Sheraton

Almost, but not quite there. Sheraton Viale Parco dei Medici, 148 Rome, is located in the middle of nowhere, really. That’s a huge downside, considering one has to take a shuttle from and back to the hotel if you want to explore Roma, or simply have dinner. Onsite dining choices are really limited, given one onsite restaurant they convert to, in the same room that serves breakfast. There’s a bar area with some nibs offered, but that won’t suffice if you’re hungry in the evening. Also, the surrounding (and may I add, seriously abundantly-​looking movie theater) contains some food-​court like eateries. Back to the hotel review — I stay here regularly for weeks on end for business. I have upgraded accommodations and so can only attest to the rooms I stay in — quite spacious, plenty of room, work area (a desk and chair), seating area (both a couch and an armchair), TV stand and a fridge, and the bathroom features both a bath and a shower. Floor to ceiling windows, sizable mirrored closet, bathrobes and slippers, all good. They serve breakfast from 7am to 10am, there’s always something to choose from, although it becomes all the same in a week’s stay — I’m not looking forward to so much baked goods and would’ve preferred any variety of salads and fruits, mainly berries, definitely some berries would be great, and perhaps some veggies, any veggies at all? Oh yeah, and their fitness on the ground floor feels a bit claustrophobic, not vented well at all, very basic machines, so overall not the best it can be.

After two weeks of experiencing Italy from a natives perspective, my wife and I welcomed the idea of staying in a hotel that was similar to the ones back in the states and that’s what brought us to this Sheraton. We didn’t mind the Italian style hotels, but it was nice to be back in a hotel that put us in our comfort zone. The rooms were large and very similar to the ones back in the states. In fact this hotel was better than the ones back in the states. The bathrooms were nice and the water pressure and water temperature from the shower was very consistent. There is a pool here but the swarm of mosquitos buzzing around nearby scared me away, so I decided to stick with the gym, which was super clean and their equipment was surprisingly diverse. The only reason why I gave this place a 4 star is because their elevators are very difficult to use, and the staff members that I had encountered at the bar spoke little to no English, which was weird since even the smaller hotels we stayed at, which were designated mainly for the natives, had staff members who understood English. Another reason why I only gave this hotel a 4 star, is because of its location. Its pretty much in the middle of no where.