My first stay at the Albani was back in 2011 and my first reaction was: far from central Rome and its attractions and in an unexciting residential part of the city. I rode taxis into the city almost daily to look for a good restaurant. The Albani has no dinner restaurant (only a breakfast buffet is available). And the one or two dinners I had in the neighborhood were quite bland. I was not liking the hotel largely because of its location. But I have since come to see this location very differently.
The hotel itself is quite nice: modern, clean and, by Euro standards, spacious. The front desk staff is helpful and very professional. Rare among local hotels is to fine an in-house fitness facility and the Albani does offer one, something quite important to business travelers like myself. And many of the rooms overlook the forested park of the Villa Torlonia, resulting not only in a scenic view but also a quieter atmosphere. The wifi works well. And the mini refrigerators in the guest rooms are quite convenient, especially as I enjoy finding local cheeses and cold cuts and bringing them to my room for late night snacks.
The annoying aspect is their use of the old-fashioned room keys which are attached to a heavy metal weight. This antiquated approach deters you from keeping the key with you when you go out, forcing you to drop off the key and then go back to the desk to regain your key on your return. The staff are quite efficient at this retrieval, but it is still hotel custom that deserves to be only a memory.
But my primary gripe on my early visit was the location. But 1.50 euros buys a bus ticket. And in 15 minutes the 63 and 62 buses whisk you into the city center. The 63 bus stop (central city: Trevi Fountain, Parthenon, Piazza Venezia, etc.) is just a block up the street to Via Salaria and the 62 bus (Vatican, Castle San Angelo, Piazza Navona, etc.) is a few blocks east on Regina Margherita.
My initial disappointment with restaurants in the area has turned around completely. Having now had quite a few visits, and more importantly, the guidance of local residents, I have discovered that the area around the Albani is perhaps richer in fine dining than the tourist-trap dominated cuisine in the central city. Go where the natives eat. And around here, none of them venture into the center of town because the better eats are right around this neighborhood. Here are a few definitely worth considering: Eleanora d'Arborea; Oseria dell 'Arco, Osteria Via Mantova, Ristorante Caprera, Capo Boi, and there are more.
So should you stay at the Albani, I'll think you'll find that you can still enjoy Rome and you won;'t have to taxi into town to get a good Italian dinner. read more