Some travel books say that the Region of Lazio gets little attention — other than having the capital city of the country, Roma. Yes, Rome is the centre of activity and attention for this Region but there are many other sights to see. Some can be done as a day trip from Rome. But, do yourself a favour and travel around the Region as a travel plan in itself. The Region Includes the cities of Bolsena, Frosinone, Latina, Rieti, Roma, Sperlonga, Tivoli, Viterbo
Agrituristica Montebello
Strada Orvieto (km 3)
Bolsena
We originally planned to stay here as a resting spot, we would fly into Rome, drive a couple of hours to the Montebello and rest up. We found out that it took more than a few more hours to find. Not because it is that far from Rome, but like many ariturismo locations, they are on small roads. Plan how to get there before you leave! Not in the car as you are driving.
That being said, after a couple of tries, we did find it, it was not that hard afterall. Once we arrived we really enjoyed ourselves. This is an excellent location to tour the area with short drives to locations such as Viterbo and Orvieto.
There are two "houses" each with apartments that have their own patios on the ground level as well as rooms on the second floor.
We stayed in the upper house. That has the advantage of a great view, and away from the activity of the restaurant, but is was a steep hill. We found we drove down for dinner most evenings! Not to fear, there is a second pool at the top just for the guests at that location.
Our meals were very good and we would be back here in a moment.
If you are into walking, it is about a 45 to 50 minute walk down the hill to the town of Bolsena, located on Lago di Bolsena.
Via Rasella, 29.
00187 Rome
www.hoteljulia.it/
Tel. +39 06 4881637 Fax +39 06 4817044
It has been a number of years since we last stayed here in 2002.. We found the staff are very friendly and made every effort to look after us. The location of the hotel is great. Our only word of caution is that if you are told you are getting a small room, it is very small. We moved to a larger room as the small room was too confining. The rooms are nicely decorated.
Located in the heart of Rome it is very close to the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Square, Barberini Square and the famous Via Veneto. The hotel, with 33 rooms. Breakfast is included.
via Germanico, 58;
Roma; Tel: (06) 39725717 | web site
This is a very good restaurant located ear the Vatican just off via Octtaviano. Check a map for the Piazza del Risorgimento and you are almost there. There are tables outside along the sidewalk or in the stylish room. The restaurant is on a residential street so sitting outside is going to be a pleasant experience.
On our September 2001 visit to Rome we had a great meal here. the Bruscetta is good. They make killer Angenotti and dishes like Saltimbocco a Romano rank right up there.
Year after year we refer people to this restaurant and we always hear back that it was one of the best restaurants they ate at while in Rome.
via Zanarderlli, 14
(Just north of Piazza Navona).
We have come to this restaurant a couple of times when in Rome each time the meals were good and we remember our meal as a leisurely experience.
On our 2003 trip it was one of the very long enjoyable lunches we had - drinking and eating with no rush to go anywhere! We ran up quite the bill here, but it was worth it.
This restaurant is located just north of the Piazza Navona. Food is great. There tables outside make it a great place to spend the afternoon lunch period. There is plenty of seating inside as well. Portabello Mushrooms, veal, wine and Lemoncello all made this one hell of a lunch.
We returned to the restaurant for a grand 2005 Group Piazza Navona reunion. For this meal it was dinner, and it was a cold, rainy night so enjoyed the dinning room. Although the restaurant lost its Michelin Two-Fork Rating somewhere between 2003 and 2005 the food and service were both very good.
via Dell'Arancio, 50/52
00186 Roma
Tel: 06.687.6119
On found this restaurant on our 2005 visit to Rome, we were walking from our hotel towards the Piazza Navona and decided to cut through some of the smaller streets to get a good feel for the area. We walked by this restaurant, on the very small quiet via Dell'Arancio. It was morning and the staff were sitting at the outside tables cleaning mushrooms and peeling oranges. We made a note of the address and planned to return that evening for dinner.
We did, were most impressed and now this is one of our regular spots when in Rome. Since eating there we find the restaurant noted is many books on great places to eat in Rome so it was more a case of us finding the restaurant as opposed to a great restaurant being found.
This is not a tourist hang-out. This is a places where the people of Rome eat. On our first visit, there was an evening a reception of about 50 good friends mingled on the small street drinking wine before moving to their tables.
