Palazzo Navona Hotel ★★★★

The first time I visited Rome it was on a family cruise and we only stopped for day at the near-by port of Civitavecchia. We left at 9, arrived in Rome around 10.30am explored all that we could and left at 5pm in order to get back on the ship for 6.30pm, when it would leave. Each corner we turned there was something else to see, another piazza, fountain, famous historic site and of course there was the Vatican which we managed to squeeze in for the morning. But it passed by so quickly I hadn’t managed to properly remember what we had seen and where we had been. Without a doubt, our six and a half hours were not enough to appreciate this enthralling city which also contains the world’s smallest sovereign state. Especially as we spent a fair amount of time at lunch tucking into four delicious pizzas – when in Rome do as the Romans do, so it had to be done! So this time, more than several years later, it was time to properly discover Rome; my husband and I booked a five day stay in the convenient, four-star Palazzo Navona, like its name suggests, only a two minutes from the sparkling fountains and bubbling Piazza Navona.

Don’t be fooled by this hotel’s unassuming exterior, the hotel’s interior is a sleek and polished one that exudes an air of elegance from the minute you walk through the door. The dimmed, warm lighting was a nice welcoming touch but it was the spacious, bright rooms that impressed us the most. Our classic room was a spacious 18 sqm for the two of us with an elegant marble and glass bathroom. White walls and gleaming white bedding with floor to ceiling windows filled the room with light and looked out onto the bustling streets below. This was our little peaceful, sound-proofed haven in the ever-moving Rome below. We hungrily grabbed some snacks and drinks from our complimentary mini-bar, made some good old English tea, and then stretched out on the bed for a little relaxing pause before we tackle the tourist challenges we had planned for the rest of the day. Half an hour later, it was hard to peel ourselves off the comforting mattress that our bodies had sunk into but there was no time to waste!

The best thing about Palazzo Navona is its unbeatable central location; most of the sites were accessible by foot. For our first day we roamed the streets to get a feel of the place, the close-by, curious fountains of Piazza Navona were our favourite, Fontana del Moro and Fountain of Neptune, and the beautiful baroque architecture that surrounded it. At lunch I feasted on a classic spaghetti carbonara whilst my husband went for a smooth risotto. Two strong Italian coffees kicked us into action for the rest of the afternoon and we were on our way.

Exhausted by our eventful day, we retreated back to the Palazzo. My husband and I love views from up high, where you can see the city as the gods would see it. So we decided to have an early evening glass of wine at the roof-terrace bar to the watch the sun dip below the skyline, in this, the Eternal City. The next day we would be gobbling up a hearty breakfast, in the smart restaurant, and fuelling ourselves for another busy, exciting day. But for now, in the pleasant evening air of an Italian winter turning to spring, it was enough to stare out into the distance spotting the Pantheon, the Saint Ivo alla Sapienza and various other churches and buildings. This time my trip to Rome would surely be unforgettable...