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

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

Needless to say,Rome is an exciting city, but if you are spending here many days or if you have been here previously, you’ll feel the need to see something different to know more about Italy or just for the sake of variety.

Rome is surrounded by little towns that allow you to get a feel of the life outside a big hectic city like Rome and where you can even learn more about other great civilizations besides the Romans. One of such places is Cerveteri, located a one hour bus ride away from the city, whose pride is an Etruscan cemetery (Necropoli della Banditaccia) that was recently nominated World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

To get to Cerveteri take the red subway line and get off at Anagnina. Only a few meters away you will find a Cotral bus stop. The buses depart regularly during the day (you can check thes schedule here) and you can buy the tickets for them in the Tabacchi shops around the subway station (by the way, it’s advisable to buy your return ticket beforehand, since Cerveteri is not that big of a town and if the Tabacchi shop over there is closed you might find difficult to get tickets).

The ride is a very pleasant one. Once you leave the bus you will find yourself in the main square of the town, facing and impressive castle. From there just follow the signals to get to the Etruscan Cementery. You can buy a ticket that includes both the cementery and the Etuscan museum; this is the best option, since most of the tombs don’t have any objects inside them anymore.

It will take you more or less two hours to see everything. You will be waling in an open field and you will be visiting the tombs aided by a map provided at the entrance ofg the site.The experience is certainly exciting but as I mentioned above, all the objects originally placed inside the tombs have been removed, which substracts some interest to the visit. You can stop at the lunch area located inside the site to grab a bite. I did it myself, and even though the food wasn’t anything extraordinary the kindness of the staff and the view made up for it.

All in all, an interesting visit and a refresing option for those looking from something different while in Rome.

As always, send us an e-mail if you need help with accomodation, or drop me a line to tell me about your experiences in and around Rome.

Needless to say Rome is one of the most romantic cities in the world. People fall in love in Rome, people get married here. Every year we witness in our hotel many couples that happily celebrate their wedding and honey moon in the eternal city. In many cases they considerate not only the romantic reasons (which could be more than enough) but more practical ones. Many items are relatively less expensive if you compare the cost in other countries. ‘’Roma Sposa’’ is a National Exhibition that takes places every year in the Italian Capital totally focused on ceremony, wedding dress, services,  accessories providing ideas and solutions on every aspect regarding marriage celebration.

From 12/01/2012 until 16/01/2012 with  350 exhibitors which cover 30.000 square meters with all information about: travel, floral decorations, wedding lists, furniture, photo shoots everything…Actually if are about to get married you have realized that it takes time and it is not enough just visiting web sites. Many things you have to see it at the very place, touching and talking face to face with people that you will rely on. Is it not a great advantage to have all those people you deal with at the same place, at the same time. The place is Nuova Fiera di Roma, from 15.00 until 20.00 on Thursdays and Fridays, from 10.00 until 20.00 on Saturdays and Sundays and from 10.00 until 14.00 on Mondays. For more information about the exhibition check: www.romasposa.it. If you need accommodation then: www.yeshotelrome.com and www.hoteldesartistes.com

When it comes to coffee it’s difficult to go wrong in Rome: almost avery little Bar (as cafés are known in Italy) has good or even great coffee, but as in everything else there is always one that stands above all the others.

In Rome, the place that is regarded as the best for espresso is Bar Sant’Eustachio. The place was opened in 1938 and it’s almost mythical among the horde of caffeine consumers in the capital. They have their own website where you can buy their celebrated blend to enjoy the best coffee in the eternal city even if you cannot come here personally!

But of course, there is nothing like the real deal: even if the place might seem hardly out of the ordinary from the outside, you cannot help but feel as if you are steping into a sort of temple when you walk into Sant’ Eustachio. The employees have a sacerdotal gravitas to them and clients are advised to let the personel known if they want their espresso without sugar, since you get your coffee with the right amount of sugar already on it- something not many cafes in the city do. Maybe it has to do with the fact that some suspect that the sugar is actually an important part of their secret!

