Review: Hotel de Rome, Berlin
Jan 5, 2007, 5:00 pm
#1
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Review: Hotel de Rome, Berlin
The Hotel de Rome is a newly-opened hotel in Berlin's fashionable and desirable Mitte district. Its front entrance faces the Bebelplatz, the open area between the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and the Humboldt University Law School (the Bebelplatz was the site of a notorious Nazi book-burning in May of 1933).it is immediately next to St. Hedwig's Cathedral (the seat of the Roman Catholic archdiocese for Berlin,. The stage door of the Staatsoper is immediately across the street.
If you look at the following Google Earth satellite photo, its location in reference to the above buildings and streets is quite clear: If you blow the photo up to maximum close-up, the shape of the hotel building becomes clear as well.
The original four-story building (floors 0-3) was built in the late 19th century as the headquarters of the Dresdener Bank. At the time of the division of Germany, the State Bank of the German Democratic Republic occupied the building. After reunification, the building sat nearly empty (used only for temporary art exhibits, etc), until Rocco Forte Hotels agreed to develop the site.
Two floors of (new construction) sleeping rooms were added to the existing building, making for a total of six floors. From a glance of the fire evacuation map in the room, I would say that at least half of he rooms are on the new floors (and, guessing again, I would guess that the majority of junior suites and full suites are in the old section.
My stay took place about three weeks after the opening, and it was a very mixed experience - to summarize, the interiors of the building are beautiful (stunning is probably not too strong a word) in the way that the decorating team (headed by Rocco Forte's sister, I believe) has brought out the historical dimensions and shapes of the public areas. The salon that is located straight ahead of the entrance doors ((the front desk is off to the side) is a gorgeous function space (there was a private cocktail party going on which was partially lit by candlelight, very dramatic looking).
The front desk staff was very polished, handling registration and personal escort to the room with aplomb. The tone was just the right mix of unpreserved formality that I think one should be welcomed with.
My room was on the fifth floor, an upgrade from the base rate that I paid (part of a package rate). The room was decorated in beige, with various accent pieces in grey upholstery, dark wood, and red lacquer. The room itself was entered through a large vestibule area which contained the closet and storage shelves behind sliding red lacquer doors. The bathroom was off the vestibule. The room had two large floor-to-ceiling windows which looked out on an open court (because the building is not tall, the claustrophobic effect was avoided), The windows opened out to a small balcony, a little bigger than a Juliet balcony but not really bin enough to utilize for room service breakfast, say.
Bathrooms are larger than at the Regent, with full soaking tubs (nicely accented with patterned mosaic tiles), bidet, heated floor and separate fully-glassed-in shower with both a rainforest head and a wand attachment. Water pressure was excellent.
High Speed Internet access was Eur. 20 for 24 hours, and the connection was very fast with no drops (I noticed that the IP address resolved to a UK provider).
My package also included a welcome gift, which was a nice bottle of Prosecco with a very nice dish of small pastries and candies. Unfortunately, it was delivered late at night (while I was out at dinner - when I returned, I was so tired that I went to bed without enjoying the gift),
My real problems with the Hotel de Rome concern the staff service levels in the bar, restaurant, and the seeming lack of response from the front office when these situations were pointed out.
I visited the bar before going to an outside restaurant for dinner. My order took almost 25 minutes to be delivered - apparently my perfunctory waiter and the other staff had been enraptured by three lovely young ladies who came in just after I did, and I waited while the male/female thing was played out. Once delivered, I had to gulp down my drink so as to not be too late for my reservation (the drink was supposed to have been included in my package - the front desk clerk who checked me in told me I did not need a separate voucher - of course, as always happens in these cases, the Eur. 10 appeared on the bill).
Worse was the next morning, at breakfast - although the hotel stated on the breakfast menu that a hot buffet was available for Eur. 26 and continental buffer was Eur. 21, I was charged for the hot buffet although no hot dishes were on display. I realized later that maybe one needed to ask the waitperson for hot dishes, but my waiter didn't seem very interested in offering any service - he practically slammed down my tea order, and delivered the check with the tea - before I had even sat down to eat my cold breakfast (I would expect that kind of treatment at a Denny’s or Lester's Diner in Ft. Lauderdale, but at a hotel aspiring to be Berlin's best)? After dumping the tea and he check at the table, the waiter never did returned to check if I needed anything, such as another cup of tea (am I being picky, but shouldn't a five-star British-owned hotel brew its tea from leaves, not serve tea from bags)?
