Guestbook: pormenor
05 August 2008
“Best value hotel in Rome - 'nuff said!”
We booked this place months in advance of our July 2008 stay based on reviews on Venere.com and here at Tripadvisor. Everything was just as described by the many glowing reviews from pleased guests - which now include us. The Hotel Golden is simply a great find for those wondering where to stay in Rome. This small,15-room, family-run place is a comfortable, clean, modestly-priced, hotel located in a desirable neighborhood that represents a great travel value. The property is very small and therefore has no amenities beyond a tiny elevator (the hotel is on the floor immediately above ground level - 1st floor in Italy) and a small breakfast room, but the price, location, room features and friendly staff (brothers Giuseppe and Marco run the front desk) more than make up for this. The guest rooms are all very comfortable and clean, though some are cramped in size and occasional noise in the hallway is a detraction for a couple of the rooms near the front desk (ask for the more remote rooms). On the plus side: the included breakfasts have a wide selection of continental-style foods and the coffee is excellent; the rooms are very clean and the beds comfortable; the bathrooms are modern and well-equipped with toiletries and even plush bathrobes and slippers; the location is convenient in a quiet, fashionable neighborhood off the top of the Via Veneto near the Spanish Steps (several $$$$$ 5-star hotels in this same area), the #116 bus stop and the Barberini and Spagna metro stations. I would highly recommend this hotel to travelers who are going to be out of their rooms much of the time sight-seeing and not expecting a resort-style experience but just want a reasonably-priced, safe, quiet and clean place to sleep in a convenient location near the central heart of historic Rome.
Eating nearby: Pomodorino, just a short block east of the hotel, is a large and vibrant neighborhood place for great cheap pizzas, roasted meats and desserts. San Marco, on the same block, is a hip, modern place very popular with the younger, fashionable crowd. It serves more upscale food choices but at prices that are still reasonable. I recommend both. We just had to try the famous Bellini cocktails and sandwiches at Harry's Bar, a short walk west to the Via Veneto, but be forewarned - you will pay dearly for it, even for lunch. Almost any place on the Via Veneto will drain your wallet except for the cheap pasta place just up from the Barberini metro. Skip it unless you really want to splurge on a fashionable al fresco dining experience on the Via Veneto.
Getting to Spanish Steps: There is no direct way to walk due west on surface streets to the Spanish Steps so you must walk down either Via Veneto or Via Porta di Pinciana then back up Via Sistina to the Piazza di Spagna. The Hotel Golden is an uphill walk back, of course, which can be daunting at the end of a long day walking all over Rome. You can alternatively hop on bus #116 or, if at the Spanish Steps, try using the underground walkways and escalators between the Spagna metro stop and the top of the Via Veneto. Look for the escalators outside Harry's Bar, a short block from the hotel.
Transportation: I highly recommend the Roma Pass if you will be spending two or three days in Rome. The 20 euro price is a good value as it includes all public transit for three days (metro, tram and bus lines) and provides two free admissions to your choice of 40 attractions like the Colosseum, the Palatine museums or Borghese Gallery, with discounts off any others beyond the first two. The Metro is very easy to use as there are only two lines that cross at Termini train station (Barbarini and Spagna are the two closest stops) and it is the quickest way to get to the Vatican, the Colosseum and destinations further out. Bus #116 terminus is just a block away from the hotel and the other end is a short walk from the Vatican.
Recommended maps: The Roma Pass includes a good map (the same provided free by the hotel) however, the best maps in general I've found for Rome and other cities are those produced by MapEasy.com ($7-8 each) as they are very easy to read and use, highly informative and durable (water-resistant and tear-proof). In addition to clearly marked streets and landmarks, they are profusely detailed with location and information on all historic sites, hotels, restaurants and cafes, retail shops and department stores, banks, hospitals, entertainment and parks, transit (metro, bus, airports, ferries, car rentals and parking), etc. The maps concentrate on the city's center (there is no outlying regional info) and include enlarged scale views of several of the most important neighborhoods. Other travelers remarked on our MapEasy guide maps that we used in Rome, Venice, Florence and Barcelona. I have no affiliation with the publisher but am just an impressed, satisfied user.
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Hotel Golden Roma