Switch Rome hotel to a Westin??
 

My friends have booked a Rome trip and are to stay at the Hotel Fleming(part of a package). I have plenty of Starwood pts and was going to try to see if they would rather stay nearer the action at one of the Westins ?? Good idea or not ?? And which Westin ?? Thanks in advance.

Do they have to pay for the Hotel Fleming whether or not they use it?

The Westin Excelsior is near Via Veneto, which is probably fine, but not the ideal location according to the board consensus. The St. Regis Grand looks like it is also near Via Veneto. The other Westin/Sheraton options are not central.

If you do decide to go ahead, I think it would be a lovely gift.

Sorry, the St. Regis is not particularly near the Via Veneto. I think it's nearer Termini, which might be a less ideal location.

Either of those would be much better located than Hotel Fleming though - which is 10 km from Rome!

We stayed at the Excelsior. It was beautiful, elegant, staff was helpful. We were upgraded to a two room suite with 2 bathrooms, 2 fireplaces, fresh flowers, etc. Probably one of the most memorable stays for the family. Easy walking to many sites - we did take a couple of cabs after long days however.

anyone else ??

One other minor detail - we first considered staying at a Sheraton a bit outside the city that had a shuttle bus to take us to and from. It would have dropped us off at Vitorio Emmanuel. After seeing the traffic in the city, it was clear that the shuttle would have been a real hassle - probably 30-45 minutes each way and you'd be on their schedule, not yours. Being 'in town' was the best. While I can't vouch for the St Regis, the Excelsior was very good. Its less than a block from the US Embassy, across the street from several nice cafes, very easy walking to Spanish Steps and Villa Borghese. About the only place we did not walk to was St Peters.