At checkout time, the clerk offered to have my bill rendered in USD instead of EUR, which I accepted. He neglected to mention that the hotel charged a 2.8% fee for the conversion (which I noticed only when I reviewed the bill later that day). Since my credit card only has a 1% conversion fee, it cost me an extra 1.8 percent, which I chalked up to experience (but I think that the fee should have been disclosed).
As I left, I asked for the General Manager's card with e-mail address, which was provided, and spent the train ride from Berlin to Leipzig composing an e-mail to the GM, relating both good pints and bad (actually, 2/3 of my message was praise). Unfortunately, the response (about five days later, when I was already back in the States) was disappointingly generic and nebulous - my detailed reports about the service deficiencies were essentially ignored.
In summary, I would say that the Hotel de Rome is very much a work in progress. The physical facilities, especially the public spaces, are very much worthy of five-star ranking. However, the service deficiencies and the lack of proactive response from the management leaves me to conclude that the staff is in serious need of further training, if they wish to compete with the Regent (only one block away).
If you look at the following Google Earth satellite photo, its location in reference to the above buildings and streets is quite clear: If you blow the photo up to maximum close-up, the shape of the hotel building becomes clear as well.
The original four-story building (floors 0-3) was built in the late 19th century as the headquarters of the Dresdener Bank. At the time of the division of Germany, the State Bank of the German Democratic Republic occupied the building. After reunification, the building sat nearly empty (used only for temporary art exhibits, etc), until Rocco Forte Hotels agreed to develop the site.
Two floors of (new construction) sleeping rooms were added to the existing building, making for a total of six floors. From a glance of the fire evacuation map in the room, I would say that at least half of he rooms are on the new floors (and, guessing again, I would guess that the majority of junior suites and full suites are in the old section.
My stay took place about three weeks after the opening, and it was a very mixed experience - to summarize, the interiors of the building are beautiful (stunning is probably not too strong a word) in the way that the decorating team (headed by Rocco Forte's sister, I believe) has brought out the historical dimensions and shapes of the public areas. The salon that is located straight ahead of the entrance doors ((the front desk is off to the side) is a gorgeous function space (there was a private cocktail party going on which was partially lit by candlelight, very dramatic looking).
The front desk staff was very polished, handling registration and personal escort to the room with aplomb. The tone was just the right mix of unpreserved formality that I think one should be welcomed with.
My room was on the fifth floor, an upgrade from the base rate that I paid (part of a package rate). The room was decorated in beige, with various accent pieces in grey upholstery, dark wood, and red lacquer. The room itself was entered through a large vestibule area which contained the closet and storage shelves behind sliding red lacquer doors. The bathroom was off the vestibule. The room had two large floor-to-ceiling windows which looked out on an open court (because the building is not tall, the claustrophobic effect was avoided), The windows opened out to a small balcony, a little bigger than a Juliet balcony but not really bin enough to utilize for room service breakfast, say.
Bathrooms are larger than at the Regent, with full soaking tubs (nicely accented with patterned mosaic tiles), bidet, heated floor and separate fully-glassed-in shower with both a rainforest head and a wand attachment. Water pressure was excellent.
High Speed Internet access was Eur. 20 for 24 hours, and the connection was very fast with no drops (I noticed that the IP address resolved to a UK provider).
My package also included a welcome gift, which was a nice bottle of Prosecco with a very nice dish of small pastries and candies. Unfortunately, it was delivered late at night (while I was out at dinner - when I returned, I was so tired that I went to bed without enjoying the gift),
My real problems with the Hotel de Rome concern the staff service levels in the bar, restaurant, and the seeming lack of response from the front office when these situations were pointed out.
I visited the bar before going to an outside restaurant for dinner. My order took almost 25 minutes to be delivered - apparently my perfunctory waiter and the other staff had been enraptured by three lovely young ladies who came in just after I did, and I waited while the male/female thing was played out. Once delivered, I had to gulp down my drink so as to not be too late for my reservation (the drink was supposed to have been included in my package - the front desk clerk who checked me in told me I did not need a separate voucher - of course, as always happens in these cases, the Eur. 10 appeared on the bill).
Worse was the next morning, at breakfast - although the hotel stated on the breakfast menu that a hot buffet was available for Eur. 26 and continental buffer was Eur. 21, I was charged for the hot buffet although no hot dishes were on display. I realized later that maybe one needed to ask the waitperson for hot dishes, but my waiter didn't seem very interested in offering any service - he practically slammed down my tea order, and delivered the check with the tea - before I had even sat down to eat my cold breakfast (I would expect that kind of treatment at a Denny’s or Lester's Diner in Ft. Lauderdale, but at a hotel aspiring to be Berlin's best)? After dumping the tea and he check at the table, the waiter never did returned to check if I needed anything, such as another cup of tea (am I being picky, but shouldn't a five-star British-owned hotel brew its tea from leaves, not serve tea from bags)?
