Bulgari Hotel Roma

I was looking forward to this hotel after having stayed at almost every other 5-star property in Rome and having been impressed with the Bulgari hotel in Dubai. This place mostly does not disappoint. There is Wow factor here throughout the property, especially with the indoor pool. Spa facilities are also good and there is a bathing suit dryer here. Breakfast was good although a bit long since it is a la carte; the hot chocolate is syrupy and yummy. Dinner at the hotel's restaurant was particularly good and the staff is engaging and kept bringing us extra things and my son was really happy with the dinner experience. It's not grandma's Italian so you have to have a bit of an open mind and palette. The gnocchi with the ricotta and spinach melts in your mouth; it was outstanding and I can say that after eating 10 highly rated pastas during a 4 day trip around Rome and Naples. The hotel also has a cool rooftop terrace. We were upgraded to a deluxe suite which was impressive and had Wow factor plus lots of treats waiting for us. I didn't see the superior suite we had originally booked so I don't know if I would have liked it. The hotel has a decent enough gym but this was my only disappointment; I would have liked a fuller gym with some machines; this one is almost wholly based on free weights and on a trip I don't like to mess around with free weights due to higher risk of injury. I also didn't like that the pool and spa facilities close at 9; in Dubai they are open till 11 and they should be open late here too at a luxury property. Hotel gave me a free transfer to Termini station and that was a nice sendoff. Two pain points: If you are from USA and need to charge your phone, you should know that bedside there is a charging station inside the drawer. Looking to get your charger into the wall sockets can be a challenge. Ours kept falling down and I broke a ceramic item in the bathroom from all this falling down (the hotel did not charge me). I'm a bit surprised they didn't do better when they designed the rooms with travelers in mind. Other thing: Better hope there is not a fire when you stay there overnight. The hallways are a complete labyrinth and I can't imagine getting out of there alive in an emergency. If they haven't done it already, some kind of floor or wall track lighting will make the difference in a fire. if you stay there, make sure to walk around the hallway and know how you will get to a staircase exit if you have to. Otherwise, this is a great hotel with a motivated staff that shows energy and a desire to impress. I stayed at another 5-star property this week in Rome that had zero wow factor, boring food and no desire to impress. They could boost their gym and keep the pool and saunas open later and then it would just be the place to beat in Rome. It's expensive but worth it if you really want a hotel in Rome done right. I have yet to see better.

LOVE the Bulgari. Sheer perfection. Great location for sightseeing in Rome then returning back to the cool and quiet gorgeous luxury of the Bulgari. Rooms are heavenly with great bathrooms. Ground floor restaurant a very chic scene at lunch with green lush patio. Impeccable service. No doubt I will stay here again next time I am in Rome. Much, much better option than the older 5* hotels in the city center.