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

A Giugno,la gara di motocross freestyle sarà ancora una volta a Roma per portare un’ondata di adrenalina a tutti gli amanti degli sport estremi.

Anche quest’anno, come nel 2010, il famoso energy drink Red Bull porterà a Roma alcuni dei più abili piloti di motocross freestyle per sorprendere il pubblico entusiasta che affollerà lo Stadio Olimpico.

La competizione acrobatica sta girando il mondo e continua ad incrementare la sua popolarità che ha raggiunto livelli notevoli nella tappa di Brasilia dove ha radunato circa 100.000 persone.           Sin dalla prima edizione, tenutasi in Spagna nel 2001, l’appuntamento di Roma, la città dei gladiatori, è sempre speciale anche per la location in cui è ambientata la gara: un moderno Colosseo!

I piloti si sfideranno in acrobazie sempre più difficili e spettacolari che lasceranno senza fiato la folla dello Stadio Olimpico.

Non perdete la possibilità di partecipare ad uno dei più estremi eventi sportivi del mondo: compra subito il biglietto e prenota il tuo soggiorno a Yes Hotel o Hotel des Artistes, il modo più vantaggioso per alloggiare a Roma!

The freestyle motocross competition will visit Rome once more next June to bring a surge of adrenaline to all the lovers of extreme sports.

Again this year, the famous energy drink Red Bull will bring to Rome some of the most skillful freestyle motocross pilots to marvel the enthusiastic crowds that will fill the Olympic Stadium as they did on their 2010. exploit

The stunt competition travels the world and in fact it has just gathered in Brasilia the largest crowd in its history (100.000 people), a telling sign of a rising popularity. Their visit to Rome, the city of gladiatiors, it’s always special, since even tough the competition started in 2001 taking place in bullrings in Spain, a modern colosseum in Rome is a location equally fitting for this kind of exciting event.

The pilots will challenge each other in increasingly difficult stunts that will make the crowd in the Olympic Stadium hold their breath and cross their fingers.

So, don’t miss the chance to attend one of the most extreme sportive experiences in the world, get a ticket as soon as you can (last year tickets just flew off) and make a reservation at Yes Hotel or Hotel Des Artistes, your most convenient options for accomodation in Rome.

Our Blogger: Raul

- Rugby enthusiasts will flock from all around the world to the Eternal City to assist to the competion where the most powerful European teams fight for sportive glory.

As every year, rugby fans from all around the world are rubbing their hands in anticipation for the upcoming edition of the 6 nations championship to take place beetwen February 4 and 19 March 2011.

The tournament brings together on a yearly basis the most powerful European rugby teams to compete for the continetal championship. The system is quite simple: each team plays every other team once, with home field advantage alternating from one year to the next. When a team wins a championship without being defeated it achieves a Grand Slam.

Of course, the most powerful teams are those with a strong rugby tradition like Ireland or England, but more “latin” countries like France and, more recently, Italy are developing a growing passion for the sport drawing bigger crowds to the stadiums each year.

On this edition of the tournament Italy will be playing in its home filed, the Sadio Flaminio in Rome, against ireland on February 5; Wales on February 26 and France on March 12. All the matches are great opportunities for Rugby enthusiasts to enjoy their favorite sport while getting to know one of the most beautiful cities in the world!

Don’t hesitate anymore and make a booking now at Yes Hotel or Hotel Des Artistes, your best options for accomodation in the Eternal City!

Our Blogger: Raul

- One of the most remarkable events this year will be the beatification of the beloved John Paul II. Crowds from all around the world will flock to the Ethernal City this summer and the accomodation facilities will be working at full capacity:  make your reservation now!

Few historical characters are as significant and inspirational as the late  Jean Paul II. During his long potificate pope Wojtyla (his actual last name) traveled the third world spreading the faith among the poor of the world, helped to bring down communism on his native Poland and gave a new, more human and contemporary face to catholicism.

A true symbol of his age, John Paul II suffered the horror of the second world war and survived it to become the first Polish pope (and the first non-Italian pope in centuries) and one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century.

Proabbly the best-loved pope ever, Wojtyla passed away 5 years ago, and now the catholic church has determined to beatify him. A not very orthodox decision, considering that usually it is required to wait at least 5 years after a person’s death to start the beatification process,

but given the influence and spiritual power of John Paul II the catholic hierarchy, guided by Wojtyla’s trusted collaborator, Joseph Ratzinger,  deemed the waiting unnecessary and activated the beatification process as soon as possible.

