Travel

Alimandi Vaticano Hotel, Rome. Airy Decor and Unbeatable Location

When it comes to location in Rome, Hotel Alimandi Vaticano couldn't be better situated. Rising right in front of the Vatican Museum's entrance, this relatively new hotel is the getaway to the Holy City. St. Peter's Square is only a few minutes walk away and if you don't mind some exercise, every other important touristic attraction can be reached by foot from here too. There were bus and metro stations nearby the hotel, but this time we preferred to explore the city on our own two feet and we were surprised just how much we managed to see in only one evening we had in Rome between flights.

We arrived in Rome at noon, at Fiumicino Airport, where we were picked up by one of Gregori Gianfranco's drivers in an elegant brand new car. Gregori Gianfranco's limo service specializes in private airport pickups and sightseeing tours around Rome and beyond and they provided us with an impeccable service, making us feel like VIPs. Our driver spoke good English and we loved him for pointing us the names of the ancient roads we were passing through. The car was huge just for the two of us and very comfortable, and our second arrival in Rome felt pretty epic indeed. Our car rushed between lines of pine trees with perfectly shaped canopies. A romantic mood was building in us with every tree we passed by. And then the huge wall that draws the line between Vatican City and Rome rose in front of us and minutes later we were in the lobby of Alimandi Hotel where we were welcomed by friendly staff. And then it hit me - this is the best way on enter the Eternal City - in style and in love!

Location

Seven years ago, when we first set foot on Italian ground as newlyweds, we stayed in another 4 stars hotel, remote from the city center. We had to wake up around 5AM as our tour guide instructed us, so we could be in front of Vatican Museum by 7AM where we were to experience the notorious cue in the already hot summer sun for another hour or so. Believe me, waking up at 5AM is the last thing you want to do when you are on vacation, or even more so, on honeymoon. We also had to take the bus every time we wanted to visit anything in Rome, wasting precious time, and we just knew that our tour operator didn't do a very good job at booking the hotel.

Therefore, from our point of view as luxury and art lovers, Hotel Alimandi Vaticano is the best situated hotel in Rome, as literally all you have to do in the morning to get in line at Vatican Museum is cross the street. Even more so, you can peek from the comfort of your own room or from your breakfast table, and when the first tourists start to gather, rush out the door. Staying at this hotel is the best option available if you plan to visit the famous museum or if you fancy to wake up in the morning with the Holy City in your window. Unfortunately, we didn't get to revisit the world famous museum this time around, as we had a flight to Tokyo to catch in the morning, but we definitely loved the easiness with which we could explore the city from here and the nearby ice cream shops opened till after midnight.

There's something fascinating about Alimandi Vaticano Hotel - it fits in perfectly with Rome's atmosphere. It is elegant and classy, airy and stylish and the choice of colors is in perfect sync with the Eternal City. The interior design is in Liberty style, and being a passionate lover of all things Art Nouveau myself, I felt truly at home here. The hotel also featured a bar in the lobby and a rooftop terrace where guests can relax in the sun.

Our Room

This was the biggest hotel rooms we've ever stayed in. It was literally huge and the bed was huge too and we enjoyed the warm colors that created an incredibly welcoming atmosphere. We had free Wi-Fi and tea and coffee facilities, just in case we didn't feel like going down to the bar in the lobby. Our room was on the corner, facing the Vatican Museum entrance, and the sound-proof windows came in handy when it came to keeping away the noise of the street.

View from our room - the entrance to the Vatican Museum

Breakfast

I'm in love with Italian food. So if there is Italian cheese and Tiramisu involved, the breakfast gets 5 stars from me. But at Alimandi Vaticano the breakfast was much more than cheese and Tiramisu, is was a wonderful symphony of flavors, a tremendous array of hot and cold dishes. The presentation was impressive and the food was delicious and I was just pissed off at myself for being so stressed about my first intercontinental flight and not being able to try everything out.

The breakfast hall was just as beautifully decorated as the rest of the hotel, filled with natural light and with views at the Vatican City. We loved the paintings hanging on the walls, a constant reminder of where we were and the relaxing atmosphere.

We left Alimandi Vaticano Hotel in another of Gregori Gianfranco's gorgeous black cars. As we approached the airport we found out from our driver that there was a transport strike that morning and there was madness on the roads. We sighed in relief, happy we had booked a private car through the hotel to take us to the airport and knowing our driver would do his best to get us there in time. We most surely would have missed the flight if we had relied on the public transportation system.

- Scandic Hotel, Bergen. Pretty Surroundings And Good Breakfast
Bergen is not a large city and this has it's advantages - most hotels are located smack down in the city center. And Scandic Hotel is no exception. It took us only a few minutes from the train station to get to the hotel. And from the hotel it was...

- Myhregaarden Hotel, Stavanger. A Very Romantic Boutique Hotel
By the time our train arrived in Stavanger it was almost 11PM and we were tired. Nevertheless, some reminiscences of the midnight sun could be seen on the sky even at the end of July, wrapping the city in a charming atmosphere.We took out the...

- Hotel Orgryte, Gothenburg. Spacious & Welcoming
A few weeks ago, during our visit to Gothenburg, we spent the night at Hotel Orgryte, a family-owned, very comfortable hotel with friendly staff. Location Hotel Orgryte is situated in a very quiet residential area, relatively close to...

- Planning Our First Trip To Asia. In Style!
We have some great news! After traveling through 23 European countries and 173 cities, we are finally getting out of Europe! Just thinking about it makes us feel goosebumps. But we are not only going to Asia, we are also doing it in style. First we'll...

- My Musings: A Few Churches And A Rubbish Hotel In Rome
"Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." J.R.R. Tolkien Every great journey starts...

Travel