I stayed at the Aldrovandi Palace last weekend and i have to say we had a fantastic time. The hotel was beautiful; set in the tranquil villa borghese gardens it really was an oasis from the hectic and noisy city center of Rome, yet we still managed to walk everywhere- a brisk walk to the Vatican or the Colosseum took just over 45 mins, the hotel has a shuttle to the centre of Rome every hour which puts you in the centre of Rome if your not up for the walking. The hotel pool was beautiful and while it was not officially open the hotel was more than happy for us to use it and provided towels, sun loungers and even waiter service as the weather was amazing. The buffet breakfast had everything you needed and kept us filled up till dinner. Id certainly recommend it anyone especially those looking to enjoy the hetic buzz of Rome whilst staying in a peaceful luxury hotel. ill look forward to staying at the Aldrovandi Palace again.

my only bone of contention is the very pricey internet- i really dont undestand how they can change so much for 24 hours of internet!

Arrived at the Aldrovandi on Saturday 16th May for two nights and found the hotel wonderful. After a busy day of sightseeing the pool and garden area is just perfect to relax and unwind in - in response to the earlier comment about the pool not being open - are you sure? The weather was indeed glorious and the pool was open both saturday and sunday.
The room was spacious and looked fresh and overlooked the garden, the bed was comfortable and the room well equipped.
The staff are polite and friendly, especially the garden bar staff who enjoyed making conversation and engaging with customers rather than merely serving them.
The location is slightly outside of central Rome which ensures relaxation in peace and quiet but is near enough to walk to the major sites - it is around a 20-30 minute walk through the Borghese gardens to the Spanish steps - we also took advantage of the minibus - a taxi from Piazza Navano is around 10 euros.
Unfortuantely we didn't take advantage of the restaurant but again with it being in the garden it looks a wonderful place to have an early or late evening meal.
We will be returning to Rome at least once this year and will be staying again at the Aldrovandi.

I stayed at this hotel in mid-May (room 425) and left unhappy with the experience. On the plus side we enjoyed a decent late meal from room service having arrived late on the first evening and we found the guy who served the food pleasant and welcoming.
On the minus side there were a number of things which left us disappointed (i) our room was damned small and in no way resembled the photos posted on the hotel's own website (our room was tired and old in comparison); (ii) small thing but annoying - our bed had only one thin pillow per person when we got there and I had to call housekeeping for extras - I really would not expect to have to do that in a 300 Euro+ a night hotel; (iii) the swimming pool (a big selling point when booking) was closed until June (why? - the weather was glorious); (iv) the costs of PPV films and Wifi are comically high (22 Euros to watch a film, 17 Euros for 24 hours of wifi access - ludicrous both); and (v) the staff at the front desk and the door were consistently unwelcoming (particularly the older guy on the front desk who could barely manage to speak to us). At no point did we feel like we were getting the sort of service we had paid for.
To me the guest directory best summed up the experience - there isn't room for a section entitled "housekeeping" or a number to call for such issues but there is a detailed section informing you of the hotel's dresscode for the various public areas. I have stayed in a good number of hotels over the years which are, like this, branded as 5 star and in the main have had a great time - this is a sad exception and I would not recommend a stay.

We stayed only two nights prior to returning to the US...we wish we had stayed longer...te Aldrovandi Palace was truly a 'surprise' find in Rome. This Hotel is located in a wonderfully serene & safe area with private residences surrounding it. The garden & pool areas are the perfect place to relax and savor the ambiance. The common areas, hallways, etc are all elegantly furnished. From the moment we arrived, we were treated like Royalty...the staff went out of their way to make us feel special & to cater to our every whim. My only regret is that we did not dine in the Hotel's Michelin-star restaurant.closed one day (Monday) and we dined elsewhere the night before we left. I do agree w/a previous comment that the complimentary Van to the Spanish Steps ceases to run too early in the evening...perhaps this will change. Other than that, this is truly a Hotel to enjoy & be pampered at.
We are planning our next visit to Rome in June '09...we would definitely enjoy staying here again...Joanne
Joanne