Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria
by
Terry Sullivan
February, 2012. Since we have been writing about some of the lodging facilities encountered during our recent visit to Italy, I would be remiss not to write about our favorite: The Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts. The facility is beautiful, extremely comfortable and they know how to treat you right.
We arrived around 10:00 am after a nine-hour flight from the Washington DC area. It took only a moment for the receptionist to recognize our Hilton Honors Diamond status and whisk us off to a sit-down area where we were offered an assortment of drinks. Orange juice and water were fine. She then proceeded on with check-in. We were able to go to our room early and go to the lounge, the Imperial Room on the 7th floor that we were encouraged to use. Wow! What a nice area and we finally had a cup of tea made correctly!
Our Room
We had a deluxe room on the third floor with a view of the city. The view wasn’t quite as nice as the view from the Imperial Room on a higher floor. Our room was very comfortable and was divided into different areas. The bathroom was very large with many amenities. The bedroom area had a comfortable king-size bed. A sitting area had a desk and sofa with a coffee table. Then outside, there was a deck with chairs. Curtains are controlled from a switch next to the bed.
Take the Bus into the City
The Rome Cavalieri is a bit out of the way for some sightseers who want to be closer to the sights. However the hotel runs a shuttle bus to the main part of the city, where travelers can easily walk to the various locations of interest. We took the bus and then began walking on a wonderful sunny day in Rome. The three days that we spent in Rome were all sunny and we did an immense amount of walking.
Dinner at L'Uliveto
Staying at the Rome Cavalleri definitely has its highlights. One of the hotel restaurants is located on level -1. Using the numeral -1 on the elevator was great. The numbers actually started at -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 and on up to the top floor. The hallway outside of the L'Uliveto restaurant has windows facing the landscaped park outside. The hallway ceiling is lit with tiny stars. The restaurant is elegant and includes impeccable service. Many of the staff members have a good command of the English language. The large carpeted room has wall sconce lightsi. The main menu is not too long but covers a range of foods including salads, soups, meat, fish and pasta. A wine menu is also available. A separate menu for dessert arrives at the end of the meal.
Rome is in Italy’s Lazio wine region. Lazio doesn’t seem to have a large market share of wines in Rome. Frascati is and should be on wine menus. The fruit forward white wine is drinkable by itself and pairs well with lighter foods. This was our second day of enjoying Frascati. The wine we had with dinner was a Frasacti Superiore 10 from Casale Marchese. This Frascati tasted a bit sweeter than those tasted earlier. We had a bean soup appetizer. There were bits of bacon in the soup that gave a salty taste. The sweetness of the Frascati paired well with the saltiness of the soup. My entrée was fish with Buffalo mozzarella. The Frascati actually gave a sweetness to the entrée. The 2010 Frascati was fruity with pear, peach and a bit of pineapple and melon on the taste. There was a hint of sweetness. Casale Marchese is located in the Frascati DOC area.
Hanging Out in the Imperial Room
The Imperial Room is a fantastic place to meet people, relax and write if you want to write. There is always foods and beverages. While writing blogs and articles we had our share of Frascati as well as sparkling and a red. From the Imperial lounge there are beautiful views of Rome. There is a balcony with tables and chairs overlooking the city below. Take time to admire the views of the Eternal City. On our last evening before the Familizaration tour of Umbria and Campania we met Jennifer and Thaddeus who were also on our FAM tour. After discussing Scotch and Bourbon, wine became the topic of choice.
This was our second time we stayed at the Rome Cavalieri and look forward to a future stay. We have stayed at a several Hilton properties in Europe, the Rome Cavalieri is our favorite.
