The Sofitel Hotel was wonderful! The hotel is located on a small street, making it ideal for people who want quiet at night. Its about a 5 minute walk to the Spanish Steps, and 3 minutes to Via Venetto. The staff is wonderful, the front desk staff speaks English, and the rest of the staff was very nice. The room (1 single/smoking) was on the 6th floor, perfect with a double bed, and a balcony. The bathroom was very large. This is one of the few hotels in Rome that knows how to make "american coffee", and they have the best tiramisu I have ever tasted.
Don't miss the view from their terrace on the 7th floor.
My only concern with this hotel was that the last night I was there I could hear the conversation of the people adjacent to my room. This was the only night I heard people on the other room. I was there for seven nights, and while a little pricey, I believe I made the right choice to stay at this hotel.
Word of caution with hotels.com - I verified 3 times if breakfast was included in my price, they said yes - however, the hotel said no. Verify with the hotel before you go.

This hotel was a nice experience for us. The location is wonderful, just a short walk to the Spanish Steps and has some nice places to eat and drink nearby the hotel itself. The room was a little small but the decor was lovely. We were very happy with the service we got, everyone was very friendly and kind. I did miss some english on TV but when you are in Rome you should be out anyway so it was not a problem plus they have pay movies if all else fails. I definatly recommend this hotel.

My husband and I stayed at the Sofitel Roma for 8 nights in March. I picked the hotel based on reviews and photos posted on TripAdvisor. The hotel was exactly as expected: lovely room, nice size room and bath. The bathrobe was a comfort at the end of the day.

Breakfast was included or we would have eaten down the street. 25 euros/each is a bit much. We did get "sandwiches" in the bar one day and were a bit surprised at the miniature size and substantial price. The smallest sandwiches we have ever eaten.

The bartender also quoted a price for a glass of house wine and then charged double. When we noticed and complained, another staff member gave us the glass for free.

The rugs are getting a bit tired and worn - at least in our room.

Internet is expensive, but there is free wireless on the grounds of the Borghese. But you will need a cell phone to activate the account.

Finally, Ezio, the door man, was wonderful. He gave us so much information, precise information. He made our trip work!

I'll keep it brief, to the point and as useful as I can (the type of review I like to read myself).

My girlfriend and I planned a Romantic break in Rome and used TripAvdvisor (once again) to choose our hotel. Based on the reviews of the hotel and their TripAdvisor award we settled on the Sofitel. We made our booking by telephone through Hotels.com in less than 5 minutes.

We booked a Deluxe Double room for 3 nights (Friday 22nd February to Monday 25th February).

The hotel is located near Villa Borghese in non-touristy and quieter part of Rome (no offence to other hotels or areas - that’s just my opinion having stayed in Rome several times before). To place it in perspective, its only a relatively short walk from the Spanish Steps (yes, a little uphill on the way back - but not a problem) and close enough to the Trevi Fountain to make it a comfortable walk. It is located on the corner of a really quiet, peaceful and safe street. From the outside it does not necessarily appear that impressive looking (sometimes a positive sign of understated quality!!!)... but (and this is a big but) the service and quality strike you from the moment you approach the hotel or get out of your taxi.

The caped doorman is ready at hand to offer a smiling welcome and take your luggage. The bellboys immediately step in to take your luggage and guide you to reception. The reception staff are very professional, well spoken, well dressed and very, very helpful with the whole process. Maps and tourist information were presented without asking and we were advised that taxis can be booked from reception or the or the doorman at a moments notice. It is clear that this hotel has a clear standard and level of service, worthy of its star rating.

Although our room was not immediately ready on checking-in, we received a profuse apology but we were assured that the Deluxe Double room we booked was worth the wait - and Yes, they were absolutely right.

The room (519) was tastefully decorated, with a seating/lobby area, room safe in the wardrobe, large bathroom and a HUGE (and I mean HUGE) bed - you could easily fit 3-4 people in it. A word of advice - don't lie down on the bed straight away... its that soft and comfortable you may not get out of it again... I'm not joking!!! Sometimes I find it difficult to settle into a hotel bed for the first night or two... the only two exceptions are the Renaissance River Hotel in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam and, now, the Sofitel Roma.

There is hardly any traffic passing and little if any noise from the road outside. Our room had two little balcony's to look out from... a nice touch.

The hotel has a nice lobby and bar area where you can relax after a hard days sightseeing. Most importantly... the staff are very professional, discreet and stay in the background, but are there when you need them.

The 7th floor has a wonderful terrace with great views of the city by day and night, and is worth the visit even if you are not staying in the hotel.

We booked a walking tour of Rome with a company called EnjoyRome.com, when we asked the doorman to order a taxi he immediately knew that we were taking a tour and instructed the taxi driver exactly where to drop us off, saving us some time wandering around looking for the tour pick-up point.

On our last day we planned some sightseeing and asked if the hotel could hold our luggage for a few hours. This was no problem and the staff seemed happy to help out.

Five little tips.

1) Book some walking tours with EnjoyRome.com. In total we took 3 walking tours of Rome with Enjoy Rome, all lasting 3 hours long.. The old city/Jewish quarter tour is particularly good both for the sites and as an introduction to Rome. They also do the Vatican and the Major Sites. We would strongly recommend these tours as they helped orientate us to the city and sights. These tours also gave us a good idea of how easy it is to walk to/around the major sites - so take our advice and make the most of your time using an organised tour.


2) if you are English or Irish and are absolutely gasping for a cup of decent tea then try the Babbington/Barrington Tea house at the bottom of the Spanish Steps (left hand side), yes its a little bit expensive... but when the need for tea calls this will really hit the spot.

3) For an authentic family run trattoria with local atmosphere and genuine Italian food try Mario' on Via del Moro (near Piazza Trilussa) you will not be disappointed with the food or the prices. Try the Meatballs or the Sausage (I did both!) The young waiter is very happy to use/learn English (he even gave us a free pen!!!) and it has a really nice local and genuine feel to it. Friday or Saturday are probably best for a real experience. Leave your diet outside.

4) For real pizza in a lively and genuine atmosphere try Dar Poeta on Vicolo del Bologna (near Piazza Trilussa), be warned... the Italian starter is HUGE (meats, cheese, olives, etc) so have plenty of room for your main course. Needless to say the piazza is excellent and well helped by the house wine. You might have to queue for a few minutes, but it is really worth the wait! A good mix of locals and tourists mean that it is really lively and buzzing. Again, leave your diet outside.

5) Even on weekend trip - get out of the city for a while. A trip to Chianti (yes, where the wine comes from) is only 30 minutes by train. A lovely little town with a nice square, wonderful ice cream and delicious cakes. A nice walk in the park below the towering main house on the hill followed by a coffee will round things off nicely.

In closing, one of the most welcoming notions while on holiday is the prospect of returning to your warm, welcoming and comfortable hotel after a hard days sightseeing, shopping or a night out. We would therefore strongly recommend the Sofitel Roma to couples, families and older people if you want to treat yourself to a non-touristy (sorry to use that term but mass tourism hotels do not really appeal), quality, relaxing, comfortable and memorable stay in Rome.

After this experience we intend to return to Rome and will definitely be staying at the Sofitel again.