Hotelrome.net Blog : A guide to news and events in Rome

This area of Rome is where most of the students live because the Sapienza university is nearby, and the location is central and only steps away from Termini station and Yes Hotel Rome. So you can expect to find loads of wine bars, disco pubs and eateries. The streets are packed during the evening and the crowd is obviously mostly made up of young italian student types.

There are many wine bars to choose from. Most of them are very busy and packed choc a block. The atmosphere is great and very cheerful and care free. The prices are affordable due to the clientele. They are very reasonable and the quality of the wine is especially good. For a plate to share which consists of cheese, sausage, salami and cold meat, 2 bottles of wine and a bowl of chips the price is around 60 euros. The most expensive items being the wines. The cheapest bottle is around 15 to 18 euros but you get what you pay for. I can highly recommend Moscato, which is a sweet Sicilian wine that tastes absolutely great and which is perfect for after dinner.

The “quartiere” of San Lorenzo is located very near to the hotel My Hotel Rome, even closer than the Colosseum and is about 15 to 20 minutes away if you are a fast walker. The main place that you want to go to is Largo degli Osci. From there you can walk down any street and you are guaranteed to find something you will like. If you are a student and are coming over for an exchange programme or if you just want to have a couple of drinks and be in a lively atmosphere then this is certainly the place for you to go. Head down to Piazzale Tiburtino. When you get there take the first street on your right and then the next one on your left. Keep walking down Via dei Volsci and there you are. Have fun and paint the town a deep shade of red.

And you probably do not want to miss our unique offer for our Yes Hotel grand opening : book now and you will get a treat !

at the New Rome Fair between 22 and 24 march 2007.

The Fiera Roma is definitely the capital new grounds for future fairs from now on and was built to meet the increasing demands of economy and business and most of all in the Latium region and in the city of Rome. The new grounds of the Fiera di Roma were inaugurated on 22 september 2006 and will replace the old fair in Via Cristoforo Colombo for good.

The Art Cities Exchange is a global event and is a fair that allows every type of business in the international tourism area and visitors will find themselves at the centre of the exchange and will be offered a high level of information and will be involved so that making contacts will be easier. All areas are clearly marked so to avoid time wasting to find your way around the New Rome Fair and allowing you to meet more people in less time. Also, this time of year is said to be best to negotiate on a global level and the Globe Travel tourism exchange is a driving force of the next international trends.

On the other hand, the international buyers will discover the most important tourism market place in the mediterranean area and as a matter of fact service providers from many mediterranean countries will be there so that tour operators can find contacts, products and services. Representatives of Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Tunisia, but also Portuagal and Jordany will be at the exhibition. Professionals of the tourism industry and exhibitors will do business with operators of various countries.

At the end of the day you can come back easily to your central Yes Hotel Rome by train : the “Fiera di Roma” stop is on the FR1 line from Rome Ostiense station, and Tiburtina and Trastevere station.

So you have just arrived at the Yes hotel Rome. You are on a budget and you don’t want to be broke before you have even started. Here are a couple of tips to save your euros and help you get more value for your buck, or euro in this case.

You can drink the water from the drinking fountains scattered throughout the city of Rome, and which tastes usually much better than tap water. Don’t buy anything from the guys on the street selling drinks and sandwiches. Either go to Pam near My Hotel Rome or Tuo Di supermarkets (discount supermarket). They are the cheapest and have all the essentials and more. If you actually take a walk in the Aqueduct Park and drink water there you will notice that is slightly fizzy : As a matter of fact the source is right underneath and some water companies bottle their water nearby, where you can also go there and buy at a very low rate the natural water, either fizzy or plain !

When you go to a pizzeria or a rome restaurant or a any kind of eating establishment if you see a lot of people standing and drinking their coffee or munching their pizza its because its cheaper. Don’t waste your time buying umbrellas from the vendors unless you really have to. The smaller black ones and the compact ones fall apart after a while.

If you are in Rome for 2 or 3 days the best way to get around would be using the public transport and getting a travel card for 3 days, which costs 11 euros and is valid for travel on the metro, buses and trams, but if you want to make the most of the city a Roma Pass is a must since it includes entrances to museums. If you are travelling to the hotel from Leonardo da Vinci airport you don’t necessarily have to take a taxi. Depending on the time you arrive in Rome you can take an express train from the airport to Termini train station which is about a 5 minute walk from the hotel. The most convenient and restful way is to get a shuttle bus from Ciampino or Fiumicino airport to Termini train station too.