Sant’Eustachio is located at Piazza Sant’Eustachio 32, near Navona square. If you are staying at Yes Hotel or Hotel Des Artistes, or anywhere near the Termini station you can take the bus 40 from the station to get there (get off at the station “Argentina”). Here you have a map showing the bus route and the part you would have to do walking from the bus stop.

Have a great vacation and do not hesitate to contact us for accomodation if you are staying in Rome!

Our Blogger today: Raul

Maroon 5 are a music group, pop rock / funk rock, formed in Los Angeles, U.S. in 1997. The group was born from the ashes of Kara’s Flowers, formed by high school classmates of Brentwood in Los Angeles. After the debut album, “The Fourth World”, in 1997, the group changed its name to Maroon 5 and consists of: Adam Levine – vocals, on keyboard Jesse Carmichael, bassist Mickey Madden, guitarist James Valentine and drummer Matt Flynn.

In June 2002, with the release of a new album, “Songs About Jane” certified four times platinum, which produced four hit singles: the famous “This Love,” “She Will Be Loved”, “Harder to Breathe” and  ” Sunday Morning “.

In March 2007 the album “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long”, preceded by the single “Makes Me Wonder”, which reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

Things will not change in 2010, when Maroon 5 will release the album “Hands All Over”, as it is very immediate and pleasant in their style, just like their smash hit Songs About Jane,Out in 2011, “Moves like Jagger” with Christina Aguilera, which immediately became a great success, and reaching the heights of charts worldwide.

After cancelling the beginning of  their 2011 European tour, Maroon 5 are now ready to be forgiven by their fans announcing the new Italian dates! Two chances to see Maroon 5 live:

Saturday, December 10 – Rome, Atlantic Area

Sunday, December 11 – Milan, Alcatraz.

Like Jazz? Love Rome? Then your in for a treat this october in the eternal city. A very talented young lady by the name of Tess Amodeo-Vickery will be performing in The Cotton Club on the 20^th and in Mahalia on the 26th October.

Tess’ tantalising voice will keep you in your seat for hours. She flirts with her audience and keeps the room alive. Don’t miss her, you will enjoy it.

The Cotton club is located at via Bellinzona 2, near Bologna square. Mahalia  is on via Illa 12, near the subway station Furio Camillo (red subway line).

Contact us at Hotel Des Artistes and Yes Hotel to get the best of Rome at the most affordable rates.

Our blogger today: Liam

Let me tell you about a curious place, away from common tourist routes in Rome .. it is the Orange Garden, located in the Monte Aventino, one of the seven hills of the city, from which to enjoy one of the best views of the Eternal City.

This garden is the perfect place to unwind after a day spent visiting the city, but also the place where you will see a door that hides the Piazza of the Knights of Malta, closed to the public, but you can see peering out of the lock …

Rome we know more or less. But not everyone knows that in addition to St. Peter, Coliseum, Castel Sant’Angelo, Piazza Navona and other famous monuments there are lesser-known small and great wonders that deserve our attention in the same way. Some tips to follow to not lose all that Rome did not want to, hide in the shadow of the greatest works

The Delicious square eighteenth century, the fence and the entrance to the villa of the Priory of Malta are the work of Giambattista Pirenesi, who also found the original of the keyhole of the door, through which, with a view to a tunnel formed by avenue of trees specially cut, you see the dome of St. Peter (beautiful view at night, when, on festive occasions, the giant dome is lit).

After a walk to the ‘Parco degli Aranci’ – the romantic garden in winter and summer – we suggest you peep this view at sunset, when the first light of evening light in color and brightness of the Roman countryside. So is the Parco degli Aranci that before you put the lock of the door of access to what is known as ‘Villa of the Priory of Malta’. ….. you’ll see something really nice! And not to forget!

This important building is the historic seat of the Grand Priory of Rome of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Has the right of extraterritoriality in 1869. It houses the embassies of the order, and to the Holy See and to the Italian. Inside the beautiful, lush garden is the Church of Santa Maria del Priorat, called ‘Santa Maria Aventina’, which was renovated by Giovanni Battista Piranesi in 1765 rearranged the main entrance of the Palace.

