Crowne Plaza Rome St Peters Hotel and Spa

"This is a really good hotel for a visit to the Vatican. They had a shuttle there, as well as to the Testaverde (sp) neighborhood which was really convenient. The rooms were clean and spacious, the staff impeccable. The restaurant was simply amazing, and the bar staff was second to none. I cannot say enough good things about this property. One downside, if you are planning to walk to attractions, you won’t like it. It was far from most things."

"We have stayed here previously and would not hesitate to stay here again. Even though it is outside of the "city center" it is a perfect "retreat" after a busy day exploring Rome. The buffet breakfast, a front lobby lounge, a restaurant, fast elevators, shuttle bus, gift shop, concierge, parking, and more, offers everything to make a stay enjoyable, IMO."

"Our stay at this hotel in Rome didn’t get off to the best start, as our reservation was cancelled just a few days before we were due to arrive. Imagine our frustration when, just two days before our trip, we suddenly had nowhere to stay! The hotel blamed Booking.com, while Booking.com said it was the hotel that had cancelled our reservation. We never found out who was actually responsible. Either way, the hotel was fully booked for the week, so we were only able to stay there for two days. The hotel reception staff were really nice and welcoming. However, we were given a room on the first floor, which required us to climb six steps to reach the hallway. I have a very bad knee, and anyone who has experienced knee problems knows how painful even a few steps can be. Unfortunately, there was no lift to that floor. If you need a lift, I would recommend contacting reception when booking to request a room on a floor with lift access. The room itself was very spacious. We had a bathtub, which turned out to be another problem for me because of my knee. I hadn’t considered that I would need to climb over the bathtub to get into the shower, which is something you might not normally think about. If you have a bad knee or any other mobility issues, I would recommend asking whether they have a room with a walk-in shower instead. I had quite a few difficulties getting in and out of the bathtub to shower. The breakfast was really nice, as you would expect from a hotel of this size. This was definitely one of the highlights of our stay! Another great feature was the hotel’s shuttle bus service. For €5 per person, you can take a shuttle to several major destinations, with departures almost every hour. However, we discovered that there are also buses just outside the hotel that take you to the city centre for only €1.20. Of course, for guests staying at a hotel of this standard, the price difference might not be a major concern. And if you are travelling with more than two or three people, taking a taxi can be just as affordable. Nevertheless, I really liked the idea of having a shuttle bus service available. Be aware that the hotel is too far from the city centre to walk to most attractions, so you will need to rely on taxis, public transport or the hotel shuttle. If you choose the shuttle, you will also need to plan your day around its departure times, including when you want to return to the hotel. The beds were very, very hard! I don’t know whether this is an Italian thing, as we have experienced the same thing at other hotels in Italy. Perhaps it simply comes down to personal preference. The hotel also has a really lovely spa area. Unfortunately, the water was rather cold, including the hot tub, which was not what I expected from a hot tub! I’m not sure whether this was because we visited outside the main season and there weren’t many guests, so perhaps they had turned down the temperature to save energy. I can’t say for sure, but the spa area itself was very nice. Unfortunately, the outdoor pool was closed, which was such a shame. However, we knew this in advance, as we visited in mid-October. The weather was actually lovely during our stay, so we asked whether there was an outdoor area where we could sit and enjoy the sunshine. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single suitable place to sit outside. There was a designated smoking area, but we didn’t want to sit there. It was also partially covered by a roof, so we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy much sunshine anyway. There was a restaurant next door, so we asked whether we could sit outside there for a while to enjoy the sun during the day. Unfortunately, its outdoor seating area was also closed. During the two days we stayed at the hotel, we couldn’t find anywhere suitable to sit outside and enjoy the lovely weather. We ended up having to go into Rome just to find somewhere to sit in the sunshine. All in all, it is a lovely hotel with some great facilities and friendly staff. However, considering the price, I don’t think it offered good enough value for money. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t choose to stay here again. The picture is the Outlook from our hotel window. So not so great."