flo_147

Which hotel is better? Where can I expect as a platinum member better recognation? Do I also get suite upgrades at st. regis? Which benefits can I expect?

thx

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Earlier reports can be found at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...er-thread.html

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nologic

I can't address the St. Regis, but the Excelsior is a "Grande Dame" of a hotel which has been totally renovated. We were give a wonderful suite upgrade to a the top floor with a balcony overlooking Rome.

The heath club/spa is terrific. Service is very good. Location (which I think is close to the SR) is amazing.

The only negative is that breakfast is expensive, but very good.

amy45888

I loved the excelsior. we were upgraded to a huge suite. I did not, however, like the area. it's a bit too snooty. I preferred our first hotel which was right next to piazza navona/campo di fiori because most of the restaurants we wanted to hit were in that area.

plastic_canuck

We Loved the St. Regis, stayed there this October-but again, depends what you're looking for. Suite upgrades are never assured, all depends on loading and the usual criteria. The recommended threads above are very comprehensive, check them out...

lalala

I just stayed at the Eden after spending a week in an apartment in the Campo di fiori area. I liked the hotel for its service and amenties, but I felt like it was a sterile part of Rome. TH said it would be worth taking the 116 bus back to the centro just to get coffee and pizza a taglio, the stuff around the villa Ludovisi, Spanish steps and via veneto area is awful.

When we walked up towards the via veneto and saw the Westin Excelsior location, we were happy we were at least at the Eden.

Oh, the windows opened, that was also a plus.

abk

any thoughts on the st regis?

HobokenFlyer

FCTSTY will shoot me, but here goes...

Going to Italy for my honeymoon and I using my points and I have a choice between the Eden, the Excelsior or the St. Regis.

The St. Regis looks closer to the Metro (I know Rome Metro stinks, but it's nice to have a short walk as a transport option), but it doesn't have a pool.

The excelsior HAS a pool but a little farther away from the metro, but from reading it seems there is a lot of choice for dinner options in the evening (or breakfast if we want to leave the hotel). Also Cat 6 over Cat 7 so lower point redemption.

The eden I haven't looked in to closely, but I am not counting it out.

I am a Plat so I hope to score an upgrade and we plan to stay 5 nights to take advantage of the 5th night free reward.

So, basically, my concerns are upgrade, proximity to outside hotel food, metro, pool and then point redemption (I have a ton of AMEX pts to xfer if I need to but want to save them).

Since this is my honeymoon, I want to make it special. I have not been to Rome since 1989 (when I was 18) and this my first trip back and my soon to be wife's first (and her dream). So, any advice of any recent or longtime users of these hotels would be appreciated!

- HobokenFlyer

DENROC

Eden is a special hotel.

GoCanes

Hi HobokenFlyer, fellow Hobokenite here GoCanes...

My fiance and I just went through this same process for our honeymoon coming in November. We decided on the Eden. It came highly recommended from some local friends we have and also I found the location to be the best of the three. It really came down to the Eden and St. Regis for me. The St. Regis looked amazing and just on a whole other level. However, the strong critiques about it were the area and its proximity to the Termini Stazione... which to me says Penn Station or the PA Bus Terminal and frightened me slightly. So we chose the Eden with the 3rd night free promotion. Had to call the hotel to pre-pay the pre-paid booking, but they did and got a very favorable exchange rate with AMEX SPG card. Overall, I am happy we are staying at the Eden... now just hope we are staying at different times... I am only a gold and don't want you to steal my chances at a suite. Also, stating at the Grand Hotel in Florence which we are very excited about and found to be similar to the St. Regis and made chosing the Eden easier as well.

abk

i stayed at the st regis in january and took the time to look at the other hotels. the st regis is spectacular. i am a casual guy so it was a little formal for me but the woman i was travelling with likes that sort of thing and she was really impressed. there is actually a book on the artwork in the rooms.

as to the area, the walk towards the train station could get a little dicey however there is actually no reason to walk that way unless you are taking a train. if you are heading to the spainish steps, or towards the trevi fountain and pantheon, then you will not encounter any problem whatsoever.there are plenty of normal places to get a "reasonable" meal close to the hotel becasue it is not that much of a tourist area.

if you stay at the eden or the westin you are up the hill which i do not find that interesting. it is touristy and expensive and other than the fact that you are at the top of the spainsh steps the location is not any better than the st regis for most of the really interesting places to go.

i guess my point is that for a honeymoon go for the top and don't try and save on the points.