At checkout time, the clerk offered to have my bill rendered in USD instead of EUR, which I accepted. He neglected to mention that the hotel charged a 2.8% fee for the conversion (which I noticed only when I reviewed the bill later that day). Since my credit card only has a 1% conversion fee, it cost me an extra 1.8 percent, which I chalked up to experience (but I think that the fee should have been disclosed).
As I left, I asked for the General Manager's card with e-mail address, which was provided, and spent the train ride from Berlin to Leipzig composing an e-mail to the GM, relating both good pints and bad (actually, 2/3 of my message was praise). Unfortunately, the response (about five days later, when I was already back in the States) was disappointingly generic and nebulous - my detailed reports about the service deficiencies were essentially ignored.
In summary, I would say that the Hotel de Rome is very much a work in progress. The physical facilities, especially the public spaces, are very much worthy of five-star ranking. However, the service deficiencies and the lack of proactive response from the management leaves me to conclude that the staff is in serious need of further training, if they wish to compete with the Regent (only one block away).
Jan 5, 2007, 5:24 pm
#2
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I guess it would help to include the Google link (be sure to select the satellite button on the upper right to see the aerial photo):
http://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&lr=...41885&t=k&om=1
http://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&lr=...41885&t=k&om=1
Mar 22, 2010, 4:24 am
#5
formerly vienna-resident
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montepulciano, Tuscany
Posts: 1,071
I was there in October 2008 (not really recent, I admit) and had no trouble with the hotel staff anywhere in the hotel. They were all well trained, friendly and efficient. The booking was made through Virtuoso, but it seemed that the staff had not been briefed on the amenities, so there was no welcome amenity & card, etc. After a quick phone call to my agent, this was promptly resolved - they even sent up a bottle of champagne as an apology. Other than that, rooms and public spaces are very chic - understated, contemporary elegance, as described by Non-NonRev above. We were very happy there and are likely to return.
Mar 22, 2010, 4:26 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
I was there in October 2008 (not really recent, I admit) and had no trouble with the hotel staff anywhere in the hotel. They were all well trained, friendly and efficient. The booking was made through Virtuoso, but it seemed that the staff had not been briefed on the amenities, so there was no welcome amenity & card, etc. After a quick phone call to my agent, this was promptly resolved - they even sent up a bottle of champagne as an apology. Other than that, rooms and public spaces are very chic - understated, contemporary elegance, as described by Non-NonRev above. We were very happy there and are likely to return.
Mar 22, 2010, 7:03 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
I was there in October 2008 (not really recent, I admit) and had no trouble with the hotel staff anywhere in the hotel. They were all well trained, friendly and efficient. The booking was made through Virtuoso, but it seemed that the staff had not been briefed on the amenities, so there was no welcome amenity & card, etc. After a quick phone call to my agent, this was promptly resolved - they even sent up a bottle of champagne as an apology. Other than that, rooms and public spaces are very chic - understated, contemporary elegance, as described by Non-NonRev above. We were very happy there and are likely to return.
Mar 22, 2010, 2:57 pm
#9
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: OSL
Posts: 2,145
Found my mini-review hidden in the "where are you going next" thread. I have copied it into this thread:
Please ask if you want me to explain something further.
We had to cancel our trip to London and spent four nights in Berlin, Hotel de Rome (Rocco Forte) instead. Overall a good stay, but some issues. In short:
- Small classic suite, especially the bathroom was a disappointment - not at all the size and layout that I had been expecting based on photos that I had seen. Photos of large classic suite bathroom are from the classic suites that do not have separate living/bedroom. Also wardrobe was very small with little space even for our 4-day luggage.
- Great SPA area and treatments
- REN products in suite - very nice. Showers in SPA (and cheaper room categories as far as I understood) has a Rocco Forte range which is also OK, but REN was of course a great plus
- Great location close to lots of shopping and sightseeing opportunities
- Great breakfast, but other food disappointing
- Service variable, sometimes really 5 star, other times far from it
- Loved look and design og common areas, but not rooms (too modern an not very comfortalble sofas and chairs)
- Bed far to hard for my liking. I love FS beds. The bed in our suite made my back hurt badly.
- Small classic suite, especially the bathroom was a disappointment - not at all the size and layout that I had been expecting based on photos that I had seen. Photos of large classic suite bathroom are from the classic suites that do not have separate living/bedroom. Also wardrobe was very small with little space even for our 4-day luggage.
