The Grand Hotel della Minerva (or Grand Hotel de la Minerve; the French and Italian spellings seem to be used interchangeably at this venerable hotel) has a killer location right on Piazza della Minerva, just off the southeast of the Pantheon.
This five-star property overlooks the tiny square where Bernini's playful sculpture of a baby elephant balancing an obelisk on its back sits in front of the deceptively nondescript facade of Santa Maria sopra Minerva (a highly underrated Roman church, with works by Michelangelo and Filippo Lippi inside).
And hey: we haven't even peeking inside the hotel yet, where the large rooms are fitted out with elegant modern furnishings, sometimes under ancient wood-bead ceilings.
If you've got the scratch, The Minerva is a most excellent choice, enjoying one of the best, most central locations in all of the historic center. If it's just too pricey for you, never fear: the wonderful budget Hotel Mimosa is just down the block.
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Piazza della Minerva 69 (Upper Tiber Bend) - Off the Southeast corner of the Pantheon, just east of Piazza Navona
tel. +39-06-695-201
www.grandhoteldelaminerve.com
€€€
Bus: 116, 116T; 30, 40, 46, 62,64, 70, 81, 87, 130F, 186, 190F, 492, 571, 628, 916, 916F
English (Inglese) | Italian (Italiano) | Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
Good day | Buon giorno | bwohn JOUR-noh |
Good evening | Buona sera | BWOH-nah SAIR-rah |
Good night | Buona notte | BWOH-nah NOTE-tay |
Goodbye | Arrivederci | ah-ree-vah-DAIR-chee |
Excuse me (to get attention) | Scusi | SKOO-zee |
thank you | grazie | GRAT-tzee-yay |
please | per favore | pair fa-VOHR-ray |
yes | si | see |
no | no | no |
Do you speak English? | Parla Inglese? | PAR-la een-GLAY-zay |
I don't understand | Non capisco | non ka-PEESK-koh |
I'm sorry | Mi dispiace | mee dees-pee-YAT-chay |
Where is? | Dov'é | doh-VAY |
...a hotel | un albergo | oon al-BEAR-go |
...a B&B | un bed-and-breakfast | oon bet hand BREK-fust |
...a rental room | un'affittacamera | oon ah-feet-ah-CAH-mair-ra |
...an apartment for rent | un appartamento | oon ah-part-tah-MENT-toh |
...a farm stay | un agriturismo | oon ah-gree-tour-EES-moh |
...a hostel | un ostello | oon oh-STEHL-loh |
How much is...? | Quanto costa? | KWAN-toh COST-ah |
a single room | una singola | OO-nah SEEN-go-la |
double room for single use [will often be offered if singles are unavailable] | doppia uso singola | DOPE-pee-ya OO-so SEEN-go-la |
a double room with two beds | una doppia con due letti | OO-nah DOPE-pee-ya cone DOO-way LET-tee |
a double room with one big bed | una matrimoniale | OO-nah mat-tree-moan-nee-YAAL-lay |
triple room | una tripla | OO-nah TREE-plah |
with private bathroom | con bagno | cone BAHN-yoh |
without private bathroom | senza bagno [they might say con bagno in comune—"with a communal bath"] | SEN-zah BAHN-yoh |
for one night | per una notte | pair OO-nah NOH-tay |
for two nights | per due notti | pair DOO-way NOH-tee |
for three nights | per tre notti | pair tray NOH-tee |
Is breakfast included? | É incluso la prima colazione? | ay in-CLOO-soh lah PREE-mah coal-laht-zee-YOAN-nay |
Is there WiFi? | C'é WiFi? | chay WHY-fy? |
May I see the room? | Posso vedere la camera? | POH-soh veh-DAIR-eh lah CAH-mair-rah |
That's too much | É troppo | ay TROH-po |
Is there a cheaper one? | C'é una più economica? | chay OO-nah pew eh-ko-NO-mee-kah |
In January, 2011, Rome began charging a hotel bed tax. This is the city's doing, and sadly it is not a scam.
The following tax rates are per person, per night for all guests over the age of 10 and can be charged for stays of up to 10 days:
So a couple staying three nights in a four-star room would pay an extra €18.
Some hotels have begun folding this tax into their quoted rates; others tack it on when you go to check out, so be prepared.
Planning your day: Rome wasn't built in a day, and you'd be hard-pressed to see it in that brief a time as well. Still, you can cram a lot into just a day or three.
To help you get the most out of your limited time in the Eternal City, here are some perfect itineraries, whether you have one, two, three, or four days to spend in Rome. » Rome itineraries
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Piazza della Minerva 69 (Upper Tiber Bend) - Off the Southeast corner of the Pantheon, just east of Piazza Navona
tel. +39-06-695-201
www.grandhoteldelaminerve.com
€€€
Bus: 116, 116T; 30, 40, 46, 62,64, 70, 81, 87, 130F, 186, 190F, 492, 571, 628, 916, 916F