Revealed Rome

The Most Romantic Hotels in Rome

2012-02-10T16:34:57+01:00

Planning a honeymoon in Rome... or simply looking for a romantic break? Here's my list of the eight of the most romantic Rome hotels!

Of course, one person's amore-inspiring room is another person's crazy-maker. So let's break it down. If your idea of romance means....

Knights, turrets and damsels:

Then stay at: Hotel Campo de Fiori (top). Located in a Renaissance-era palazzo right on Campo de Fiori (luckily, given the piazza's popularity with late-night carousers, all the windows are fully soundproofed), the boutique hotel's 23 rooms come with the kinds of details that'll make you feel like you've fallen into a fairytale—think velvet headboards, elaborate tapestries, wood-beamed ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and ornate gilt frames, even for the flat-screened televisions. As with most Rome hotel rooms, the standard rooms aren't particularly spacious, and they tend to be on the dim side. But that's all part of the Olde Worlde romance. Doubles start at €150 a night. Via del Biscione, 6. +39 0668806865.

Or: Hotel Manfredi Suite in Rome (above). This 2-year-old hotel hides in an 18^th-century palazzo on artsy Via Margutta. Rooms aren’t big (they start at 140 square feet), but with their deep colors, ornate wallpaper, and elaborate gold frames, they still manage to feel nearly regal. For more space, opt for a deluxe, which starts at 215 square feet—or live like a king in a 430-square-foot junior suite. Doubles start at €150 a night. Via Margutta, 61. +39 063207676.

Sexy times:

Then stay at: Spagna Royal Suite. This brand-new boutique hotel has details so sensuous, they'd be ridiculous—if they weren't so cool. Think unusual features like an in-room steam sauna or mosaic Jacuzzi, not to mention lots of play with textures and lighting, with everything from leather to snakeskin to gold gilt showing up on the walls. Rooms start at €200 a night. Via Mario de’ Fiori, 3. +39 0669923793.

Or: Suite Sistina (above). At this little boutique hotel, tucked behind an almost-anonymous door on the street that runs from the top of the Spanish Steps, every detail sets the mood, from the silk sheets to velour throws to the Bang & Olufson stereos. Some of the rooms have particularly sexy touches, like Jacuzzis right in the bedroom or big round beds. Doubles start at €170 per night. Via Sistina, 53. +39 0620368380.

Five-star sunsets—and service:

Then stay at: Hotel Palazzo Manfredi (above). On the rooftop of this 9-year-old boutique hotel, watch the sun set over the Colosseum while savoring a meal (white truffle-scented creme brulee, anyone?) in the upmarket restaurant “Aroma.” The 16 rooms run “European-sized,” but boast all the luxe amenities, from Nespresso machines to creative lighting. Wi-Fi is free, and iPads are lent to guests, too. The biggest sell, though, remains the view: Six rooms look out at the Colosseum, six see the lovely Parco di Traiano with its ruins, and three view a street lined with 17^th-century buildings. Doubles start at €260 a night. Via Labicana, 125. +39 0677591380.

Or: Hotel Raphael. Located just off Piazza Navona, the 5-star Hotel Raphael has set Rome’s standard for elegance since its 1963 opening. Traditional rooms feature tapestry hangings and velvet curtains; if your tastes run modern, ask for one of the 2^nd- or 3^rd-floor rooms, which were redesigned by famous architect Richard Meier. Regardless of the room, enjoy amenities like the welcome drink, daily newspaper, and Bulgari toiletries—not to mention the stunning 360-degree view from the rooftop restaurant. Doubles start at €250 a night. Largo Febo, 2. +39 06682831.

The effortlessness—and privacy—of home:

Then stay at: Crossing Condotti (above). If you find the idea of having lots of stuff around you stressful, then book one of the five rooms at this enchanting little residence, located a stone's throw from the Spanish Steps. With soft palettes and clean lines, all given some personality by touches like wood-beamed ceilings and antique furniture (it actually comes from the family of the Sicilian prince that runs the place), the rooms exude a charm that's elegant, not over the top. The place runs more like private apartments than a hotel, meaning there's no 24/7 reception: You have your own keys and let yourself in and out when you want. Doubles start at €180 a night. Via Mario de' Fiori, 28. +39 06 69920633.

