Relais Banchi Vecchi or Due Torri
Jan 13th, 2005, 11:22 AM
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Relais Banchi Vecchi or Due Torri
Hi,
I booked our tickets to Rome yesterday, I am so excited and nervous at the same time. This will be our first trip to Europe. I've been doing research on this board, and have read many reviews on both of these hotels, and now I'm a little confused, which one is better? We're going to be in Rome May 21 - May 25. As I work my way up to Florence and Venice, I'm sure I'll have more questions to come
I booked our tickets to Rome yesterday, I am so excited and nervous at the same time. This will be our first trip to Europe. I've been doing research on this board, and have read many reviews on both of these hotels, and now I'm a little confused, which one is better? We're going to be in Rome May 21 - May 25. As I work my way up to Florence and Venice, I'm sure I'll have more questions to come
Jan 13th, 2005, 11:42 AM
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I've never been to Due Torri, but part of your answer lies in what you are looking for.
I "think" that Due Torri is a small hotel with a desk clerk and the like. Banchi Vecchi is sort of a cross between a hotel and an apartment. If you have a problem at Banchi Vecchi mid-day, you'll have to call the owner on the telephone. There won't be someone there all day to assist you. This might not matter to you or it might. It all depends.
Sorry I can't be more helpful as to which is better, but if one of the above is important to you, then that might sway your decision.
Perhaps someone will post who has seen both.
Sally
I "think" that Due Torri is a small hotel with a desk clerk and the like. Banchi Vecchi is sort of a cross between a hotel and an apartment. If you have a problem at Banchi Vecchi mid-day, you'll have to call the owner on the telephone. There won't be someone there all day to assist you. This might not matter to you or it might. It all depends.
Sorry I can't be more helpful as to which is better, but if one of the above is important to you, then that might sway your decision.
Perhaps someone will post who has seen both.
Sally
Jan 13th, 2005, 07:38 PM
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I am sorry to say that I haven't been to both, but I have stayed at the Due Torri. If you will stay there in May, definetly ask for and be assured of a top of the hotel balcony room. The views are nice, and we spent a lot of time relaxing there.
The best things about the Due Torri are the friendly desk staff and the location, which is my favorite in Rome. We have stayed there 4 times: once at the Due Torri and 3 times at the Portoghesi.
The staff at Due Torri will help with anything, and they are very nice. For the most part, they help with smiles on their faces. The location at the top of via della Scrofa can't be beat. I think it is perfect.
Now, what I don't like about the Due Torri: for the price, which is considerable, the rooms are decorated a bit shabbily. They are clean and neat, but the furniture could use an upgrade. I've heard this from another guest, so at least one person agrees with me.
For the same price, we like the Portoghesi. The rooms are about the same size, and they are decorated better. The furniture and bathroom fittings are updated and are nicer. Better line of sight to the TV, if that matters to you. It does to us; we like Italian TV.
The bathrooms are much nicer, the towels and linens are nicer, too, at the Portoghesi, than they are at the Due Torri.
Now, the staff at the Portoghesi will do anything you ask, but they won't smile and chat as much as the day staff of the Due Torri.
Breakfast is about equal at both places.
I hope this helps. You can email me at [email protected] if you have any other questions about the Due Torri or anything in the neighborhood. Great bakery, good restaurants, and a branch of Volpetti. Also, a very good cafe.
Oh, now I'm sad. We are staying near Piazza Navona this year, because of budget constraints and exchange rates. I want to be up the street!;-)
The best things about the Due Torri are the friendly desk staff and the location, which is my favorite in Rome. We have stayed there 4 times: once at the Due Torri and 3 times at the Portoghesi.
The staff at Due Torri will help with anything, and they are very nice. For the most part, they help with smiles on their faces. The location at the top of via della Scrofa can't be beat. I think it is perfect.
Now, what I don't like about the Due Torri: for the price, which is considerable, the rooms are decorated a bit shabbily. They are clean and neat, but the furniture could use an upgrade. I've heard this from another guest, so at least one person agrees with me.
For the same price, we like the Portoghesi. The rooms are about the same size, and they are decorated better. The furniture and bathroom fittings are updated and are nicer. Better line of sight to the TV, if that matters to you. It does to us; we like Italian TV.
The bathrooms are much nicer, the towels and linens are nicer, too, at the Portoghesi, than they are at the Due Torri.
