De La Ville Intercontinental
We were welcomed so warmly at the De La Ville Intercontinental hotel in Rome by the hotel bellman and staff. The hotel manager on duty gave me his business card and took the time to recommend a fabulous restaurant just down the street (not down the steps) called Ciampini’s (pronounced Champeenees). Ciampini’s is a quaint, open air, beautiful restaurant that overlooks Rome. I highly recommend a wonderful meal here.
The hotel lobby decor at first impression comes across very gaudy. Old deep red drapes along the windows, antique furniture throughout. But once we got to our room, we found it comfortable, stylish, and the bathroom was beautiful with different colored marbles, very clean, and was very satisfied with it all. We had a room with a balcony overlooking the small courtyard. It was relaxing to sit out there with the complimentary champagne that they had delivered to the room. Then you go to the 2nd level to the lovely bar and restaurant. On the top floor (6th), they have an open air balcony with views of all of Rome. We went up there on the Saturday evening and they had live entertainment, linens on all the small round tables, and waiters waiting to pour you a glass of wine. It was so utterly romantic, took my breath away. The service at this place is just wonderful, hands down.
All of the action and dining is down at the base of the Spanish steps so unfortunately there are not a lot of cafes immediately around the hotel. We are relatively fit and it was tough for us, so climbing up and down all those steps may be tough for some. We did hear there was an elevator, but unfortunately we didn’t find it.
The top attractions for us were the Roman Forum and Coliseum. Palatine Hills is so huge and extensive; wear good walking shoes if you decide to cover it all. To save money, be sure to go to Ricksteves.com before you leave for your trip and download for free on your MP3 his audio guide of the Coliseum and Forum. Also to avoid the long lines to get in to the Coliseum, pre-book your tickets online before you go. Get the Rick Steves book on Rome for invaluable information on how to pre-book the Coliseum, Borghese Galleria, and definitely book a tour for the Vatican. Make sure to get to the Forum, it was even the highlight over the Coliseum for us. To see the ancient Roman Pagan temples still standing with their huge pillars 3 thousand years old was completely awe inspiring. Make sure you research and learn about the history before you go to these places to really appreciate what you are looking at. Another must see is the St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City. I was blown away by the enormity of this place. The Sistine Chapel was very dark inside so it was actually difficult to see the ceiling.
Rome in general exceeded all expectation at how very clean, safe and beautiful it is. I have been to about 8 European countries, and this one so far is the most American-friendly I’ve found. Rome has the best food hands down, cleanest, safest, and the history here is so overwhelming. This is where Western civilization started. The concept of our U.S. houses of congress is mirrored after the ancient republic of Rome; the architecture of the White House in D.C. was inspired by the Roman Pantheon. We owe a lot to Rome, just overall an incredible destination.
To book your perfect Italy vacation contact the travel agent below!
Cori Kolenda
ALL ABOUT HONEYMOONS & Destination Weddings
Travel Specialist / Owner
Full Service Travel Agency
www.cori.allabouthoneymoons.com
866.520.8747, Ext. 123
916.337.8767 (Direct Line)
Tags: Coliseum, De La Ville Intercontinental, Europe, Italy, Palatine Hills, Rome, Sistine Chapel, Spanish Steps, Vatican City