Or: Mario de Fiori 37. This little residence, tucked (as you might expect) into the same lovely street as Crossing Condotti, features four homey rooms that hit the right luxe notes, like Frette sheets, free Wi-Fi, Nespresso machines, and king-sized beds. The smallest room is a spacious 215 square feet, but for the ultimate in coziness and privacy, spring for the 377-square-foot attic apartment (shown below). This is another spot that isn't a "hotel," but a residence—meaning, again, your own keys, privacy and independence in lieu of a 24-hour reception. Doubles start at €220 a night. Via Mario de' Fiori, 37. +39 0669921907

Please note: Although I visited each of these hotels and B&Bs myself, all of the photos are courtesy of the hotels.

Want to Know Where to Stay in Rome? Check Out National Geographic Traveller

2012-02-10T13:59:25+01:00

Want to know where to find the best accommodation in Rome? You could check out my articles on the best B&Bs and boutique hotels in Rome for the Guardian.

Or you could pick up the National Geographic Traveller (that's the UK version of the magazine) March/April 2012 issue to find my favorite hotels in Rome—this time, organized by neighborhood. (Hello, Prati/Monti/Trastevere/"heart of the centro storico." Love you all.) On newsstands now.

(A third option is in the works: I'm working on beefing up my "accommodation" section on this blog. The first attempt is this post on the most romantic hotels in Rome).

No (Fiscal) Receipt? No Party: How Tourists Can Help the Campaign Against Tax Evasion in Italy

2012-02-02T13:04:27+01:00

Everyone knows that tax evasion is one of the biggest issues facing Italy's economy. But very few tourists to Italy know that they have the power to do something about it.

And should.

That's because tax evasion in Italy doesn't just happen in accountants' offices behind closed doors. It happens every time a product, meal, or coffee is sold. Why? Because Italian stores and restaurants have a book of "fiscal receipts" issued by the government—and legally, they need to give the customer a fiscal receipt (ricevuta fiscale) for each interaction. Each time they use a ricevuta fiscale, the government knows about the purchase... and the interaction is taxed.

Without issuing that ricevuta fiscale, it's like the interaction never happened. And, therefore, it's untaxed.

And so, guess what: You hardly ever see fiscal receipts in Italy. Especially if you're a tourist.

Restaurants and stores know that tourists have no idea what a fiscal receipt looks like versus a non-fiscal receipt. They also know that tourists have a tendency to think it's "cute" when their waiter does something like, say, scribble the total on the tablecloth or a napkin. Guess what? That's not a fiscal receipt. And that's not cute. It means that your meal isn't being taxed. It's going right into the owner's pockets, tax-free.

This has been a huge issue for, well, ages. It's something everyone knows, but—until recently—that nobody publicizes. It's part of a system that many Italians mistakenly believe benefits everyone: After all, it obviously helps owners, in the short term, especially since taxes are so high in Italy. And as a customer? If you're a regular, you know that, if you don't ask for a fiscal receipt, your local restaurant or drycleaner or whatever will give you a discount. Everybody wins.

Except, of course, that they don't.

In 2009 alone, Italians evaded about 120 billion euros in taxes—that's almost four times the value of Monti's new austerity budget. If Italy were as strict in collecting taxes as the U.K. and the U.S. over the last 40 years, economists have calculated, then the country's national debt would be 80 percent of GDP, not 120 percent.

Doesn't the government know about this, you ask? Aren't they doing anything? Well, sure. There's something called the Guardia di Finanza in Italy—think the IRS with guns—whose sole job is to make sure that fiscal interactions are done legally. Occasionally, they'll get a tip on a restaurant or shop. The problem? Because Italy is what it is, the establishment usually gets a tip-off that they're coming. And so, surprise! When the Guardia check the receipts they're issuing, they're suddenly fiscal.

With Monti's new government, though, things seem to be improving. There have just been several big stings that have shown just how bad tax evasion was—and not just in the much-maligned south, but in the supposedly-so-civilized north, too. In December, 80 tax inspectors swooped in on the tony ski town of Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy's Dolomites. In the wake of the inspection, declared profits were suddenly up 400 percent from the previous season (gee whiz, how'd that happen?). In mid-January in Rome, an inspection of 292 businesses in one day found that 52% were in violation. And last weekend, the Guardia di Finanza targeted Milan. In the days after their blitz, reported income went up by 44 percent.

