Accommodation Review: Hotel Barrett, Rome

For our Rome city break – and my first visit to the city – I wanted a hotel that was centrally located, and close to the main attractions. Staying in centro storico would be more expensive, but also more convenient. Hotel Barrett, on Largo di Torre Argentina fit the bill perfectly, straddling centro storico and the Jewish Quarter.

The glowing reviews that prompted me to book Hotel Barrett did not lie.

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From the moment we entered through the iron gateway, next to a subtle brass plaque announcing the location, and clambered the two flights of stairs, we knew that this was no bland and boring chain hotel. I’ve never stopped in a Travelodge with a flower-bedecked fountain in the lounge. Or a Premier Inn with cherubs floating around the ceiling. Unless I’ve been very very drunk.

There’s a short delay when we arrive – our room is still being prepared. But waiting in what is essentially a treasure trove of objet d’art is hardly a hardship. It gives our warm and helpful receptionist – sadly one-handed after an injury sustained whilst helping a guest with their luggage – the chance to give us some information about the history of the hotel and Rome itself. We’re given reams of information and restaurant recommendations. If you’re not quite at the same obsessive level of travel planning as I am then you get plenty of ideas of what to see and do.

Our room, number 9, is compact but comfortable for two, and decorated in subtle shades of lemon and lilac. A carved fresco covers the wall opposite us – at odds with the TV hung above it. Plaster cherubs gaze down at us.

Open the shutters and there is a great view of the ruins of Largo di Torre Argentina. Despite the bus stops right outside the hotel, the soundproofing is excellent. Thankfully there is no repeat of the sleepless nights in Cologne. There’s also excellent wi-fi and air-conditioning.

The foot massager and jacuzzi shower are particularly welcome after a long day exploring the city. As is the coffee machine and well stocked (not-so-mini) minibar, with juice, soda, beer – and even prosecco

Eating out can be expensive in Rome. But Hotel Barrett provides everything you need for breakfast, with plenty left over for lunch and snacks. There are plenty of ingredients in baskets and in your fridge for an extensive sweet or savoury banquet. Yoghurt, cured meats, pastries, olives. pancakes, all re-stocked daily. Pate. Artichokes. A tin of mixed vegetables. Hot dog sausages. You even have your own OVEN. And if that’s not enough, we’re gifted sparkling wine and biscuit on arrival, and a giant bag of artisanal pasta on check-out.

As Rome is so compact just a short walk in any direction will take you to one of the city’s stunning monuments. The nearby Pantheon is the perfect place to start any walking tour. And you’re spoilt for choice for nightlife, with Campo Di Fiori and Piazza Navona a short stroll away, and the foodie heaven of Travestere just across the river Tiber.

I rarely describe accommodation as exceptional, but Hotel Barrett really is. After all, you don’t even have to get dressed to go to breakfast. My kind of hotel. We stayed for three nights, and could have quite happily stayed for more. Rome captured our hearts and we threw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, practically guaranteeing our return. And when we do, we will return to Hotel Barrett.

Remember that in Rome you’ll need to pay a city tax when you check-out; this is currently €4 per person per night and is payable in cash only.

Hotel Montecarlo: a one night stay

On the final day of our Italian trip we returned to Rome from Sorrento. This time I booked a hotel close to Termini Station for convenience. Handy for the Leonardo Express to the airport the following morning, Hotel Montecarlo was ideal for one night, but just a little too far out from the tourist hotspots for a longer stay. Of course, it’s possible to use the Rome Metro system to travel around the city, although we chose to walk. It’s about 15 minutes to the top of the Spanish Steps, and half an hour to Villa Borghese.

Our fourth floor room is compact but fine for one night. Our view is of an inner courtyard but still manages to be pretty in that oh-so-Roman way.

The bed is queen size but rock hard. You could bounce a tennis ball off the mattress. There are a couple of bottles of water in the fridge though so bonus point there.

Breakfast, served on the 7th floor, is something of a free-for-all. There are five time slots to manage the numbers, yet we are still elbowed out of the way by a bunch of French-speaking octogenarians. Still, it’s a nice rooftop breakfast space, if not quite the tranquil oasis promised in the hotel blurb.

The hotel seems to be a common stop for tour groups – hence the French-speaking, elbow-wielding octogenarians. I’d advise giving yourself plenty of extra time for checking out. The efficient but extremely frazzled receptionist was trying to deal with multiple guests at the same time. Including a French-speaking, elbow-wielding octogenarian that had lost her tour group.