There comes a time in every travelers life when the urge to splurge on really nice hotel room trumps everything else. That’s exactly how I ended up spending one (glorious) night at the St. Regis in Rome.
If you’re looking for luxurious accommodations in the heart of the Eternal City, it’s hard to beat the St. Regis. It’s an exquisite property which will make you feel rich – even if the cost of booking a room means that you’ll have to eat $0.25 Ramen noodles for the foreseeable future.
YOLO baby!
A full review of my one night stay at the St. Regis Hotel in Rome
Long story short, this is an incredibly fancy hotel. I cringed at the thought of spending so much money as I clicked the ‘book now’ button. I felt slightly out of my comfort zone walking through the main entrance for the first time. But you know what? It was worth every penny.
The location
The St. Regis is located in the heart of the city (Via Vittorio Emanuele Orlando 3). It’s a short 10 minute walk from the central train station, and very close to some of Rome’s biggest attractions. It took me just 20 (scenic) minutes to walk to the Colosseum.
The lobby (and checking in)
So yeah. Walking into this hotel for the very first time is an experience. The lobby is grand. The bellhops (and concierge) will trip over themselves to assist you. And it will take you a moment to find the reception desk. They don’t make it easy.
Checking in involves sitting at a fancy desk (much like how it is when buying a car). It felt a little forced (and maybe a little awkward), but I was more than a little willing to go with it. The gentleman who check me in tried his damnedest to make sure that I had everything I needed for a pleasant stay.
Getting to my room
I knew I was in for a treat as soon as the door to the elevator opened. Everything about this property oozes ‘luxury’ – to the point where I was almost afraid to touch anything. Walking down the hallway to my room felt like strolling through a museum.
The room (OMG the room!)
What you’re about to see is easily the nicest hotel room that I have ever spent the night in. It felt every bit as luxurious (and stylish) everything I saw leading up to this point, and I couldn’t help but think that not all St. Regis hotels are the same.
What possessed me to order room service for dinner is beyond me. Even before I made the call, I knew that I would be paying a lot for very little. At least compared to what I could get in any nearby restaurant.
Was it expensive? Yes. Was it delicious? Of course. Did it make me feel like a total rockstar? You’re damn right it did. And I would do it again without batting an eye.
The bathroom
I’ll let the pictures of the bathroom speak for themselves, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that was one of the best hotel bathrooms I’ve ever been in. It was large, extremely bright, and far more than a measly middle class guy like me could ever possibly need. Check this out:
Pros and cons of my experience at the Rome St. Regis Hotel
As I said at the top of this review, there are times in life when it just feels good to throw caution to the wind and live a little. This was definitely a splurge for me. It was everything I hoped it would be (and more), but it wasn’t perfect.
Pros
The location is darn near perfect. It’s within walking distance to nearly everything (including the main train station).
It’s an impeccably maintained properly. Nothing was out of place, dirty, or otherwise unsightly.
Every staff member I interacted with was incredibly kind and helpful.
Despite it’s location in the center of the city, I found it to be very quiet (and oddly secluded).
Cons
It’s incredibly expensive (duh).
I’m worried that it has ruined me for lesser hotel experiences. It was so good.
I’m probably in the minority on this point, but it felt a smidge too formal for me. I wasn’t expecting it to be as laid-back as the Moana Surfrider in Waikiki, but this ain’t the hotel for you if you don’t like ‘hoity-toity’.