“More to it than meets the eye”

This is actually quite a difficult hotel to rate, simply because it is so very unusual. The first impression is that the entire building has been left stuck in a time warp, somewhere between 1940 and 1960, and that nothing has been done to it for the past 70 years or so. But first impressions can … more

This is actually quite a difficult hotel to rate, simply because it is so very unusual. The first impression is that the entire building has been left stuck in a time warp, somewhere between 1940 and 1960, and that nothing has been done to it for the past 70 years or so. But first impressions can be misleading, and this one, I think, was. It obviously has been a very grand hotel in its day, and still retains many quite grand features. It has also had quite a lot done to it as time passed, since basically its rooms and their amenities are actually well up to modern standards, although they may not look as if they are. That is what the visitor needs to get over. It is difficult to take a place seriously that looks, everywhere, so very, very art deco. But actually, this is a very good hotel. It is quiet, comfortable and central, and has just about everything you would want (unless you’re an anglophone, that is, but more of that later). Using our usual rating system it comes out very highly on almost everything. Location Perfect, if Tivoli Terme is what you’re after. The shops, bars, station, and Spa Treatment centre are all within a few minutes’ walk. Having said that, there really isn’t anything much at Tivoli Terme these days. Its heyday as a spa resort seems to be well over. We settled on this hotel as a centre to visit Tivoli itself, and its gardens and Roman remains etc., but the location for that turned out to be less than perfect. Tivoli is much further away than you think, and you are reliant on buses or trains or expensive taxis to get there. Again, more of that later. Reception Very friendly, welcoming and accommodating. Speak perfect English and don’t pretend not to understand my, admittedly, less than perfect Italian. Accommodation Our suite was possibly the largest we have ever stayed in, far bigger than the flat we lived in when we were first married. It was a little daunting at first, in that all the furniture was in the same art deco style and looked a little worse for wear. It had obviously been of the highest quality when new, but was showing signs of its age. In practice, however, it was surprisingly comfortable, the room was extremely quiet, and we had no problems. Not with the furniture, that is. There were two drawbacks, however. First was the TV, which was absolutely enormous, but did not have a single channel in English on it, not even BBC World or CNN. Bring your laptop with a VPN and Iplayer/ITVX if you want to watch any English programmes. The wifi is free and worked perfectly while we were there. More serious was the complete absence of any tea or coffee making facilities in the room, and the refusal of reception to supply any on health and safety grounds. Having said that, they do a very acceptable pot of tea in the bar, at a very reasonable price, but you don’t always want to be bothered, do you? Breakfast Well up to standard, with the usual vast Italian array of cakes, a good choice of cereals (including muesli, which is always my deal breaker) hot and cold dishes and juices. No prosecco or champagne, but excellent coffee and acceptable tea. And any breakfast room with a pool in the middle has to be something to talk about hasn’t it? Transport Easy in and out to Rome, by train. Forget the bus if you’re going into Rome; Ponte Mammolo, where it terminates, is miles out, and it takes much longer to get there. The difference in fares is minimal. Not so easy to Tivoli. The railway station is right the other side of Tivoli, on the wrong side of the river, and awkward to get to any of the sights from. The railway line goes very much the long way round, and the trip takes three times as long as the bus. The bus stops right outside the hotel and takes you straight to the main square in Tivoli, whence it’s a five minute walk, well-sign posted, to the Villa d’Este and all the shops and attractions, except Villa Adriana. Villa Adriana is much more difficult. There are comparatively few buses to it, and they won’t take the same tickets as the buses from Tivoli to Tivoli Terme. If you get on the wrong one, or with the wrong ticket, they will dump you on the main road about a mile away from the entrance to the villa. As you have to buy tickets in advance from a nearby bar, you need to be sure to get the right ones. We didn’t and ended up with the extra walk on the hottest day of our holiday. Overall Highly recommended, once you get over the initial quirkiness -If Tivoli Terme is what you’re looking for. If you want to visit Tivoli itself, not so good, but there isn’t anywhere remotely as good to stay in Tivoli town.

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“Great spa and staff, terrible hotel”

The 3 bubbles are the average between the spa and the hotel. The former is top notch, and it’s worth all the money we spent on it. The latter is dated, almost depressing, with old furniture and rooms. Food was disappointing at best. Very nice staff tho