- Great SPA area and treatments
- REN products in suite - very nice. Showers in SPA (and cheaper room categories as far as I understood) has a Rocco Forte range which is also OK, but REN was of course a great plus
- Great location close to lots of shopping and sightseeing opportunities
- Great breakfast, but other food disappointing
- Service variable, sometimes really 5 star, other times far from it
- Loved look and design og common areas, but not rooms (too modern an not very comfortalble sofas and chairs)
- Bed far to hard for my liking. I love FS beds. The bed in our suite made my back hurt badly.
Please ask if you want me to explain something further.
Mar 23, 2010, 1:29 pm
#11
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: OSL
Posts: 2,145
(The last years we have stayed a lot at Louvisa's Place in Berlin (luxury serviced apartments - www.louisas-place.de) which have been great with our son and which is definitely a place that I recommend if one would like to stay in an apartment instead of in a hotel.)
Mar 24, 2010, 10:00 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
No. I love the design of the rooms and suites at the Grand Hyatt and also the pool/spa area there in summer (outside terrasse and top floor location of pool/spa while this is in the basement at the Rocco Forte), but service (in spite of the issues we had) and location is much better at Rocco Forte compared to Grand Hyatt.
I have stayed at the Grand Hyatt, and while it is a beautiful hotel inside with good staff and a great restaurant, I don't like the location (I find that whole Potsdammer Platz development to have a kind of depressing feel to it).
Will report back after the RF stay.
Also appreciate the apartment reccomendation- however looking for hotel services.
Mar 24, 2010, 11:15 am
#13
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: OSL
Posts: 2,145
Thank you very much for your update!
I have stayed at the Grand Hyatt, and while it is a beautiful hotel inside with good staff and a great restaurant, I don't like the location (I find that whole Potsdammer Platz development to have a kind of depressing feel to it).
Will report back after the RF stay.
Also appreciate the apartment reccomendation- however looking for hotel services.
I have stayed at the Grand Hyatt, and while it is a beautiful hotel inside with good staff and a great restaurant, I don't like the location (I find that whole Potsdammer Platz development to have a kind of depressing feel to it).
Will report back after the RF stay.
Also appreciate the apartment reccomendation- however looking for hotel services.
Apr 6, 2010, 2:27 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
Stayed here recently- update to the thread:
1. Arrival/Check In: Very friendly staff greeting the car on arrival, assisting with bags, accompanying to the front desk. Slight wait at front desk due to two guests being assisted (one who was arguing about something)- a very friendly welcome- advised room not ready (expected- it was 9 AM)- they offered to call when room was ready around 11A- not necessary as I would not be back to the hotel until after lunch. I had booked a rate which included musuem passes- at first the agent was not aware of this, however after a quick consultation this was fixed. I give a 10 for friendly- genuinely welcoming-a 7 for awareness about rates/etc.
2. Conceirge: Extremely knowledgable conceirge who was able to help with what was needed (very little actually)- this was an outstanding point of the hotel to be sure.
3. Room: Junior Suite overlooking Gendarmenmarkt with a fairly large terrace. The room was an upgrade from what was booked, and was gorgeous. I don't like W hotels at all- however if W had done their decor properly the room would have this level and quality of furnishings. The bathroom was also great with an enormous walk in shower. I would say this is one of the nicest rooms in a European city I have stayed in regarding quality etc. Welcome note, fruit, water from General Manager- all in all great. Housekeeping- OK- found a perfume bottle on the floor from previous room occupant. Internet was a ridiculous 20 EUR a day wired or wireless- didn't use as I have a hsdpa key for these type of situations.
4. Restaurant: Only used for breakfast, however as other posters have advised, breakfast is great here. The first day, they did charge me for it, however when I asked should I sign if breakfast is included they fixed this immediately (as in before I had left the restaurant).
5. Bar: After reading the comments here regarding the bar- I expected the worst. The first night I went there, the bar was very quiet, and service was excellent (note this is fairly pricey for berlin with cocktails around 16 EUR- on par with most of Europe however double many prices in Berlin). The second night I went there, the bar was extremely busy, and service was poor (15 minute wait for drinks)- the manager did apologize for a mistake, however did not remove any charges from the bill (not that I expected this, but I think the bar could really improve its service). Live music which was quite pleasant.