Now, the staff at the Portoghesi will do anything you ask, but they won't smile and chat as much as the day staff of the Due Torri.
Breakfast is about equal at both places.
I hope this helps. You can email me at [email protected] if you have any other questions about the Due Torri or anything in the neighborhood. Great bakery, good restaurants, and a branch of Volpetti. Also, a very good cafe.
Oh, now I'm sad. We are staying near Piazza Navona this year, because of budget constraints and exchange rates. I want to be up the street!;-)
Feb 8th, 2005, 08:48 AM
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Hi dddentalasst, please let me know your experience at Relais Banchi Vecchi when you get back, that's the other hotel I am considering as well. I'm wondering whether a full time front desk staff at Due Torri justifies the E20/night difference. Have a great trip.
Feb 8th, 2005, 10:42 AM
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Mitmap,
I just posted to your other thread. I'm not sure if I was clear in my initial post on this thread. We stayed at Banchi Vecchi for 3 nights in August. I'm happy to answer any questions you have.
Banchi Vecchi is really lovely! The rooms are beautiful and large. The a/c is powerful. The location is quiet good.
The only drawback (which may not be a drawback to you) is that when we were there we rarely saw any staff.
Others have posted and said that this was not their experience so take my comment as just one of many experiences.
Really I guess it's a personal thing - if you think you'll need or want front desk staff at all hours (or at certain hours), then it's likely not the place for you, but if you are looking for more of an apartment-type experience, it probably fits the bill.
Regardless have a great trip!
Sally
I just posted to your other thread. I'm not sure if I was clear in my initial post on this thread. We stayed at Banchi Vecchi for 3 nights in August. I'm happy to answer any questions you have.
Banchi Vecchi is really lovely! The rooms are beautiful and large. The a/c is powerful. The location is quiet good.
The only drawback (which may not be a drawback to you) is that when we were there we rarely saw any staff.
Others have posted and said that this was not their experience so take my comment as just one of many experiences.
Really I guess it's a personal thing - if you think you'll need or want front desk staff at all hours (or at certain hours), then it's likely not the place for you, but if you are looking for more of an apartment-type experience, it probably fits the bill.
Regardless have a great trip!
Sally
Feb 8th, 2005, 11:47 AM
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I stayed at Banchi Vecchi in early September. Sally, we must have just missed each other! It is lovely -- nice large rooms with a large foyer/kitchenette. The bathrooms were large, marble and clean with nice towels. You have to ask for a hairdryer at check-in. We didn't see any staff very often, but our room was always cleaned by the time we returned in the late afternoons. The b&b is on a side street, so it is quiet at night AND they have wonderful thick shutters which block out all the light.
I don't feel like I missed out by not having anyone at the front desk, but others may feel differently. The owner, Milena, still managed to give us several restaurant recommendations and arranged for a car service to take us back to the airport.
The only thing I missed was having a view, since this was our last stop in Rome AND we had views and balconies/terraces at our previous 3 hotels. BUT, the price couldn't be beat. The location was very central -- we walked everywhere -- and there is also a bus stop one block away. However, it is a few minutes walk to get to any lively areas.
I think I also considered Hotel due Torri -- where is it located? If it near the Pantheon, it might be worth the few extra euro. Having a large room was nice, but if you could get a balcony room at due Torri, I might do that. In Rome, we hardly ever spent much time in our room -- there was just so much to do there. BUT, if we had had a view or balcony, it would have been a nice place to relax in the late afternoons. And it sounds like the staff is wonderful there. I've probably made your decision more difficult!
For Venice, let me recommend La Calcina (room 38 or room 4 -- but these rooms book quickly!) Hurry! May is just around the corner!
I don't feel like I missed out by not having anyone at the front desk, but others may feel differently. The owner, Milena, still managed to give us several restaurant recommendations and arranged for a car service to take us back to the airport.
The only thing I missed was having a view, since this was our last stop in Rome AND we had views and balconies/terraces at our previous 3 hotels. BUT, the price couldn't be beat. The location was very central -- we walked everywhere -- and there is also a bus stop one block away. However, it is a few minutes walk to get to any lively areas.
I think I also considered Hotel due Torri -- where is it located? If it near the Pantheon, it might be worth the few extra euro. Having a large room was nice, but if you could get a balcony room at due Torri, I might do that. In Rome, we hardly ever spent much time in our room -- there was just so much to do there. BUT, if we had had a view or balcony, it would have been a nice place to relax in the late afternoons. And it sounds like the staff is wonderful there. I've probably made your decision more difficult!
