I am a twenty year old male student with interests in fashion, music, food and drink, socialising an...
I am a twenty year old male student with interests in fashion, music, food and drink, socialising and technology.
Member since:24.02.2007
Reviews:8
Location: Palladium Palace is about 3-4 minutes walk away from Rome's central station, Termini. This made my first experience much more pleasant as the end of a long flight and train journey, was not followed by the hassle of a taxi or bus but, instead, a quick walk and my first taste of Rome.
The hotel is quite a way from most tourist attractions. I will firstly say that my party consisted of myself and a friend, both 18 year-old males, and we walked everywhere. In addition to this we visited in late august while the weather was still very hot. The following are therefore walking times based on my fitness, in hot weather, with lots of iced mineral water (something Rome's street vendors do to perfection!).
The Vatican - 1hr 45 minutes Castel Sant'Angelo - 1hr 15 minutes The Colosseum - 45 minutes Trevi Fountain - 30 minutes Pantheon - 30 minutes
This is just a sample but as you can imagine, the Palladium Palace while close, is hardly on the doorsteps of a tourist's Rome.
Instead what you get, depending on your willingness to explore, is an opportunity to discover Rome's other attractions. For example, about 10 minutes walk to the north west of the hotel you will come across an ornate square full of restaurants and shops. Another 5 minutes will take you to a second-hand street market. In other words, by staying at the Palladium Palace, you are placing Rome between your base and the tourist attractions On the way I guarantee that you will stumble across a multitude of hidden piazzas (squares) and countless street cafes.
On thing to mention is that the area can seem a little intimidating. There are a lot of people walking the streets at night and a lot of people who appear to loiter all day. I experienced no bother whatsoever (which is suprising for two young men) and would advise that this is simply a part of Italian city life and does not pose a threat.
Hotel Rooms: The hotel room I stayed in was basic, phone, tv, no view etc. (the hotel is right on a street opposite a Western Union shop - you won't get a view regardless of which room you stay in). The room and bathroom were large however and the cleanliness was apparent. The hotel doesn't offer much more than a room, in terms of facilities, however Internet access is available
Reception, General Staff: My initial impression of the reception was rude and unhelpful. Despite learning a little Italian, a 6 hour journey can mess with the memory and the man on reception had no patience for my attempts to get through the check-in process without resorting to English. This negative image was reinforced when we came down to ask for a recommendation on somewhere to eat. We were tired and wanted somewhere close but good, and he recommended a restaurant on the next street. This was a poor recommendation as the menus were in English and the dishes lukewarm. The Palladium Palace had sent my party to a UK Italian chain restaurant for our first taste of Roma. Not at all what we asked for and extremely dissapointed. We did not rely on reception for any more directions or recommendations.
The general staff were friendly. The cleaners and porters were unintrusive and did their jobs well. We did encounter an incident where we left a slightly excessive amount of money near the tip plate which went missing over the day. This wasn't intended as a tip but is perhaps part of the learning process for two British youngsters.
Hotel Breakfast: Served until 10am in the continental buffet style. Selection of fruits, cereals, pastries etc. Very good food served in a beautiful roof conservatory.
Summary: Price was about 40-50 euros a night as is standard for Rome hotels. Location, while not central, well within travelling distance to sights Reception not worth bothering with - check in and check out. Worth getting up for the breakfast, eat back some of those euros.
Overall recommended for the independent traveller.
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Palladium Palace is set in the extremely central Termini Train Station area and stands out ... more
for the luxury and superior level of service it offers.At Palladium Palace you can enjoy easy access to all attractions in the historic centre of Rome from a ver...
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Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
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