Prati, United States
Prati area, near high-end shops, and popular restaurants and cafes
Walk to St. Peter's Square in 15 minutes
Stylish rooms with air-conditioning and flat-screen TVs
Distinctive on-site bar and lounge with cocktails, wine, and beer
Free breakfast with proper espresso-based coffees
Free Wi-Fi throughout
24-hour front desk
Odd location inside of a building with offices and apartments
Located in a busy, traffic-heavy area of Rome
Limited on-site features
The Fabio
Massimo Design Hotel is a nine-room mid-range boutique property, centrally located
in Rome's busy Prati district. St. Peter's Square is less than 15 minutes away on foot, and the neighborhood is filled with high-end shops, as well as restaurants and cafes. As the name implies, the hotel has taken great pains to employ intriguing design elements, including a stylish bar/lounge that features two chairs crafted from oversized masks, plus eye-catching art throughout. Rooms are chic, with oversized earth-tone floral motifs plus air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs. Breakfast is also included. Guests looking to stay in a larger hotel that includes features like a fitness center in the Prati area should consider Hotel Dei Mellini, though rates will be higher.
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Scene
Modern, stylish boutique hotel ideally located for tourists
This special little hotel packs a punch in
terms of style, starting with the antique steel-grate elevator with its distinctive red door that brings guests to the fourth floor, where the hotel is located. The reception desk is backed by an enlarged floral photo print, a theme carried throughout the hotel. There isn't much of a lobby to speak of, but the modern breakfast room/coffee
shop/bar/lounge are just off to the side and the space is chic, with eye-catching design elements. Dark wood floors are set with white dining chairs and wood tables, while pale brown
curtains hang over the windows, and bright red stools abut the bar. The stand-out feature is the two sculptural chairs
that are carved so that guests sit inside of dramatically enlarged white masks of human faces -- they look like works of modern art. The hotel is intimate and draws predominantly tourist couples, though guests on business are well-located by staying here as well.
Location
Posh (and hectic) Prati neighborhood -- walk to the Vatican
One of Rome's central neighborhoods, just slightly removed from the historic-center chaos east of the Tiber River, the Prati area is a local favorite for its wide avenues, elegant buildings, modern
European charm, as well as its bustling nightlife and many
high-end shops. The neighborhood itself is a bit hectic and busy, too, and many of Rome's attractions can be reached easily on foot or by public transportation. The hotel is
a 15-minute walk to St.
Peter’s Square and the Vatican, and a five-minute walk to the Lepanto or Ottaviano metro stations. By metro, guests can reach the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo in less than 15 minutes (or 25 minutes on foot), and the Colosseum in 20 minutes. There are many courts and government offices in the area as well. It’s a 15-minute walk to Castel Sant'Angelo, on the Tiber RIver. Fiumicino Airport is a little over an hour away using public transportation, or 30 minutes by
cab.
Rooms
Stylishly designed rooms with air-conditioning and free Wi-Fi
The hotel's modern rooms are outfitted in warm shades of brown and provide the same attention to design as the hotel's public areas. The floral motif is repeated dramatically in guest room feature walls, behind the bed and throughout the room depending on room category. There are white and brown lacquer cabinets and contemporary furniture throughout, and splashes of red in the ottomans, the doors,
and benches at the end of beds. Translucent brown drapes continue the color theme and rooms have light carpets. All rooms feature flat-screen TVs, safes, minibars with soft drinks, free Wi-Fi, stereos, and air-conditioning, and beds are flanked by hanging light fixtures. Contemporary tiled bathrooms have white walls and dark floors with raised sinks, plenty of counter space for
toiletries, and a spacious walk-in rainfall showers separated by a flower-patterned sheet of glass. We did spot a bit of dirty grout on the shower floors and there are no proper closets in guest rooms. Instead, hangers are artfully arranged and dangle from the ceiling, out in the open.
Features
Free breakfast, lounge and bar on-site, free Wi-Fi
There aren't many features to speak of here, and this property receives its three-pearl rating almost wholly because of it's stylish rooms. That being said, the hotel does provide a free breakfast buffet (including proper espresso-based coffees) and makes accommodations for certain dietary restrictions. The breakfast room is also the hotel's cozy lounge and bar, and serves cocktails, beer, wine, coffees and light snacks throughout the day and into the night. Room service is also available during limited hours.
Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel and the 24-hour front desk is on hand to help arrange tours and ticket bookings, as well as airport transfers (for a fee).
