Palazzo Ripetta — Hotel in Rome

Palazzo Ripetta used to be one of my favorite hotels in Italy , previously named Residenza di Ripetta . We chose this hotel in 2014 for our wedding . The service and everything was so amazing , and especially the hotel staff and their attention and level of care. We had an amazing dinner at the hotel restaurant in the internal garden and it really made this day special . After that we stayed a couple more times and even arranged a big conference in 2017 . Unfortunately this year we discovered that this is not the same hotel anymore, probably the management has changed together with the name of the hotel. There was definitely some room renovation, rooms are nice, clean and comfortable. But the staff approach is very different . First of all I want to mention that there was a fire drill on the night of October ,16. We were woken up by the alarm at 3.20 am. We went downstairs and were abandoned on the street for around 20 minutes. No fire brigade arrived and there was no visible fire or smoke . At the reception there was only one clerk and the porter . We were not given any instructions during evacuation or explanation after . Some people went outside barefoot , and clearly everyone with pyjamas and robes, and we were just waiting . Then they just said that we can go back to the rooms and it was false alarm 😬. The hotel staff did not even apologize next day, not even verbally . In the morning we woken up by the smell of rotten eggs , and during breakfast it was not possible to get any cooked food as kitchen was not working . All this makes me think that something happened over night and that caused these problems. Second thing I would like to mention is the gym. Apparently, the hotel has the gym( as advertised )but it is not working . We were not informed about it during the check in . And only discovered by chance . The staff was telling us to go to the 5 th floor where the gym is . The door was constantly closed and only one manager explained to us later that gym did not work . During breakfast I had another unpleasant situation. First of all, I need to say that there is no written information about the ingredients allergens , and it’s a buffet . There were several cakes available in the bakery section to slice , but only one knife . Some of the cakes contained nuts . My daughter has a severe nut allergy and I asked the waiters to bring me clean knife to use . My request was ignored . After long wait and several requests the chef from the kitchen arrived to inform me about the allergens and ingredients they used. The same was at the section of the cold cuts ( where slices of meat cold cuts and fish are), all the serving knifes and forks were mixed in one plate . When we were ordering omelette , we had to wait for 15 minutes. And true to be told , there were no more than 10-12 people at the breakfast at the same time . All in all , this does not feel like a 5 star luxury hotel . Even though it has an amazing location . I would not recommend this place due to the dramatic customer service drop down and all the incidents...

I booked this hotel as a splurge for a last minute trip to Rome for my birthday.

What a mistake, a comedy of errors, consistently bad.

The cost for our 4-night stay was more than $6,500 usd.

The short version:

1. broken air conditioning in room

2. locked out of our room not once, not twice, but three times

3. poor housekeeping

4. poor food at breakfast

5. room service order that never arrived

About the only positive was our room was available for an early checkin.

Things went downhill quickly after that.

The room was nice, just as described, and had good natural light. But we immediately noticed it was warmer than the rest of the hotel.

We adjusted the thermostat, but after a period of insufficient cooling, it was clear there was an issue with air conditioning.

We let the front desk know and left to see the city.

Upon our return, our room key didn't work.

We returned to the front desk, they gave us new keys and they assured us the air con had been fixed.

We got to the room and it was just as warm as when we had left.

We left again, they said they would fix the air con.

Upon our return, our room key didn't work.

We returned to the front desk, they gave us new keys and they assured us the air con had been fixed. It hadn't been.

We left for dinner with more assurances the aircon would be fixed.

We returned to the hotel, our room key didn't work for the third time in one day.

We returned to the front desk, the clerk said he needed to charge our credit card again so the keys would work. More assurances the aircon was fixed.

It wasn't, we requested a fan, and spent the night in a warm room with an oscillating fan to keep us cool. They said we could move to another room the next day.

The next morning they showed us a couple of rooms we could move into, neither of which we liked as much as the room we booked.

So we suggested they check the filter of the ac unit, and if that succeeded in fixing it, we could stay in our room.

We left for the day, and when we returned, for the first time our key worked AND we had functioning air conditioning!

But, we also arrived to hair in the sink from the housekeeping service.

At breakfast the next day, my husband requested a fried egg, over easy. Having traveled extensively, we are aware that this preparation isn't universally known, surprisingly, so he provided a photo and description to our waitress. She let the chef know, but the chef either didn't understand or didn't want to accommodate this simple request, so he got a fried egg, hard.

On our last night, before leaving for dinner, we wanted to enjoy the complimentary bottle of prosecco that was left for us. We called room service, and requested a bucket of ice. It never...

The welcoming environment when entering the hotel is lovely. The beauty and decor of the library, lobby and bar all located near the entrance. It feels like an oasis when walking in from the busy streets of Rome, though it’s located on a side street that is definitely quieter and easier to navigate compared to others. The bellman are all very kind and professional and the same can be said for the front desk team. They are eager to assist, provide entry with ease and get you on your way to your rooms. We booked two suite lofts next to each another to accommodate our family of four and it was perfect! The loft suites gave us plenty of room and separation space (with the upstairs loft space) for when our two teen boys needed some time on their own to relax. The breakfast and dinner were very good and the cocktails in the cozy but ornate bar were lovely. For us, where this hotel really shines is through its concierge team: Roberta, Marta and Saskia. Though we always knew they were very busy, all three very were very knowledgeable, unshakeable and greeted us with warm smiles at every encounter. We never felt rushed with all of our questions and their suggestions were great. We have to specifically acknowledge Roberta and Marta who took on the task of helping us navigate the planning to the next leg of our trip (to Lake Como). We thought enjoying the freedom of having loosely laid plans would be and adventure but it turned out we needed more help than expected, even as seasoned travelers. They were nothing short of amazing! They helped us find the right flights, transportation and even suggested some ideas to improve our existing plans sending us on our way with confidence and peace of mind. They are one of the hotel’s greatest assets. We will definitely be returning to Palazzo Ripetta and will be excited to see our newfound friends again.

About the location, it is one block off a main shopping street (Via del Corso), a quick two minute walk to the Piazza del Popolo and Spanish Steps, then a 10 minute uber ride across the river to the Colisseum, Vatican and Palatine Hill. A great location!! We liked the quieter area with easy access to everything. Plus there are great restaurants, pharmacies and bars super close...