I was informed at the last minute that I would be travelling to Rome for work. Keeping in mind that I had never left the North American Continent and that work decided NOT to spend top dollar on me I was unsure what to expect in Villa Glori. The website is a little misleading with lots of pictures of what seem to be large rooms. WRONG- they are mostly pictures of the common areas and the dining room- which are much smaller in real life. Now, this is not unusual for in Europe space is elusive and even if you have Donald Trump money you will still most likely have to suck in your gut when entering a room!
Villa Glori is outside of the downtown, Vatican, tourist area. It is nicely settle in the middle of a Roman neighborhood. That means that it is high density all around The Hotel has something in the neighbor hood of two parking spaces so unless you want to fight the locals for a spot (and they have the edge in this battle) I would take a cab. The desk will gladly call a cab service for you and they are very friendly. The English is so-so, but since Rome is an international city it is possible to get aropund with any of the top 4 languages- even at Villa Glori. There is an elevator, though tiny (maybe two skinny adults fit) it is also extremely quiet. If you get a room by the elevator do not be concerned because you will not hear it. The hotel has less than 50 rooms and the desk will require that you leave the room key with them as you leave for the day. thats just fine because very room key has a large metal plate on it. The plate is used as an electrical key in your room. You slide it in a slot to get the power to turn on. Trust me- you will not want to put the key in your pocket.
The rooms are typical European with twin beds unless you specifically book something else. The Tv's are flat panel HD but only CNN international is in English. That's should be fine because when in Rome...you shouldn't be watching too much TV! The decor is modern and the bathrooms are newly renovated complete with towel warmers! Seriously, the bathrooms are spacious, and the showers are comfy for all but the widest Americans.
Breakfast is traditional Italian continental. Sliced meats, hard boiled eggs, and plenty of breads. The hotel does only breakfast as they do not have a full blown kitchen. Cereal, milk, sparkling water and fresh juice is also part of the free meal. Since the hotel is in the middle of a nice residential area there are a few restaurants within walking distance.
During the day there is plenty of activity, but come evening it slows down to a trickle. Keep in mind that Italians eat pretty late so evening is longer than you might expect, but at night the streets are quiet. I would not walk around too late as the area, like most places in the world, has some scary dark alleys.
If you decide to venture into the historical side of Rome (and why not) then the desk will call you a respectable cab and you are about ten kilometers away from Vatican City.
I can not wait to visit Rome again. When I do I think Villa GLori will be one of the places I consider staying in. They were less expensive than the hotels outside of Vatican City. Two hundred dollars per night when I compared the rates to some of my business competition. The hotel is part is part of a small regional chain of hotels and they have quality standards and even nice smelling soap. There is a small bar and a public computer in the lobby, otherwise you can pay and use wifi in the room. You will see Rome much different by staying in a regular neighborhood than in the tourist area!