We were lucky to get an outside table and enjoyed the very good food and wine for a very reasonable price. We both started with ravioli in an orange sauce. The pasta was made with zucchini flowers. So good. The steak with balsamic vinegar and topped with a heap of roasted potatoes hit the spot. Our meal, wine and bottled water came to 61E.
We concluded there would be, and there has been next times to return. Make a reservation if you can.
via M. Dionigi, 16
00193 Roma
www.hotelsa.it/
Tel: ++39.(0).6.32.42.000
The doorway leads to either the stairs or the elevator that takes you to the 1st floor of this old building in Rome. We used the Hotel Sant' Angelo as our base in Rome for the meeting of the Amalfi Group. The staff went out of their way to assist with the various arrangements.
The hotel has a great location. It is located near the Vatican and with a short walk across the Ponte Cavour you are on your way to the Spanish Steps (15-20 minutes), the Piazza Navona and the other sites.
There are both Standard and Superior Rooms. We recommend booking the Superior Class rooms as they are more comfortable in size.
The staff are friendly, Claudio, Mauro and Antonio are just great and lots of fun. Tell them you are a referral from Marcus!
They recently renovated the hotel. In our view it was a move in the wrong direction by losing their classic lobby. The rooms on the 1st and 2nd floor still have a warmth, with wood floors, however, those on the 3rd have a modern tile and are cold in appearance.
via A. Gramsci, 4
Castel Gandolfo
www.pagnanelli.it
Tel: 06.93.60.004
If you can travel 25 km outside of Rome, in Castel Gandolfo, south east of Roma, on the Appian Way, right next to the Pope's Summer Residence is this great restaurant. The restaurant has been owned by the family from the 1800's.
We ate here in 2005 and had a lunch that we will remember for some time. The dining room is large and airy, overlooking Lago di Albano. Tables are available on the outside patio. Service is top notch.
The wine list is solid, the menu provides a good selection and there are specific dishes of the day. We ate until we literally could not move! We ate our way through antipasto, pasta and fishes dishes. The gelato made with figs, if available, is something not to be missed. We certainly enjoyed the ambiance of the building with its chestnut wooden ceilings, terra cotta floors and large patio doors that provide views of the lake in the volcanic crater. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays. The restaurant deserves each of its Michelin Two-Fork rating.
On our 2008 visit to this restaurant we were returning, with the expectation for a great meal. What we received, however, was abrupt, poor service, and staff that attempted to take advantage of any aspect of Italian that we did not understand. We saw people who spoke fluent Italian being offered options on the menu, we were not. We were charged a hefty price for dishes that were perhaps not so. As we left we vowed, never again would be visit this restaurant.
via Quintillio Varo
Tivoli, Italy
www.hoteltorresangelo.it/
Tel: 0774-33-25-33
Fax: 0774-33-25-33
On our 2000 trip through Italy we were driving up from Sicily, hoping to reach Tuscany. It was too far and we stopped in Tivoli, just outside of Rome.
The Torre Sant' Angelo was a great find. They were listed in the Michelin Red Book, that was a good sign, and it looked like we could afford to stay here. Our stay has memories for sure. No complaints about the rooms, the pool or the grounds. It may have been bad timing. Us there and a wedding going on and becoming the primo event for the hotel.
Dedication to their hotel guests is something the hotel could work work on in terms of improvements. We arrived and there were not one, but two weddings taking place. The wedding parties took over the hotel and most of the staff's attention was on the catering end of their business as opposed to their clients. At times the pool was closed for photo shoots. The restaurant was clearly catering the weddings and getting good service at the meal was difficult.
Nevertheless, this is a beautiful hotel. Great grounds around the hotels. The rooms are beautifully furnished. A pool to die for. Too bad on our visit it was taken over with wedding guests.
Tivoli is well positioned to see the sights of the area or take a train into Rome.
via del Viminale, 15
Rome
www.hotelcolumbia.com
On our 2008 trip to Rome we stayed at the Hotel Columbia. What a treat!! Owner, Patrizia Diletto has gone to great lengths to make a stay here very comfortable.
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We stayed in one of the Double/ Triple Superior rooms and had a king size bed with a chaise that could accommodate a third person. It was a very large room with luxurious and tasteful upholstery and trims. In each room hangs a beautiful Venetian chandelier.
Our friends stayed in a Double Superior room and they were also delighted with the accommodations.