6.Doormen: Highlight of this hotel- they have some exceptional people working the door of the hotel- on one occasion, late for a dinner- get in a taxi in front of the hotel- driver says he doesn't know where it is- doorman attempts to explain it to him- he still doesn't understand- doorman asks us to get out of the car as he will have someone drive us in the hotel limousine- hotel car takes us to the restaurant immediately- I expected to pay for this service- they said it was comp as they should not have taxi drivers in front of the hotel that don't know how to go places in Berlin. Wow..
7. Rooftop Terrace: Fourth Floor terrace. Excellent views. Nice place for an aperitivo at the end of the day with a view over Bebelplatz and the Dom. Limited drinks- however you can get most basics from the little bar here with comfortable seating.
8. Checkout: Very fast, no errors on the bill, friendly.
Overall- I think this is a good hotel- it is certainly luxury, however every once in a while you get the feeling things could be just a little bit better. All this being said, given the location, quality, and price/value- this is probably the best choice in Berlin at the moment- do book at least a Junior Suite however as some of the rooms looking onto the inner courtyards could be very dark and small.
1. Arrival/Check In: Very friendly staff greeting the car on arrival, assisting with bags, accompanying to the front desk. Slight wait at front desk due to two guests being assisted (one who was arguing about something)- a very friendly welcome- advised room not ready (expected- it was 9 AM)- they offered to call when room was ready around 11A- not necessary as I would not be back to the hotel until after lunch. I had booked a rate which included musuem passes- at first the agent was not aware of this, however after a quick consultation this was fixed. I give a 10 for friendly- genuinely welcoming-a 7 for awareness about rates/etc.
2. Conceirge: Extremely knowledgable conceirge who was able to help with what was needed (very little actually)- this was an outstanding point of the hotel to be sure.
3. Room: Junior Suite overlooking Gendarmenmarkt with a fairly large terrace. The room was an upgrade from what was booked, and was gorgeous. I don't like W hotels at all- however if W had done their decor properly the room would have this level and quality of furnishings. The bathroom was also great with an enormous walk in shower. I would say this is one of the nicest rooms in a European city I have stayed in regarding quality etc. Welcome note, fruit, water from General Manager- all in all great. Housekeeping- OK- found a perfume bottle on the floor from previous room occupant. Internet was a ridiculous 20 EUR a day wired or wireless- didn't use as I have a hsdpa key for these type of situations.
4. Restaurant: Only used for breakfast, however as other posters have advised, breakfast is great here. The first day, they did charge me for it, however when I asked should I sign if breakfast is included they fixed this immediately (as in before I had left the restaurant).
5. Bar: After reading the comments here regarding the bar- I expected the worst. The first night I went there, the bar was very quiet, and service was excellent (note this is fairly pricey for berlin with cocktails around 16 EUR- on par with most of Europe however double many prices in Berlin). The second night I went there, the bar was extremely busy, and service was poor (15 minute wait for drinks)- the manager did apologize for a mistake, however did not remove any charges from the bill (not that I expected this, but I think the bar could really improve its service). Live music which was quite pleasant.
6.Doormen: Highlight of this hotel- they have some exceptional people working the door of the hotel- on one occasion, late for a dinner- get in a taxi in front of the hotel- driver says he doesn't know where it is- doorman attempts to explain it to him- he still doesn't understand- doorman asks us to get out of the car as he will have someone drive us in the hotel limousine- hotel car takes us to the restaurant immediately- I expected to pay for this service- they said it was comp as they should not have taxi drivers in front of the hotel that don't know how to go places in Berlin. Wow..
7. Rooftop Terrace: Fourth Floor terrace. Excellent views. Nice place for an aperitivo at the end of the day with a view over Bebelplatz and the Dom. Limited drinks- however you can get most basics from the little bar here with comfortable seating.
8. Checkout: Very fast, no errors on the bill, friendly.
Overall- I think this is a good hotel- it is certainly luxury, however every once in a while you get the feeling things could be just a little bit better. All this being said, given the location, quality, and price/value- this is probably the best choice in Berlin at the moment- do book at least a Junior Suite however as some of the rooms looking onto the inner courtyards could be very dark and small.
Last edited by TRAVELSIG; Apr 6, 2010 at 2:30 am Reason: spelling
Apr 6, 2010, 9:36 am
#15
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 76
Great review TRAVELSIG. The rooms overlooking Gendarmenmarkt are my favorite in the hotel.
You didn't mention the swimming pool which is in the vault of the building which used to be the HQ of Dresdner Bank - a bit dark (like most of the hotel) but adds to the hotels charme.
You didn't mention the swimming pool which is in the vault of the building which used to be the HQ of Dresdner Bank - a bit dark (like most of the hotel) but adds to the hotels charme.