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

If your visit to the Eternal City includes a Thursday don’t forget to buy the newspaper La Repubblica (1,20 Eur). Along with it you will get a little weekly magazine called TrovaRoma, where you will be able to find the most interesting things going on in the city (cinema, theatre, restaurants, concerts and then some!). Of course, most of it is written in Italian, but they have also an English summary with the most interesting appointments.

As every year, runners from all the world will visit the Eternal city to take part in the city marathon, to take place next Saturday, 18 March.The marathon has become an established sportive traditions and tourists and Romans alike look forward to it every year.

You can find all the information about the race here. The runners will pass by some of the most remarkable landmarks in the city, making it a really interesting option for those who love to visit other cities and stay fit.The race will start at 9:00 AM at Campo de’ Fiori and is also valid as 5th edition of “RomaFitwalking”.

As a part of the event, it will be possible also to participate in a 4k run called RomaFun, where as you can imply by the name, the only aim is not to win but to have fun and enjoy. But even if you don’t take part in the race, it will surely be an exciting a fun way to spend the morning!

Many countries around the world celebrate the International Women’s day on March 8. It’s a big thing in Italy:  that day, Italians show their appreciation giving little bouquets of yellow flowers to the women they know. And to show their appreciation, the ministry of culture has decided to allow free entrance to the national museums to all women during their day. Here you will find a list of all the monuments you can visit in Rome (the Galleria Borghese and the Colosseum are included).

So, now you know: if you are a woman enjoy a nice, stimulating cultural visit to one of Rome many museums and send us an e-mail telling us your adventure. And don’t forget: check Hotel Des Artistes and Yes Hotel for the best accomodation in the Eternal City!

If you like cinema and are visiting Rome this month don’t miss the fil projections the Palazzo delle Esposizioni is organizing as a side event to their American Art exhibition (which you can check here in detail)

You’ll have the chance to watch some of the most important movies ever produced by influential American film-makers like Robert Altman, Sam Peckinpah and Terrence Malick. The films will be shown in English, in the movie theatre located inside the premises of the museum (the entrance is not on through the main gate, but just around the corner, up the steps at Via Milano). The admission is only 4 euros. You can check here the full program.

If you are a cinema aficionado and are looking for a way to relax after a long sight-seeing journey, this is taylor-made for you.

The Palazzo delle Esposizioni is located on Via Nazionale; you can easily get there from Yes Hotel or Hotel Des Artistes. Don’t hesitate to write us if you need more information and to get the best rates for accomodation in Rome!

This is a truly frightening thought: a crypt comprised of six rooms all gruesomely decorated with the bones of thousands of Capuchin monks.

The crypt is located under the Santa Maria Della Concezione  on Via Veneto 27 close to Piazza Barberini. The church was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII in 1626. His brother Cardinal Antonio Barberini who was a Capuchin member, ordered for the remains of thousands of Capuchin friars to be exhumed and transferred from Via Dei Lucchesi to the crypt.

Fr. Michael of Bergamo oversaw the arrangement of the bones. Many say it is a very macabre artwork however the catholic church insists that it is merely a gentile reminder of the swift passage of life on earth.

No matter what view you might have about it, this is probably one of the most interesting things to be found in the eternal city. Remember for more information you can always contact us at Hotel Des Artistes.

Our blogger today: Liam

Working in a hotel you get used to be asked certain questions very often. I guessed that means many people may be wondering the same things while preparing their trip, so I decided to share them with you. Here they are:

Buses don’t tell the stops
Rome is not completely covered by the subway system, so you’ll find that the only way to get to certain places is by bus. The problem is that the buses almost never show the stops (some models have monitors that show them as you travel, but they are not the rule), and may skip some altogether if nobody is getting in or off. The best way to go about this is to find the bus you need to take and then ask the driver to tell you where to get off.

You don’t need your passport to go to the Vatican
Understandably, we get this question very often. Even if the Vatican is a different state you don’t need a passport to visit Saint Peter’s or The Vatican Museums. However, is a good idea to carry a photocopy of it with you at all times while you are abroad.

Tap water is drinkable
In fact, one of the greatest sumer pleasures in Rome is to drink from the Nasoni, the public little fountains that dispense the thirsty with deliciously fresh water all-year long.

Get your ticket before getting on the bus

Again, buses versus logic. Some buses are equipped with ticket-vending machines, but most of them don’t have them. You can buy the tickets at the Tobacco shops (you recognize them by their typical sign: a big T), news stands and subway stations. In fact, maybe to alleviate the pledge of the foreign bus users, the ticket vending machines are quite easy to use and have a very clear, multilingual interface. You can buy a day pass for 4 Euros, a 3 day ticket for 11 euros and a week ticket for 16 euros, and let’s not forget the good ‘ol Roma Pass: 30 Euros for transportation for 3 days and entrance to 2 museums.

Well, I hope this helps you in you trip. Do you have any other random (but useful) questions to make about Rome? Send me a line and we’ll answer them and share them with everybody!

Next March you will have the chance to admire in Rome the work of Joan Mirò one of the most famous spanish painters of the past century.

Through his art, Mirò tries to break free from the constraints of figurative painting (that is, painting things just as you see them) to expriment with shapes and colours: the result is playful as is colorful but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t offer any emotional deepth or intellectual rigour.

The works of this remarkable painter will be displayed from March 16 2012 to June 10 2012 at the Chiostro del Bramante, which can be easily reached from Yes Hotel or Hotel Des Artistes in Rome taking the bus 40 from the Termini station (Stop Chiesa Nuova).

Drop us a line if you need more information or just to tell us about your visit!

Well, we had some snow yesterday and appaently theres more on the way, so if you are visiting Rome pack sturdy shoes and a good jacket. Consider as well that if it snows many monuments and museums may close: if the snow should actually arrive check that beforehand or send us a line if you need help with that!

We’ll keep you posted about any important developments.

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What a day! We’re having snow, serious snow, for the first time in a long time in Rome. Get ready because tomorrow you’ll get the photographic evidence!

Today we bring you 4 tricks to improve your experience in the Eternal City!

1.- Roma Pass: You might have already know about this one, but offers good value, so it’s worth mentioning: for 30 euros you get to use the public transportation sysem for 3 days and free entrance to the first 2 museums you visit. Besides, you get discounts on all the museums you visit after the first 2. You can find the Roma Pass in many Tabacchi shops and newsstands in the Termini station, where you will likely arrive from your airport.

2.- Book Vatican Museums in advance: The lenght of the queue to get into the museums is almost legendary among tourists, but you can easily avoid it if you book the entrance in advance.To do it go to this website http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do ; from there you can check availability and book your tickets.

3.-Atac website: Rome is not particularly easy to figure out, when it comes to transportation, but the things are slowly changing thanks to the internet. ATAC, the public transportation agency of the city has o neat website that allows you to check yhe best routes toget from one point of the city to another using the public transportation system. It also shows in real time how long will it take for a bus to arrive to a given stop,so it’s a great resource to check on your mobile.

4.- 060608: This is the Municipality of Rome’s official tourist information service. You can call them at (+39) 060608 to get general information about the city and even book museums. Even if the service has been around for a while, is not very well known but it’s really useful!

Our blogger today: Raul