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Not right?
by KJP
Dallas, Texas
December 10, 2004
The staff is friendly, and everyone speaks enough English to assist guests that aren’t fluent in Italian. The lobby is modest, with just a small seating area and television off the front desk.
Our room was small, allowing barely enough room to maneuver around the bed, dresser, desk, and lone chair. A small television carried a couple of English-speaking channels. The incandescent lamp on one bedside stand always flickered in protest every time it was switched on, leading one to believe that the wiring was about to pop and start smoking. As a result, my nightly ritual was accompanied by a larger adrenalin rush than I might have otherwise hoped for.
The bathroom was tiny. Very tiny. It was about as small as a bathroom can get and still be functional. A constant annoyance was the shower, which was so small it was hard to do anything without banging an elbow into the wall, shower fixture, or the plastic, accordion-style curtain.
While no safe is provided in the guest rooms, they do offer access to the safe behind the front desk at no additional charge. We were issued a key and stored our passports in one of the small drawers.
A continental breakfast is included in the room rate on their rooftop terrace, which offers both outdoor and enclosed seating. We preferred to sit outdoors amid their potted lime trees and enjoyed the views of the neighboring rooftops. They offer croissants, cereal, yogurt, cheese, juice and coffee, the typical light Italian breakfast.
While the Hotel Portoghesi suited our needs just fine, there’s nothing really outstanding about it either. The furnishings are kind of dated and the rooms are very small, but to be honest I think that’s exactly what you’re going to get in a three-star hotel in this part of the city. That being said, they must be doing something right, because the hotel was completely full during most of our stay, even though October is considered low season. Its location is clearly the Portoghesi’s biggest asset.
We also checked out a couple of other options near the Portoghesi as we happened upon them. One that’s just around the corner is the Hotel Due Torri (Vicolo del Leonetto, 23), which once served as a residence for cardinals and bishops. Another is the Hotel Adriano (Via di Pallacorda, 2), a former palace that dates back to the 15th century. Both offer similar rates as the Portoghesi and are likely comparably appointed as well.
Additional information:Metro: Spagna (Line A) Web site: http://www.hotelportoghesiroma.com/english/homepage.html Email: Fax: +39 066876976
From journal The Italian Job: Rome, Part I