So. Well and good. But government can only do so much.

Consumers have to help, too.

Italians have started calling for boycotts among establishments that aren't issuing fiscal receipts. One of the leaders of the pack is Rome's own Puntarella Rossa, who has launched the campaign "No scontrino, no party" (no receipt, no party), encouraging diners to ask for fiscal receipts every time they eat—or to boycott the restaurant. Even more effectively, the restaurants in violation are being named and shamed. Citizens took the campaign seriously this week in Bari, for example, sending photos of the receipts they received, with the restaurants' names, to both the Guardia and to La Repubblica's blog on Bari.

It's a fantastic idea, and one that needs to spread. But it can be expanded to tourists, too. Because, with as many non-Italian diners and customers as there are in Rome and the rest of Italy, everyone needs to be a part of this for it to succeed.

So, folks: When you're dining in Italy, always ask for a "ricevuta fiscale." Don't accept hand-scribbled scraps of paper as receipts, and don't accept a receipt that says, at the top, "NON FISCALE" (not fiscal). Unless, that is, you don't mind supporting Italy's tax evasion—and the huge issues it's causing for not only Italy's economy, but the worldwide economy, too.

You could even take it a step further: Snap a photo of the illegal receipt and email it, with the restaurant's name, to puntarellarossa@hotmail.it.

Need help figuring out what is and what isn't a fiscal receipt? Check out Walks of Italy's blog post on how not to get ripped off at Italian restaurants, which includes a helpful section, with photos, on what fiscal and non-fiscal receipts look like.

Can You Guess Where, and What, These Little Bits of Roman Antiquity Are?

2012-01-24T23:06:56+01:00

It's no secret that Rome is a city chock-full of the ancient past. Reminders of a city, and empire, of 2,000 years ago aren't just rife in the Forum, Palatine and Colosseum, but beneath churches like the Basilica of San Clemente and San Nicola in Carcere, acting as the main event in open spaces like the Park of the Aqueducts, and even serving as forums for everything from ballet and opera to light shows and displays. In short, ruins are everywhere.

Maybe that's why some of my favorite ancient ruins in Rome aren't the big, famous monuments. They're the little bits of antiquity that you simply stumble across: an ancient column sunk into the wall of an otherwise-unassuming apartment building, a still-running fountain with a wornaway face that you just know must be 2,000 years old. These can be tough to find. That's part of the fun.

Here, I'll share with you my favorite "secret" bits of antiquity, tucked into street corners and buildings all across the city.

Can you guess where—and what—they are?

I've now published all of the guesses in the "Comments." To see how close you were, scroll to the bottom of this page for the answers!

Ready? Set? ...Go!

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8)

Answers:

1) I started off with a stumper: This elaborate ancient column is at the Via della Maschera d'Oro and Vicolo di San Simeone, located in ancient Rome's Campus Martius. No one quite knew what this one was!

2) A couple of you got this. This is a detail of the lovely Arco degli Argentari, or "Arch of the Money-changers," commissioned by the local money-changers and merchants who were active in the area's Forum Boarium. The arch, which was finished in 204 A.D., was built in honor of Emperor Septimius Severus, as the inscription—just to the right of the bas-relief of Hercules holding a lion skin—says. In the 7th century, the arch was incorporated into the Church of San Giorgio in Velabro.

3) This one was tricky, but it's one of the coolest ruins around. This is—wait for it—one of ancient Rome's fire stations. Truly. In particular, it's the barracks for Brigade VII, and dates back to the 2nd century A.D. The brigade was in charge of not only preventing and extinguishing fires, but public safety, too, particularly at night. It's located at Via della Settima Coorte, 9, in the heart of Trastevere. (When you go, bring a flashlight to look through the grille underneath: You can still see one of the big rooms of the barracks).

4) This is a piece of the Virgin Aqueduct, the famous aqueduct built by Agrippa in the 1st century B.C. and that supplies water to the Trevi Fountain. Believe it or not, this original piece is just off Via del Tritone; turn on Via del Nazareno, at the Burger King, and look down and to the left.

