After 7 days in Florence and Tuscany, we ended our Italian vacation with three days at the Portrait Suites in Rome. Wonderful hotel in a fantastic location with a fabulous rooftop deck for breakfast, cocktails or just hanging out. This was our first trip to Italy and my in-laws hired a private guide to assist us with the trip. Guido Gambone was the BEST GUIDE EVER, pre-arranging all of our activities and meals so the entire trip went smoothly. Literally, there was not one thing that did not happen perfectly, including driving the entire trip, thanks to Guido. I would highly recommend him - he is worth every penny, as is the hotel!

The hotel is located in an upscale, walking-only shopping district of Rome, near such stores as Ferragamo and Gucci. (Sadly, no Spencer Gifts)

The room was small, but very nice. Flat paneled TV, free wifi, nice bedding, comfortable beds, new bathrooms. No views to be had out of my window. After my first night there, the cleaning room apparently used some sort of toxic, nostril-burning cleaner on one of my countertops, which prompted them to move me to a suite at no extra charge. Not a huge hassle and they looked as if they were about to tell me they found a dead body in my room when they approached me with the news upon my return to the hotel.

As advertised, the 7th floor rooftop garden is one of the nicest features of the hotel. Guests receive complimentary access until midnight. It gives splendid nighttime views of the area and the Spanish Steps. They stock a pantry on the roof each night with plenty of drinks, mixers, snacks, lemons, ice, etc for guests to serve themselves in exchange for IOU slips. Very cool, utilized and unusually trusting.

Concierge service was extremely helpful and efficient -- offering to hook up a private tour of the Vatican for an hourly fee. Breakfast is included -- though they charge for anything cooked or heated -- like eggs.

Some quirks about the hotel:
--The front door is always locked and you must ring a bell and flash a room key to a camera to gain entrance
--The "lobby" is on the 2nd floor. Upon arrival, you are brought into the room, sat down and presented a package about the hotel and services offered.
--You must insert your room key into a slot to activate electricity in your room. I couldn't tell whether I liked this or not. It seemed really futuristic and advanced at times, and like a useless Epcot Center-like erroneous prediction about the future at others.
--Some taxis drive in the walking only section to the front door of the hotel, while others drop you off at the Spanish steps -- 2 blocks away.

I would not for one minute hesitate to recommend this hotel to anyone. The hotel and service is the best I have ever had, and let me tell you, my husband and I travel a lot and have stayed in some pretty remarkable hotels! It is absolutely breath taking, they have an amazing roof top bar, the rooms are just outstanding, they do not miss a thing! The style is mind blowing! Everyone must stay here, and I believe they have more hotels around Italy. I cannot say enough about this place or for the service. DO NOT STAY ANYWHERE ELSE!!! I give it a 20 out of 10.

PORTRAIT SUITES
Arrived at the Rome Termini train station determined not to be ripped off by a cab driver, like we usually are. This time the driver not only sped up the meter, he dropped us off at the corner of a one way street and explained that if he took us all the way to PORTRAIT SUITES he would have to drive a much greater distance. He said that the hotel was merely 30 meters down the street. So we paid him the 30 EUROS on the meter and rolled out luggage down the cobble stoned street. The hotel was FIVE blocks away. I will never take a taxi at the Rome Termini again.
Arrived at PORTRAIT SUITES sweaty, tired and pissed off. Things changed rapidly when we were greeted by the staff. It was truly like arriving at a friends home for a visit. The hotel looks more like a private residence than a business. And the staff, especially the vivacious and beautiful Giordana, was lovely and very welcoming. The room was, as requested, not on the street side and thus completely quiet with no street noise. The king bed was very comfortable with plush linens and bedding. The marble bathroom was adequate and the shower was huge. The floor of the shower was strangely slippery when dry and stable when wet. The room had a large desk. The electric outlets at the desk were difficult to reach. There was a kitchenette with microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator and utensils. The closet was large with much drawer space. The hotel location was superb, better than the Russie where we usually stay. We were very happy with Portrait Suites and will return. My one complaint is the breakfast which, though very adequate by Italian standards was not sufficient for us.