I carefully read the reviews of this hotel before our trip, and once armed with knowledge we had a fantastic time. We got the city view each time (we had two different stays)--imagine seeing all of Rome from a balcony on a hill! The view at sunset and sunrise, the view of the grounds, the incredible breakfast buffet, the snappy and helpful service made this a great honeymoon spot. We actually liked the fact that it was far from the city--downtown Rome is very noisy, busy, and very dirty. Plus, the people are not exactly charming. We also took full advantage of the Colosseo lounge (the free VIP lounge) and so rarely paid for lunch and afternoon drinks. We did notice most tourists did not tip the lounge staff--that is shameful :(
Now to address some of the complaints by reviewers. The staff is excellent if you tip like you are staying at a 5 star hotel--don't stay at such a place if you don't know how to tip.
The place IS expensive, but it is a 5 star destination hotel. While we were there, we saw athletes, celebrities (as well as the dogged paparazzi), and many weddings and special events. It is an LA kind of scene--this is what I liked least about the place, actually. The gym was full of local women looking to be someone's trophy wife...though that will make some readers more inclined to go.
The bottom line is that the critics got a bad room (one with no view) and didn't spread around the wealth.
With that said, how to save money: take the shuttle--though taxis are cheap and fast (10-15 euros), and eat out. Many reviewers have vaguely referred to a Sicilian trattoria down the street. It is cheap and wonderful and will save you from spending an enormous amount of money at the hotel on food. The trattoria is called "Ai Vespri Siciliani"--turn right out of the hotel and walk five minutes down Alberto Cadlolo way--it will run into Medaglione d'Oro as a T. Turn left, walk 50 meters and there it is. There are also other places to eat on the same street.
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