We're just back from a week in Rome staying at the Daphne Trevi. As other reviewers have stated, from the moment we booked the staff were really helpful with several emails sent before our stay with directions for getting there from the airport, recommendations for eating places and a suggested itinerary.
The Daphne was really easy to get to, we used the train from the Fiumcino to Termini then a short metro ride to Berberini and then a very short walk to the Daphne. We knew not to expect any signs outside advertising the Daphne and knew there'd be no reception area, thanks to previous reviews, but I still felt a belt let down having to lug my case up a marble spiral staircase then checking in in a rather gloomy little office - but I think that was just travel fatigue kicking in because we'd had a long day. However the welcome from Ryan was so warm and welcoming that it overcame any initial doubts, and on seeing the room itself we knew we'd made a good choice.
The rooms are in all located in a large building which is obviously also residential, and our room was just off the breakfast area. It felt totally private. The room was beautifully appointed, very modern and decorated in shades of chocolate and beige. The bed was huge! There was a big wardrobe with a safe, a fridge and - bonus for Italy! - tea and coffee making facilities. The en-suite shower room was also gorgeous - really hip and trendy, all downlighters and chrome and dark grey tiles. It was warm and comfortable.
Our room looked over the "courtyard" - that word always conjures up images of little wrought iron tables and geraniums in pots. Unfortunately that wasn't the case - instead we were looking straight onto the next apartment's balcony and admiring the signora's washing that she hung out every morning! It wasn't a problem - who wants to spend their time in Rome in a hotel room - but I have to admit I found the room dark and gloomy and we had to have the light on all the time we were in there, even in the morning. And because we had the light on and the room was overlooked by windows from all directions, it meant we really needed to have the blinds closed too. This is purely a personal criticism and not a reflection on the hotel - I just don;t like feeling shut in and unfortunately the set up meant that we didn't even know if the sun was shining until we left the hotel. I'd asked for a quiet room with no road noise - however, the Daphne is down a little cobbled back street so I doubt that the front rooms would suffer from traffic noise anyway and they are possibly a little bit brighter. The courtyard rooms are probably nosier than the outside rooms - there was a restaurant kitchen just opposite who opened their windows each evening, and lots of television and general day to day living noise coming from all the other balconies. in one way that was nice - felt like we were living in Italy rather than staying in a hotel. But I like my peace and quiet so I found that a little distracting.
The breakfasts were delicious, lots of fresh fruit and rolls and cheese and meats. Everything was fresh and delicious. There was just one girl waiting on who prepared cappacino and caffe latte to order which were all lovely. Again the breakfast room was beautifully decorated, although the tables were a little small. A bonus was a laptop computer with free internet access for all guests. It was little things like that, which make the place so special.
The location was ideal - we walked everywhere, even to the Vatican. The Trevi fountain was literally just around the corner, the Spanish Steps just a short stroll away. There were plenty of restaurants in the area, some excellent and some rather less than excellent. One in particular should be avoided - I think it was called something like "Patrician et Plebi" and it was close to the Trevi fountain. It looked lovely, very atmospheric, but the food was truly appalling and my seafood anti-pasti (at 15 euro) consisted of chopped crab sticks and squid, complete with the plastic seal from the packet of crab sticks. When I complained the waitress told me it was part of the seafood!! The hotel staff were always willing to recommend places to eat - however, we like to wander round and just find something we like the look off - and some you win etc. etc.! There was a particularly nice little restaurant on the same street as the Daphne, I can't remember the name (sorry to be so vague) but it was just three huge tables and everyone sat together and it was lovely.
Rome itself was everything i hoped it would be - we loved it. The only downside were the immigrants who were very "in your face" selling trashy toys/roses/umbrellas/sunglasses, depending on the time of day and weahter situation at the time. They were so annoying!! To begin with we were polite, saying no thanks, but that didn't work and by the end of the week we'd realised that being rude and shouting "go away" was the only thing that worked, even though that felt rude. The main sites like the Colleseum, the Vatican, the Pantheon etc. were just awesome - again, the touts advertising guided tours were very intrusive and could be aggressive. Maybe we just looked like a soft touch! We found lovely little bars and cafes where you could sit outside (under a patio heater!) and people watch and enjoy the very reasonable local wine (which seemed in the main to be Frascati, but a far nicer Frascati than Tesco sell here!). I
On our first day we were given a map of Rome with a suggested walking tour to get to know the place and that was invaluable. If required, the hotel would supply a guide to accommpany you on the walk but we chose to do it alone. Every member of staff we encountered was friendly and helpful and really wanted us to get the best out of our stay - customer service was fantastic without being too over the top.
Id definitely recommend the Daphne - if you pay cash they give a good discount making it very reasonable for a city centre place to stay. A really nice touch was an email sent the day we got home thanking us for our custom and hoping we'd enjoyed our stay. All in all, a very nice place to stay - definitely recommended.
