HAS ANYONE BESIDES PATRICK STAYED AT THE HOTEL RAPHAEL RECENTLY?
 

The more research I do, the more weary I become. Though I can't argue with the great location of the Hotel raphael, it seems to be a love hate thing with patrons. Some horrible postings I've read about this hotel seem at least a year old. I'm hoping this hotel has "cleaned up" (literally) Help!

lola, I hope too that somebody else answers, but let me guess what some of the problem is. Hotels in Rome tend to be overpriced and less "wonderful" than what most people expect. A typical rate at The Raphael is around 300 euro a night now. Many people expect it to rival a $400 hotel in other cities. Forget it. A $400 hotel on the Left Bank of Paris will have much nicer and larger rooms -- no getting around it. And many people expect "modern" or recently furnished rooms for that kind of money. There is no doubt that some of the rooms are a bit "faded" and overdone at The Raphael. As an interior designer, I loved that. It was so nice to see three layers of elaborate but old fabrics beautifully draped and trimmed at the windows, and two or even three layers of skirtings in heavy fabrics on a side table. Our room was dark and heavy, layers of velvet, gold trimmings, heavy brocades and tapestries. But some people are turned off by such things -- more comfortable with fresh, clean and simplified decor. No the rooms aren't very large, and they may seem even smaller because much of the antique furniture is really overscaled for the rooms. It's more like going to some rich old aunt's house for a visit, than staying in a typical four or five star hotel.

I know more travelers who have been disappointed in the hotels they've booked in Rome than any other city. We met a couple on their honeymoon with the bride in tears because their five star hotel they were paying a small fortune for was an absolute "dump". They managed to get a better room their second night, but still hated the place. They wanted to leave but were fully prepaid their their travel agent. Of course, they were coming from three nights at Villa D'Este on Como, so they were expecting something grand. This is not uncommon in Rome.

You're a sweetheart, Patrick. Thank you :)

I guess you may have checked tripadvisor.com and saw mixed reviews. If I were you I'd email the hotel directly and request the type of room you want and maybe that will help you out alot with your anxieties. Sometimes reviewers exaggerate negative comments or even make them up to get back at a hotel for whatever reasons. In fact, even if you stay at a hotel that has 99%-100% glowing reports doesn't guarantee you may agree anyway. You simply have to go and find out for yourself.

Also there are duplicate posts of your question; just once is okay and if you want the post to go to the top of the page just do a reply and type "ttt" in the message box.

My husband and I stayed there in the summer of 2002. We had a junior suite and it was recently refurbished in a very comfortable and elegant way. The bathroom was large and very modern. I can't complain about the junior suite at all but it was around 500 Euros per night. I don't know what the standard double rooms look like. The hallways and stairwells were a bit institutional looking so that might have turned some people off who gave negative reviews. Breakfast is not included in the room price either. But the hotel was clean, the staff helpful, and the location wonderful so if you get a recently redecorated room for a good price, I wouldn't hesitate to stay there.