Luxury Hotel in Rome for Marriage Proposal
 

My best friend is currently planning a trip to Rome in order to propose to his girlfriend.

He is looking for some classic, plush, old fashioned hotel to stay at. He basically really wants to splurge, the ultimate in luxury and does not hesitate to spend some serious money on this (after all- how often do you do something like this?).

So far we have been considering the following places:

- Westin Excelsior
- St. Regis Grand
- De Russie
- Hassler
- Eden

I have stayed at the Excelsior once, but that must have been before Westin took over- at least they had not undergone the renovation that I now have been reading about. It was still fine, though, back then.

Any opinions, recommendations are welcome!
Thanks a lot in advance
hsv

De Russie is beautiful, but rather minimalist in design; maybe not what your friend is looking for? I have stayed at the Hassler, and while it is certainly very plush and old-fashioned, I found it too old-fashioned for my taste. The other hotels I have not been to. Do consider that it could also be nice to have the largest suite in a smaller hotel, such as the Inn at the Spanish Steps or the Inghilterra. Their largest rooms have lovely terraces; very romantic.

I agree that the Hassler has seen better days. I feel the same way about the Eden, which gets very uneven reviews. I love the de Russie, but it is more contemporary. However, one of their rooftop suites would be really luxurious, romantic and beautiful.

The Westin is a nice hotel, but it is larger and more bustling and has more business types than the others. I would put this toward the end of the list. I feel the same way about the St Regis, although it gets good reviews on this site.

I agree that the best room in a hotel near the Spanish Steps like the Ingliterra would be a good choice over a smaller/cheaper room in some of the other hotels. Have you looked at Leading Hotels of the World (lhw.com) and Small Luxury Hotels (slh.com)? I have always been happy with hotels from these groups. The de Russie, is a member of Leading, as is the Eden and the Hassler, so it is good to ask opinions as well. The Inn at the Spanish Steps mentioned about is a member of slh.com

Thanks a lot for the replies so far.

Cicerone, in fact one of the sources the choice so far has been based on has been Leading Hotels.
However, it was my impression so far that they are not without failure, as it had already occurred to me that the Hassler might be a bit dated- which was confirmed by Tulips, too. Plus, the Luxury Collection Hotels (like the Excelsior and the St.. Regis Grand) obviously shy away from paing the fees for the membership at Leading Hotels.
I will take a closer look at Inghilterra, which seems to be a good suggestion.

BTW- Does anybody also have a recommendation regarding a romantic Restaurant- not neccesssarily located in a Hotel?

Thanks again
hsv

I hope he pops the question the first night so they can move to a 1* if she says no!

Degas, I have an even better idea: If she says "No" then let HER pay for the hotel!

The St. Regis is a very nice hotel in terms of room comfort and overall service and decor. My impression on a recent stay was that it is geared towards the business traveler. I found their prices to be a bit over the top. I mean, just because someone can spend $500 a night for a room, or has the ability to expense it, shouldn't be a signal to charge 30 Euro for a bowl of chicken consomme.

The location isn't great for someone with a tourist agenda.

I will be staying at the Inn at the Spanish Steps later this month, so will let you know what it was like. I was quoted 650 euro for a standard room at De Russie, while the Inn offers junior suites at 420. Their largest suite is listed for 720 euros. There was a good review about this hotel very recently on this site. Have a look at the website www.slh.com

intrepid, women are smarter than us. If staying in a grand hotel and being asked, they would say "let me think about it a little more and tell you at the end of the trip," even if they knew the finally answer would be NO!

If you ask a gal while staying in a 2 star and she says yes, you know you got a real prize.

Degas, LOL!!

PLEASE tell me men don't really think like that..!

AllyPally, these "kind" of men do.

hsv, the Grand can be grand. Travel & Leisure did a very nice spread on this hotel. Check their archives. Whichever your friend chooses, make sure he contacts management/special events and explains his goal. A good hotel will go out of their way to assist and the Grand has a grand reputation.

AllyPally, have no fear. I hold woman in high regard, perhaps to a fault. Just like to poke a little fun here and there. No real offense intended.

But I did almost get burnt once by a sneaky, two-faced leggy blonde gold-digger. Came home from fishing one day around sunset and caught her digging up my box of silver coins buried out back next to the well!

And to think she fooled a smart guy like me into thinking she was only after my handsome face and large, rugged body.

hsv, if your friend wants to splurge on the ultimate in hotel luxury for the proposal, how on earth will he top it for the honeymoon?

Thanks everybody for the input so far. I really appreciate your info on hotels and the sincere concern I can detect between the lines for my friend and his personal well- being as a newly wed to be...:-)

Just for the record: I have known the girl of his choice for almost as long as he has been knowing her- and I don't think he takes a risk. Neither concerning her integrity nor having her say "No" on this trip. It is rather safe to say that she would also agree if he did not take her away at all- but he still thought this was a good idea and a deserved treat.

Degas,
I really liked your idea of a back- up reservation at a 1- star, though. I will happily and earnestly process that suggestion;-).

Tulips,
your experiences at the Inn would be highly welcome! My friend plans to go the last weekend of October, so I do not know whether you will be back in time, though- but then: The two of you might even meet there!

With regards to you dln:
That's a good point- but then this is not my problem so far. One might add that his proposal trip isn't either- but hey- that's what friends are for, isn't it?

Thank you everybody again
hsv

I will be back then, but too late for my info to be of any use. Good luck to your friend; I find Rome an incredibly romantic city. And may I suggest Bulgari for some of the finest jewellery in Rome? If we are talking about being extravagant, Bulgari should be on the itinerary!

Tulips,

enjoy your trip!

We have a Bulgari shop here in Hamburg, but from what I have heard, the jewellery question has already been taken care of- and as dln suggested, there still has to be room for an improvement!

Thank you so much for your advice
hsv

westin excelsior is beautiful - we had a suite with fireplace, marble entry, silk wall coverings, etc - plus a very nice view out over the via veneto. There were yellow roses in the room when we arrived plus a beautiful basket of fruit and chocolates. The rooftop restaurant at the Eden hotel is quite nice - pricey and if its cloudy, you have zero view of the city. I'd try to find something more intimate for a special dinner. My old stand by - Mario's by the forum/opera. It's tiny, great food, good service (owner and maitre d are one and the same) - and knowing him, if you planned the dinner ahead of time, it would be very very special, indeed!

PS - our trip was a year ago so the renovations were complete.

hsv, may I suggest to your friend that he take his intended on a walk up to the Gianicolo Gardens in Trastevere? The Piazza Garibaldi, where the statue is found, is a lovely green place. It is where all the young lovers go to soak up the sunshine and gaze at each other with a beautiful Roman backdrop. Very romantic!

dln,

you may, of course, suggest anything- especially since that small hike seems to be very appealing indeed!

cmeyer54,
glad to hear the Excelsior is still good. It is certainly still up on the list.

NYCFoodSnob,
I have checked the archives and the Grand's reputation really appears to be spotless- what do you (or anybody else around) think of its location. It is my impression that for a short trip (still no honeymoon, remember;-)) this might be a little off track as compared to the Inn at the Spanish Steps or the Excelsior. Am I wrong here?

And finally Tulips,

as the jewellery question still has to be worked on from what I have just heard, I will gladly process your suggestion and have the two pay them a visit- probably they can find their wedding rings there...

Greetings to everybody
hsv