STARFLEET

We've stayed a week at the St. Regis and a week at the Eden and I think the Eden is much preferable.

The St. Regis facilities are very special, but the location makes the Eden a clear winner for us. The Eden is as luxurious, but not as glitzy IMHO.

The Excelsior is nice, but has the advantage of neither the St. Regis nor the Eden.

influential

Am staying at the Excelsior Rome as I type having mulled over the St Regis. One reason for choosing it was the pool area, which I have to say is a real disappointment - small, untidy, water leaking from the air-con in the roof panels, jacuzzi malfunctioning (cold) and generally sub standard. The hotel itself is beautiful though and no complaints there. Surrounding area is very expensive for what it offers, food-wise.

Think I'll shift to the St Regis for the next trip.

neo_781

I've slogged through most of the Rome threads and am looking for the 'latest' information. Near as I can tell most people think that either the St. Regis, Excelsior or Eden would be excellent choices and so then it really comes down to cost and location.

I will be staying using a 5 night award on points. I am trying to figure out if there is anything I can use to justify the extra 40,000 points for the the CAT 7 properties.

So please go ahead and give it your best shot ... tell me how I can justify staying somewhere else than the Westin? To help with the decision making ... this will be vacation and while I will go sightseeing that is not the only reason I travel. I like to absorb as much of the culture and local flavor where possible.

Thanks!

PS - I was originally planning to stay at the Cavalieri but with the recent re-branding and that it gets low marks for location, I am going with Starwood in Rome.

HobokenFlyer

Stayed at the St. Regis for my honeymoon for 5 nights on a pay 4/5th free award. Plat so got a pretty large room.

Bed was amazingly comfortable, but we had just come from a Italian "4 star" hotel near Cortona where the bed was a metal cot with a 8 inch mattress (and they had the gall to say it was "orthopedic"). So we are not sure if the bed was simply amazing or after the horrrible bed we had in Tuscany that this was "heaven". The sheets were absolutely amazing.

The concierge service is attentive and reasonably priced...they can get you ANY ticket to any attraction beforehand with enough notice.

Never had the breakfast because it was 40 euro a person (there is a little cafe down the street, 2 coffees, yogurt and danish, 8 euro). There is a McDonald's not too far away but they didn't serve breakfast.

The products in the bathroom were pretty awesome too, the best hotel shampoo I have ever used.

We went to the signature chef restaurant there for one night of splurging and did the chef's choice menu with wine tasting. It was really a fantastic meal. We even treated ourselves two nights in the bar for after dinner drinks and dessert...however this is not cheap, 2 drinks each and 2 desserts was about 80 euro but we had such a good time talking to the staff and other Americans at the hotel and room is gorgeous that we just did it.

Used the spa for massages for both of us, pretty decent price and massage.

Also the "stars" like staying at the St. Regis...Madonna and entourage was there the week before we were and Ben Stiller was doing promotions for Tropical Thunder there when we were there (even though we missed him).

Walked passed the Eden and the Excelsior walking back from the Spanish Steps one night and the neighborhood IS better around those 2 properties, but the neighboorhood around the St. Regis is not as awful as everyone makes it sound. The St. Regis is also 5 mins walk from a metro stop.

Used the St. Regis' cab service to FCO, only 30 euro or so more than a regular cab and nice Mercedes E Class.

Hope this helps.

- HF

JBauer

Stayed at the St Regis in May. It is the definition of European opulence. Feels like James Bond might be having a drink in the lobby. Plat, so was upgraded to a very nice 2-room corner suite. Felt the neighborhood was fine, but have nothing to compare it to as I haven't been to the other properties in Rome...Also, took the car service to FCO -- very reasonable...