If you also have to see the Vatican museums, entrance is free on the last Sunday of every month else a tour is in order if you want to get all useful information. Another way to save loads of cash and still get to see great works of art is to visit the various churches in Rome. There is plenty to see, it wont cost you a penny and you wont be disappointed.

If you want to go for a night out and stop off at a restaurant, make sure you don’t go to any right in the centre. They are expensive and though not all of them will try to rip you off, you can get just as good a meal at any of the other restaurants in the small streets next to the bigger more famous piazzas. Steer clear of restaurants offering tourist menus too, you wont get your value for money.

As in any other city always ask for the price first for any taxi rides or other services, especially being offered to tourists, to make sure you suddenly aren’t burdened with any extra hidden costs.

Be savvy and don’t throw your money away, except into the Trevi fountain of course.

If you’re planning to travel to Rome but don’t have much to spend, you need to be careful about your timing. The prices of flights, hotels and services vary enormously according to seasons! In Rome, the season is about to change in a few weeks time: right now, in February and the beginning of March it is still low season and with some luck you can find incredible offers and budget deals with hotels and air lines…until about the end of March.

The great thing about Rome is that actually the weather is just as nice in February and March as in April or May, and compared to the summer months, it’s much nicer in the early spring: in the heat of the summer one would rather go to the sea side than in the crowded heat of the city… Also, in the low-mid season you can spare of lot of time and trouble queueing to museums, and the public transport and restaurants are much less crowded.

Of course, many of us do not have much liberty or choice as to when to take our vacation and travel, but if you can choose and if you really want to get the most out of your experience in a foreign country and city, it’s definitely adviseable to travel when all the others don’t. Being one of few low season tourists in a major attraction such as Rome will also offer you a much more authentic experience and a warmer welcoming from the locals.

For your stressless and budget-friendly low season vacation, check the great winter-season prices of the Hotel Des Artistes, or the budget hotels Carlito’s Way or Nice Hotel in the Rome center.

The city of Rome was born – or, according to an ancient Roman legend, founded by a mythical hero – on seven hills on the two sides of a river. The river Tiber, Tevere, was very significant to the develpoment and growth of the city, as was the case of most of the important historical cities of Europe. For more than two thousand years, the river was the most important means of transportation and therefore of an enormous importance to the city’s economy.

Nowadays, the river has long ago lost its importance as a transport passage, but it is still vitally characteristic of the city: the two “Lungotevere” are amongst the most important streets of the city center: they are very long, just changing names every once in a while but always beginning with “Lungotevere”, “along the river”. These streets – and the river itself – are two of the main arteries dividing the city. For example one of the oldest areas of the city, Trastevere, bears a name meaning literally “on the other side of Tiber”, because in the times it was first inhabited, theneighbourhood was new, and the until then most of the city had been on the other bank of the river.

An interesting way of seeing the city from this historically important point of view is to take a boat tour of Rome. There are tours with different contents to choose between: you can pick a simple guided tour that lasts a little over one hour and includes just the guidance and information about all you see. There are also dinner criuses available, with the perfect romantic atmosphere and dinner on board – ideal for honey mooners! Another way of pampering yourself is to take a Wine bar cruise with appetizers included. The Ostia Antica cruise will show you the ancient port of Rome as well as the nature of the delta area. The cruises start at the Ponte Sant’Angelo, the bridge near the Castel Sant’Angelo, and you can book the tours on line. For example from the Termini station you can easily get there by bus: the express bus number 40 will take you right there.

Be sure to book your accomodation somewhere weel connected, such as the newly opened Yes Hotel near Termini, or the budget hotel Carlito’s Way, also near the Rome Termini station. Other options for different budgets are offered by the Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes.

Rome is certainly different in every aspect at night and you will be delighted to be able to enjoy all the wonderful sights so brightly illuminated and which makes you see the major monuments as the Colosseum with another perspective.

You cannot get any better treat than a romantic night bus tour followed by dinner in a typical roman restaurant where to rest and savor the excellent genuine food on offer. The tour lasts about 4 hours

You will be picked up from your hotel in central Rome and your bus tour will start with the Imperial Forum and the Colosseum and then heading to Piazza Venezia, where the Capitoline Museums stand, and then continuing towards the Tiber River and alongside Circus Maximus before driving along the Jewish Ghetto with its Synagogue and the extraordinary St Peter’s Basilica Rome.