The ceremony will take place the 1st of May 2011 at Saint Peter’s and according to Vatican Spokesman Federico Lombardi, an invitation is not required to attend the ceremony.  Everyone traveling to Rome is welcome. The eyes and hearts of the whole world will turn to the eternal city to follow John Paul II in yet another travel: that of sanctity. Dont’ miss one of the most important events of this new year and make now a reservation at Hotel Des Artistes or Yes Hotel, hurry up or you will run the risk of not finding accomodation in what will be one of the periods of maximum occupation ever in Rome!

Our blogger: Raul

Our Blogger: Rhodora

The origins of Michael Bublè are Italian: his Grandmother Yolanda is from Carrubo, a small town in Abruzzi, and his  Grandfather is from Teviso in Veneto region. It’s his Grandfather that make Michael closer to classic jazz and swing music of the 40s and 50s, the Mills Brothers, Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin Ella Fitzgerald. Encouraged, Michael learns the ‘’sacred texts’’ of swing and participates in several youth competitions. To open him a way to a major label, however, is the former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who has always been fan of pop music, to introduced him to the producer David Foster, winner of numerous Grammy and Executive Director of the labels that are managed by Warner. Bublé amazed him singing Mack the knife to the wedding of Mulroney’s daughter, after that he finally obtained a contract and in 2003, he published his first album under his name, first in America and then in Europe, he became one of the most singers all over the world. After the big success, in  2005 he appeared with another successful album called it’s time followed two years later by Call me Irresponsible.

In 2009 the new album Crazy Love Michael opens the door of his private emotions to the world. You can see may facets of a man: the boy always happy and optimistic, the angry lover refused, the perfect boyfriend, the not-so-perfect pretender or the only man in a crowded room. In this album you can also hear him singing the eternal friendship that give consolation after a sentimental break in the song written by himself called “hold on” or a story of a couple born under an unlucky star on At this moment.

After almost two and a half years since the last tour in Italy, the great Canadian singer returns to Rome on October 23^rd 2010 for a great concert, to sing for all his fans songs of his new album and some of his greatest hits.

Our Blogger: Raul

Well, these days are strange in Rome. With so many cancelled flights due to the cloud of volcanic ashes hanging over Europe, not everyone is paying attention to one of the most interesting cultural campaingns to take place each year in Italy: the Culture Week.

Like every year this 2010 many interesting activities will take place and besides many of the most famous monuments in Rome can be visited for free! Yes, from April 16 to 25 you will be able to visit the Roman Forum, the CoIosseum and many other great monuments for free, or almost: by instance, to visit the Capitoline museums you would pay only 4,50 Euros, since there is an additional axhibition taking place right now.

We have selected for you some of the most interesting options when it comes to activities. You will find our picks at the bottom of this page.

And don’t forget: your best options for accomodation in Rome are Hotel Des Artistes and Yes Hotel. Contact us today, or make a reservation through our website!

Our Blogger: Raul

-Next July pianist Keith Jarrett and his legendary trio (Jarrett, plus Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette) will visit the Eternal City: an occassion not to be missed for those who love great music.

When you think of the European jazz capitals of the world, Paris and Amsterdam come immmediatly to mind. But every summer Rome hosts a number of increasingly important jazz events that reveal the growing interest of Italian audiences in improvised music.

Slowly the Eternal City is gaining cachet as a jazz city and this status will be crowned next July with the visit of Keith Jarrett, probably the most talented and well-known jazz musician alive.

Jarrett started his career with the George Lloyd quartet and then jumped to public notoriety through his performances with Miles Davis. Jarrett can be seen as the substitute leading figure in the jazz world after Davis’ dismissal. Jarrett brought jazz back to its acoustic roots after a period of electric experimentation renewing in the process the American songbook with new renditions of jazz standards. Besides his song performances, Jarret is also widely acclaimed for his ability to create long improvisations on which jazz, classical musical and even folk and gospel music blend in an omogeneous and usually astonishingly beautiful result.

But not everything is milk and honey with Jarret, as Italian audiences attending the Perugia Jazz Festival a few years ago can confirm. On that occasion Jarrett snipped at the public after what he thought was a misrespect on their side: in fact, the musician finds the slightest sounds from the audience, as coughs or whispers to be highly distracting and has no qualms about letting the audience know how he feels. In fact the organizers of his concert hand cough drops to the public before every performance.