The view from this oasis of peace, unknown to many tourists, is wonderful and the pictures may not match reality.

It has a wide view, which stands er dome of St. Peter’s and other architectural wonders of Rome

Entertainment guaranteed.

If you stay with us at the Hotel des Artistes you can reach  this wonderful place in just 20 min!

Our blogger: Rhodora

After the success of the exhibition on Vespasian ‘Divus Vespasianus’, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage of Rome, in collaboration with Electa, plans for 2011 exposure on the figure of another emperor, Nero. The exhibition will be held from April 1 to September 18, 2011 in the exhibition at the Colisseum II, the Curia Julia and the Temple of Romulus in the Roman Forum, the Palatine in Criptoportico Neronian and will include a guided tour of the places of Nero archaeological center of Rome. The exhibition will be accompanied by a wider examination of the figure of Nerone, through his family relationships, the propaganda of the time and the luck that made ??it so “infamous”the emperor’s name until today. They also provided a section of ancient and modern image of Nero, a section on portraits of his family and especially Claudio, Agrippina’s mother and wife of the emperor, another propaganda on Nero, which saw the assimilation of ‘Emperor of the Sun and its celebration as a charioteer and the winner of the Parties. It will be the Coliseum to accommodate the reconstruction of the fire, which is based on material found in recent excavations. In this section, we also examined the grandiose building programs of the emperor and the architectural decoration of his time, with a new virtual tour of the Domus Aurea.

Don’t forget: your best options to enjoy all the history and magic of the Eternal City are Hotel Des Artistes and Yes Hotel!

– A legion of great rockers will visit Rome starting next month: an experience that the city is waiting in anticipacion.

Here in Rome we are getting ready to start a great summer full of rock at the Ipodromo Cappanelle

Like every single year some of the most famous rockers in the world will be visiting the Eternal City to shake it to its foundations.Here’s a selection of the acts we are looking forward to the most: Korn on June 29, The Chemical Brothers on July 13, Ben Harper and Robert Plant on July 19, Skunk Anansie on July the 20th, Jamiriquai on July 22, Moby on July 24, and Slash on July 29. When it comes to Italian rockers our advice goes to the Afterhours on july 6, Fabri Fibra on July 9 or Caparezza on July 16.

“When it comes to Italian rockers our advice goes to the Afterhours on july 6, Fabri Fibra on July 9 or Caparezza on July 16.”

Fibra is the latest rap sensation in Italy. You are able to check his most recent hit “Tranne te” (”But You”) by playing the video on this post.

Every single day of the festival will be different: It’s gong to be really fun experience. To enjoy the greatest summer ever in Rome make a reservation at Yes Hotel or Hotel Des Artistes!

Our Blogger: Angelo

-This May the famous French-Argentinian ensemble will be updating Roman fans on their contemporary take on Tango.

Gotan Project are coming back to Rome to please the local tango lovers. Next 16^th of May 2011 the group will present their  last album “Tango 3.0” at Atlantico Live. This album opens a new music era  for the group, because they managed to mix the traditional sounds of tango and the classic folk argentinian music with electronic sonorities, and sounds from blues and cool-jazz.

Launched by an idea of Philipe Cohen Solal, Eduardo Makaroff and Christoph H Muelle, “Tango 3.0” presents a voyage of melodies from New Orleans and Nashville, and through by the alleys of New York.

In their new album which includes the single “La Gloria”,  they have the opportunity to collaborate with Victor Hugo Morales,  the famous sport commentator of Messico ’86,   who changes his famous phrase “Gooool!” into “Goooo-tan”.

So prepare your senses  to welcome Gotan Project for a vibrating, full of power concert in Rome. You cannot miss it.

Annd as always, don’t forget your best option for accomodation in Rome: Hotel Des Artistes and Yes Hotel. Contact us to get our best offer!

Our Blogger: Dimitri