Le Méridien Visconti Rome
For the first half of our Rome trip, we stayed at Le Méridien Visconti Rome which is located in the Prati neighborhood on West bank of the Tiber river near Piazza Cavour.
Piazza Cavour
The hotel offers guests a quiet comfort and less chaotic surrounding than staying on the other side of the river. But don’t worry, the hotel’s location is convenient for walking to the Castel Sant’Angelo, the Vatican and other major Rome attractions.
View of the Vatican from Ponte Sant’Angelo
That said, don’t be mislead by the description “located halfway” to the Spanish Steps, technically that is true but it can be a long walk in the Rome Summer heat. I suggest a cab or taking the metro to that part of the city.
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The hotel’s modern décor and contemporarily designed rooms were definitely appealing. My daughter and I shared a superior room which is basically two single beds. This is pretty much the norm for European hotels. I am sure there are European hotels that offer two double beds but not likely in my price range. That said, our room was spacious enough for us. And the bed was definitely super comfortable and made getting over our jet lag a joy. And I have no complaints about the air condition!! It was so pleasant to come back to take our afternoon siesta!!
As you can see, the Le Meridien Visconti has a new modern and chic feel to it.
Even the hallways were chicly decorated.
Le Méridien Visconti Rome has several noteworthy features.
- There is a rooftop terrace, perfect for having a pre-dinner drink or hanging out after dinner.
- There are USB chargers on the nightstands and the desk. This makes life so much easier if you have multiple devices to charge up at the end of the day. This is Italy after all, bring a converter which I did so I could charge up my camera every night.
- Breakfast buffet for just $10 euros/person. You might think this is expensive, it is NOT. There is something for everyone to enjoy from scrambled eggs and bacon to yogurt to fruit. Plus lots of coffee brought to your table. There is also a coffee machine that makes caffe lattes and cappuccinos. And want coffee to go, just ask for a takeaway cup. My daughter got juice to go and I got a cappuccino.
- There is a teapot (NOT a Coffee Pot or Keurig in the room like US Hotels) in the room where you can make instant coffee or have tea. Remember hotels cater to the English and other Europeans. The English drink tea and the French do drink instant coffee.
- FREE museum admission to the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna. A nice break from the other museums that are so packed.
- Free water – this might not sound like a benefit but it is. Who wants to pay $1.50-$5 for a bottle of water and there are hotels that will charge you that amount!! This is a Starwood Preferred Guest hotel benefit.
- FREE Internet access – again this is a charge at many hotels. Another Starwood Preferred Guest benefit.
- Starwood Preferred Guest Membership – Benefits are based on the number of stays. I would recommend joining (It’s FREE to join). Starwood now includes Marriott properties. It all adds up in my opinion for free stays!! Again it’s free to join!
Local Eats Recommendations:
The concierge recommended a local restaurant La Francescana (Via Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina 11/17) that is a few minutes from the hotel. La Francescana has been around since the early 1900s and is decorated in a very traditional Italian style. Nothing fancy but worked for us. The first night we tried to go, we were told that we would have to wait until 9 pm for a table, it was 8 and were jet lagged and starving so we chose not to wait. We made reservations for the next night and I am happy we did. My daughter opted for the Ravioli with Cream Sauce and I enjoyed Spaghetti with Vongele (clams.) Both dishes were delicious and of course, my wine was excellent. Highly recommend the restaurant but definitely make reservations. I spoke to the concierge the next night that we couldn’t get in and she apologized that it was a Monday and she did not think it would be so busy. I did expect her to offer to make a reservation for us for that night but she did not! Just saying.
Gran Caffee Cavour
Don’t want to stay for the sit-down hotel breakfast and just want a quick espresso and a cornetto before starting your day, we accidentally happened upon Gran Caffee Cavour as we were walking through Piazza Cavour on the way to City Centre. Yes it may seem very touristy given its location but for a quick pick me up, it is perfectly fine. And my daughter was very happy with her spaghetti (she missed breakfast that day) and I had an espresso. Prices were definitely reasonable for lunch.
Longitude 12 Bar & Bistrot – Le Meridien Visconti Hotel Restaurant
We came back late one day so we decided to eat at the hotel restaurant. It’s a small space so there weren’t a lot of tables (reservations are key or getting there early) so we opted to eat in the lounge rather than the bar. We really enjoyed our meals. It changes on a regular basis but it’s an option if you don’t feel like wandering the neighborhood.
Definitely consider staying at the Le Méridien Visconti Rome if you are visiting Rome, it offers all the modern conveniences, is conveniently located, offers a great staff, yummy breakfast and most of all comfortable rooms for an enjoyable stay!!
Visit marriot.com for information and reservations. Location: Le Méridien Visconti Rome – Via Federico Cesi 37, Rome
Distance to Key Attractions
Technically these are all walkable from the hotel. That said, if you are going to Rome in the Summer, be prepared that it is not pleasant when it’s 90-95% degrees to walk for hours on end, so definitely opt for the Metro, Bus or a cab!!
- Navona Square/Piazza Navona 1.0 km/0.6 miles
- Spanish Steps/Piazza di Spagna 1.2 km/0.8 miles
- Trevi Fountain/Fontana di Trevi 1.6 km/1.0 miles
- Galleria Borghese Museum 2.5 km/1.5 miles
Disclosure: NYC Single Mom was not compensated for this post. Opinions are 100% my own.