5) Yep, this was a "duh"... but it was so pretty I had to put it in. This lovely ancient column is located on Via Margana, just a few steps from Piazza Venezia.

6) Lots of you got this. This is a big chunk of the 4th century B.C. Servian Wall, located at the Termini train station (if you go inside Termini, you'll see more of it in on the lower level, including a big piece by the McDonald's).

7) These ancient columns and frieze are sunk into the building at Via di Capo di Ferro, 31, just off the Piazza della Trinità dei Pellegrini.

8) An ancient portal on Via Margana, in Rome's Rione XI of Sant'Angelo, just a few steps from Piazza Venezia.

Weekend Trip to Verona (Maybe for Valentine's Day?)

2012-01-24T20:27:04+01:00

Verona—an easy day trip from Venice, or a weekend trip from Rome—just happens to be one of the most romantic cities in Italy. And not just because Shakespeare set Romeo and Juliet there. It boasts everything from gorgeous scenery (hello, sunset over the River Adige) to atmospheric ruins, medieval palaces to what might just be the loveliest piazza in Italy.

Out today in the Guardian, here's my pick for 10 of the best hotels, restaurants, and activities in Verona.

By the way: Yes, you can get there easily from Rome. The fast train, which takes just 3 hours, costs 63 euros on Trenitalia's MINI fare or 70 for full-price. Valentine's Day escape, anyone?

The Tombs of the Scipioni Reopen in Rome

2012-01-21T17:54:03+01:00

Excellent news: After being closed for 20 years, the 2,300-year-old tombs of the Scipio family have been reopened to the public. More over at my post for the New York Times here.

Two More Art Opportunities in Rome

2012-01-17T20:36:45+01:00

A fan of art? And of Rome? Then you'll be happy to know that two new opportunities for viewing some of the city's best pieces have just opened up—on both the modern and Renaissance sides.

Check out my two latest pieces, "Palazzo Farnese Now Offers English Tours" and "A Home for Art Reopens in Rome," for the New York Times. (Photo: Massimo Siragusa for the Galleria d’Arte Moderna di Roma Capitale).

Obscured Frescoes See the Light in Rome, for the NYT

2011-12-15T15:20:31+01:00

A fan of restorations that reveal art as it was meant to be seen? Me too. So I'm liking the "big reveal" that took place this fall at the Palazzo Quirinale, unveiling decorations by Cortona and his students for the first time in 200 years. For more, check out my latest In Transit post here. (Photo: Palazzo Quirinale press office).

Christmas in Rome: Some Serious Lights

2011-12-13T01:46:24+01:00

This year, Rome is celebrating Christmas with some of the glitteriest, prettiest lights I've seen. Ever. And since that includes the decorations that glitter-bomb American shopping malls and cul-de-sac neighborhoods every year, that's saying quite a bit.

Here, just a few twinkly tastes of the most Christmas-sy corners of Rome. Photos—and even a couple of short videos—to follow.

Prepare to be dazzled.

Piazza Venezia

Via dei Coronari

Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina

Christmas parade at Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina

Colosseum Christmas tree

Piazza Sant'Eustachio

Near Piazza Navona

Presepio at the Church of Sant'Eustachio

Via dei Baullari, toward Campo dei Fiori

Via Urbana in Monti

Piazza Venezia, looking toward the Vittorio Emanuele monument

Looking up Via del Corso from Piazza Venezia

Via dei Condotti

Near the Spanish Steps

The Fendi store on Via del Corso

Video of the lights at the Fendi store and Via del Corso

Via dei Coronari

Via dei Condotti, looking toward the Spanish Steps

Via dei Condotti

Via del Corso

Piazza Sant'Eustachio, with the Church of Sant'Eustachio in the background

Via Tomacelli

You might also like:

10 Things to Do This Christmas in Rome

Is Anything Open During Christmas and New Year's in Rome?

When in Rome, How to Pay the Pope a Christmas Visit

In the NYT: Show Explores Rome's Role in the Renaissance

2011-12-12T23:16:51+01:00

Turns out, it's not all about Florence: A show at the Fondazione Roma proves just how much of a role Rome played in the Renaissance. Learn more by checking out my post on the "Renaissance in Rome" show over at the New York Times' In Transit blog.