For Venice, let me recommend La Calcina (room 38 or room 4 -- but these rooms book quickly!) Hurry! May is just around the corner!
Mar 4th, 2005, 11:12 AM
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I stayed at at the Relais Bachi Vecchi around New Years. Without staff it was difficult to get a taxi when we checked out. Normally I would have the front desl office to call. We wound up going to a Taxi Stand down the street.
Mar 14th, 2005, 01:00 PM
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My husband and I just spent 7 nights at the Relais Banchi Vecchi in Rome. The location was just perfect perfect perfect! Walking distance to EVERYTHING! It's in between a hotel and an apartment. Milana the owner was there when we arrived and was very helpful and spoke English well. She showed us to our room and gave us the keys to the buildings front door as well as our room key. The rooms are nice, clean and had some GREAT GREAT shutters! Shutters??? I like total darkness to sleep. The windows had one set of workable shutters on the outside, one set on the inside and drapes! That makes for a dark pretty quiet room!!! Newton is the "handyman/go-to" guy in the mornings. He cleans the rooms and does general things including bringing breakfast to our room on the weekends. He was just great as well! One morning my husband left to go jogging and locked me inside our room not realizing I couldn't open the deadbolt from the inside! Thank goodness Newton came to the door with breakfast. He had to let me out!
The bed was very firm not lumpy, cotton sateen sheets, a medium weight comforter and 4 pillows (which was nice) None of the wall switches in the room are labeled and they control the lighting, a wall outlet or two (I think) and the heating so that was interesting. lol
Ladies, We tend to like very HOT baths so I would suggest asking (I don't know if they can) if the water heater could be turned up some. By the time the water fills the big marble tub (which was great) it's luke warm which doesn't cut it when you come in from the cold! I was actually boiling water on the cooktop to add into the tub! The cooktop was nice to warm things up such as leftover pizza although they only provide one small pot. Try smushing a slice of pizza in the bottom of that! lol (I rarely saw a microwave anywhere in Rome, maybe its a U.S. thing) We layed a heavy duty sheet of foil on the cooktop to reheat things. The minifridge was working hard but wasn't cooling too well although it was on the coldest setting so we put a couple of cans of soda in it and put the rest on the marble ledge outside the window as it was cold enough! Bring a portable dvd player and movies if you like to wind down at night as the t.v. is of course in Italian (except for M T.V. at times) What's funny is I'd catch myself seeing something on T.V. and turning up the volume like I could make out what was being said! Sorry if this is long but I like very specific info on the rooms I stay in and thought someone else might as well. All in all out of 5 stars I'd give it a 3. Microwave and hotter water would have pushed it up close to 4 stars. We have stayed in American dumps and the top of line American hotels so I think this review is on target. The price was fair for the great safe location.
The bed was very firm not lumpy, cotton sateen sheets, a medium weight comforter and 4 pillows (which was nice) None of the wall switches in the room are labeled and they control the lighting, a wall outlet or two (I think) and the heating so that was interesting. lol
Ladies, We tend to like very HOT baths so I would suggest asking (I don't know if they can) if the water heater could be turned up some. By the time the water fills the big marble tub (which was great) it's luke warm which doesn't cut it when you come in from the cold! I was actually boiling water on the cooktop to add into the tub! The cooktop was nice to warm things up such as leftover pizza although they only provide one small pot. Try smushing a slice of pizza in the bottom of that! lol (I rarely saw a microwave anywhere in Rome, maybe its a U.S. thing) We layed a heavy duty sheet of foil on the cooktop to reheat things. The minifridge was working hard but wasn't cooling too well although it was on the coldest setting so we put a couple of cans of soda in it and put the rest on the marble ledge outside the window as it was cold enough! Bring a portable dvd player and movies if you like to wind down at night as the t.v. is of course in Italian (except for M T.V. at times) What's funny is I'd catch myself seeing something on T.V. and turning up the volume like I could make out what was being said! Sorry if this is long but I like very specific info on the rooms I stay in and thought someone else might as well. All in all out of 5 stars I'd give it a 3. Microwave and hotter water would have pushed it up close to 4 stars. We have stayed in American dumps and the top of line American hotels so I think this review is on target. The price was fair for the great safe location.