You will pass Piazzale Flaminio and see the wonderful Piazza del Popolo, and also the central park Villa Borghese. Your night tour will lead you to the Trevi Fountain near our Rome B&B De Cappuccini where it is usual to throw a coin so that you will come back to Rome. Eventually you will have a special typical dinner in a local restaurant, and you can book your tour here

This year again in Rome 3 major rugby tournaments are taking place : An excellent opportunity for a trip over to Rome.
On 3rd february Italy played against France. The next tournaments taking place are : Italy Vs Wales, on 10 march 2007 at The Flaminio Stadium and on 17 march 2007 Italy Vs Ireland.
The Stadium is in easy reach from the centre where our Yes Hotel Rome is situated. We offer various ticket categories and prices according to the seating.
We offer rugby tickets as part of our enjoyable Rugby package, which you can discover here. A minimum stay of 3 nights is required so you can have time enough to also discover the wonderful city of Rome.

Yes Hotel Rome is in the train station area and therefore it is easy to get to the Flaminio Stadium by public transport : Take metro line A and get off in Flaminio which is 4 stops away, and then it is a 10 minute walk only or if you prefer you can take tram 225 (direction : Stadio Flaminio)
And for guests staying at least 7 nights you will get a free public transport pass !

Discover all our other great Yes Hotel packages, whether you travel with your family or planning a romantic getaway weekend !

Villa Torlonia in Rome close to the centre and Des Artistes Hotel Rome, was the last of the noble roman mansions to be built along Via Nomentana. The mansion was bought by the Torlonia family back in the 800s and the architect Valadier was in charge of its refurbishment and took care of the park also by realising various tree-lined roads. Alessandro Torlonia had wished it to turn it into a huge reception location for the Roman and foreign nobility but it never was to be.

In 1919 a huge hebrew cemetery was found north west of the Villa. In 1925 Mussolini was granted the residence there until 1943. Mussolini did not involve huge changes and in 1944 the anglo american troops occupied the villa until 1947.

In 1977 the villa was opened to the public as the City of Rome bought it. An extensive refurbishment of some buildings located in the park only just finished and among them: la Casina delle Civette, the Villino Rosso and the Casino dei Principi. The park is english style as very few in Rome, and offers many different types of buildings and artefacts around, and museum too.

Villa Torlonia is open from 9.00 – 19.00 from last sunday of march till 30 september. 9.00-17.30 from 1 march until last saturday in march and from 1 october until last saturday of october. 9.00-16.30 from last sunday of october until 28 february. 9.00-14.00 24 and 31 december

The entrance is free since it is now a public garden.

How to get there : take the bus 90-84-62-60 or 36 at the beginning of Via Nomentana or if you are staying in rome at the Hotel Des Artistes it will take you no more than 15 minutes to walk.

Are you a cat lover? If the answer is positive, when visiting Rome, you cannot miss the famous Roman Cat Sanctuary of Largo Torre Argentina. It is something you can only run into in Rome: a lively cat community in the very heart of Rome, located in the midst of archeological treasures!

The archaeological area of Largo Argentina was excavated in 1929, revealing the remains of ancient Roman temples, the very place where Julius Ceasar was stabbed to death in 44 B.C! The excavation area, covered and protected from the weather and the curious, offered the perfect shelter to the stray cats of the area, who were quite numerous at the time, and who soon founded a “home base� there. Soon some cat lovers made their appearance and started regularly feeding the cats on their own expense.

This went on until 1993, and the cat community prospered, building up a certain fame partly thanks to its magnificent surroundings – certainly many a per cat would envy the historical setting and splendid tradition of these “Ceasar’s heirs�! The cats have had some quite remarkable supporters and admirers, for example Anna Magnani, who loved to feed them and keep them company during her breaks when working in the neighbouring Teatro Argentina.

In 1993 things began to get more organised: the city of Rome gave a primitive shelter space to the “cat-people�, and finally, in 1995, they managed to get some financial and practical support from the UK. This was a turning point for the activity of the activists: first they started collecting little donations from the tourists visiting the cats, and eventually they even started organising fund raising dinners! Today the activity is flourishing even though, of course, funds are constantly needed. So when you visit the “Sanctuary�, don’t forget to leave your own little offering if you care for cats. If you wish to do something more, you can for example adopt a Roman cat!

The Cat Sanctuary is located in Largo Torre Argentina in the historical center of Rome, nearby Navona Square and Venice Square (see the location or Largo Argentina on a Rome city map). From the Termini station you can catch the bus number 40 to get there in a few minutes, or just stop by on your way to the Vatican.

You can find comfortable and stylish accommodation – even if maybe not quite as fabulous as the historical home of these cats! – at the Rome Hotel Des Artistes near the Termini station, the central location of which allows you to visit easily Largo Argentina as well as any other Rome attractions. Another great option is the Rome budget-hotel Nice Hotel.