If you will find yourself in Rome during July this is a great opportunity to attend a concert of magnificent music. At Yes Hotel and Hotel Des Artistes we are at your disposition for all your accomodation needs in Rome.

Our Blogger: Raul

Thinking about a different way to greet the new year? You will be hardly pressed to find a most exciting city than Rome. The eternal city will offer you excitement, culture, and tons of fun to start the new year with the right foot.

Rome houses one of the most interesting art collections in the world: the Vatican Museums, where you will be able to admire the Sistine Chapel. How’s that for a good way to start your year? Not to mention the Capitoline museums, the Trevi fountain, and of course the Coliseum.

Every year a concert is organized at Piazza del Popolo (subway stop Flaminio) to celebrate the new year. And that night fireworks can be seen at Trastevere and Castel Sant’Angelo. But the Roman tradition is to attend a cenone (litterally, a “big dinner”) at a restaurant to celebrate the new year with your relatives and closest friends. The typical dish on this occasion is the Cotecchino e Lenticchie, that’s, sausage and lentils. Near Yes Hotel and Hotel Des Artistes there are many typical restaurants where you will have the chance to experience a truly Roman New Year’s Eve.

Our hotels are conveniently located, with buses and subway stations at a stone’s throw, and the Colisseum is only half an hour away from us. So don’t hesitate to book now with us your accomodation for the New Year or Christmas, and while you are at that, take a look at our special packages!

Happy New Year!

Imagine for a second of living in Roman Empire, more or less 2000 years ago…

One day you hear: Ceasar is dead!!! Ceasar is dead!!! Ceasar is dead!!! What a scoop would it be for today’s journalists…

It is the year 44 B. C, when the Dictator was assassinated in the very senate after declaring him self dictator for life (one month before, so no that long).

How does he find this tragic end? Let’s take a look at the situation : 

In January of 49 BC, He led his army across the Rubicon River in Northern Italy and turns the Roman Republic into civil war. Caesar’s rival, Pompey, runaway to Greece seeing things become complicated. In only three months the old Julius controlled the entire Italian peninsula and in Spain had defeated the legions of Mr. Pompey. Take that.

Julius was not happy yet, so now pursued Pompey to Greece. Caesar crushed the forces of his enemy so Pompey escaped to Egypt . Finally, following Pompey to Egypt and defeated him for the last time. Julius established the beautiful and famous Cleopatra as his delegated ruler of Egypt.

He defeated other rivals in North Africa in 47 BC and came back to Rome with his authority ‘‘firmly established’’.

Sounds like a happy end until here. But happy for who?

In order to consolidate his power in February 44 BC, he declared himself dictator for life. This act, turned many in the Senate against him. Sixty members of the Senate concluded that the only solution to the problem was …to kill Caesar.

So how to do it? You cannot just call Uma Thurman with her yellow suit and sword, she was not born yet. Anyway we are sure of the fact that Mr. Tarantino could have given interesting ideas.

About ideas Nicolaus of Damascus, a friend of Herod the Great (remember the bible?) gathered some information asking here and there, here are some ‘’proposals’’ at that time:

1) ‘’Some suggested that they should make the attempt as he was going along the Sacred Way, which was one of his favorite walks ‘’.

2) ‘’Another idea was for it to be done at the elections during which he bad to cross a bridge to appoint the magistrates in the Campus Martius; they should draw lots for some to push him from the bridge and for others to run up and kill him.’’

3) ‘’A third plan was to wait for a coming gladiatorial show. The advantage of that would be that, because of the show, no suspicion would be aroused if arms were seen prepared for the attempt.’’

4) ‘’Killing him while he sat in the Senate, where he would be by himself since non-Senators would not be admitted, and where the many conspirators could hide their daggers beneath their togas.’’ Smashing! Someone said and that won the major opinion.

When they saw him entering, the senate rose in respect. Next to him Tillius Cimber, approached under the pretext of a request for his exiled brother and grasped his mantel. This was the beginning, those who were part in the plan were near Julius. Suddenly, all unsheathed their daggers. Caesar was stabbed by: First Servilius Casca, his brother, Cassius, Decimus Brutus, Minucius, Cassius Longinus missed and hurt Marcus Brutus (it happens).

So the lesson of the day is ‘’Think twice before become a dictator for life’’ or ‘’Power has its drawbacks’’. Stay cool. See you around.

Your friend Big- mouth-knows-all-about-it,