should you not wish to walk. We walked to Via Nazionale, Repubblica metro, some other shops, the Trevi fountain and the Barbani palace. We ate in a few restaurants as well which was a great experience although very expensive!. We actually got to Rome via train, as the Artemide is very close to the Termini train station which was very handy. All in all, the Artemide is in an absolutely perfect location for the main tourist destinations and we personally couldn't ask for more!
Drawbacks
There are no real drawbacks to staying in the hotel Artemide should you have the money to spend. I would say that the lift felt a little poorly designed so we mainly just took the stairs. The hotel only has a few floors so taking the stairs doesn't take too long. As the Artemide is in a good central location in Rome it does sadly fall victim to road noise from passing motorists but the rooms are well sound proofed so you don't really hear any of the congestion. Even though our double bed was really comfy, I think the pillows were a bit uncomfortable, but when we got used to them we did have good sleep. My advice would also be that if your staying for breakfast, get down to the restaurant early to avoid dissapointment and decreased selection of food. The most amount of food is available early, as time goes on less and less seems to be available and there comes appoint when the staff don't make any more and start taking things away.
Conclusion
The Artemide is a fantastic hotel and made our weekend visit to Rome very worthwhile and enjoyable. The hotel is in a great location to so many attractions and you can walk to these without much hassle if your used to walking in cities. The hotel appearance from the outside, inside decor and room quality was superb, very clean, very practical and very attractive. The hotel was well managed and run, the staff friendly and professional. It was a blend of antique and modern components which work together very effectively. Apart from a busy road outside, a rather unnerving lift and a high price (which is to be expected with Rome) we had a brilliant time and would definitely stay in the Artemide again. Thanks for reading my review.© Revo9 (2011)
*Note, I am both a member of Ciao and Dooyoo.co.uk under the same username of Revo9*