We had the chance to inspect some of the standard rooms which varied in size and shape. The difference is mainly the decor... the standard room being more classic and not having the brocade draperies, etc. Otherwise, the amenities and comfort level is the same.
Patrizia did mention that they have standard rooms smaller than what she was able to show me. Later, we saw a smaller room which may have been of the size that she was referring to and it looked not unlike many that would be offered in Rome. Saying that, we recommend either the Superior or the Standard without hesitation. If room size for the Standard room is a concern, you should address this at the time of booking or book a Superior.
The management has thought of everything from a lint brush in the closet to a scale in the bathroom. Not that we wanted to step on a scale at that point in our trip, but some might want to! It is these thoughtful things that make the Hotel Columbia special.
From the insignia on all the linens, including the carpet, to the "a la carte" pillow service which allows you to order the type of pillow you like... it all has the makings of a "boutique hotel" at half the price.
Just as the rooms are tastefully furnished, the common areas such as the breakfast room and lounge are furnished with the same care and attention. Since it was cool while we were there in September, breakfast was served in the lovely bright breakfast room. In warmer weather, breakfast may be had on the roof top garden terrace... one of the main features that drew us to the Hotel Columbia. The terrazzo, with it's good quality outdoor tables and chairs, is even more beautiful than seen on the web site. What a bonus for a hotel in a bustling city...an oasis in the sky! A beautiful place to enjoy a glass of wine or coffee. After dropping off our bags, we made our way to the 5th floor terrazzo and enjoyed a bottle of prosecco. It couldn't have been a nicer way to greet Rome! The bar is open well into the evening so a nightcap is possible after dinner. We were pleasantly surprised to see that their bar prices were very reasonable.
Breakfast consisted of a nice assortment of cakes, breads, croissants, meats, cheese's and even eggs. We enjoyed the very pleasant surroundings, the staff were helpful and we are always happy to have our juice in a glass & not plastic! The roof top terrazzo and lounge are just off the breakfast room and create a very inviting experience. A computer is available in the lounge & time can be purchased at the front desk. Along with the guest computer comes a printer so don't forget to ask for a piece of paper if you plan to book your "boarding pass" for home.
We found the hotel staff to be most accommodating in helping with our requests. We tried a couple of their recommended restaurants and even went back to one of them a second time. Both were excellent. The overall appearance of the hotel interior is bright, clean and updated. They have installed a beautiful chrome and glass elevator which is a nice change from the ones that you have to send your luggage up on it's own!
The Columbia is located a few blocks from the Piazza del Repubblica and the Metro stop at that location. It is also a short distance from the Termini Station which is convenient for train travelers. Since Termini is the Metro interchange for the two lines, it is easy to get to different areas quickly.
We used the hotel's taxi service to the airport and found it to be more reasonable than some hotels. We had a very early Saturday morning departure; the taxi got us there in 30 minutes.
2008 was our first visit to the Hotel Columbia and it will undoubtedly not be our last!
via C. Colombo, 156
Sperlonga
www.aurorahotel.it
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n 2008 we had the opportunity to return to the town of Sperlonga. It is on the coast, about and hour and a half south of Rome. The country side in this area may not be the most scenic, but it all changes at Sperlonga.
The historic centre of the town is on a rock cliff that meets the ocean. The town is a maze of small and connecting walkways.
The Hotel Aurora is in the sea-side lower town and is just a short walk from the steps to the 15th Century Port that enters the old city. We saw this hotel on a previous visit to Sperlonga and we had made a note to stay here the next time we came to the town. We did, and we were very pleased.
We had seen the lounge area on a previous trip. It was one of the aspects of the hotel that drew up to make a reservation on the return trip.
In all of the public rooms, this is a hotel with a grand feel to it. The reception, dining area, lounge and outdoor patios are all of significant size. They all help to give the hotel a great feel.
Sitting in the lounge, or on one of the outdoor patio tables, it is pleasing to be right on the sea side. The morning breakfast was quite the spread with lots of options that include eggs etc.
Rooms were comfortable, clean and what one would expect at a sea-side hotel.
The staff were very helpful.
We were most pleased that there was no additional beach charge for the of a beach chair or lounge. You will want to spend some time on the beach as it is one of the best in Italy. Very clean, fine white sand and the beach is of considerable length so you won't run out of sand on any of your beach walks!
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