Hotel recommendation for Madrid and Barcelona; also Rome

[starklk]

Hi all -

The LL community was very helpful last year when my husband and I visited Venice. We had a marvelous time - we couldn't have been happier with our hotel and the restaurants we discovered were very good.

Reaching out for a recommendation for hotels in Madrid, Barcelona and Rome. Rome - I've been looking at The Lord Byron. Any comments from those of you who have stayed there?

Cheers!

[LL_Travelfan]

Hi starklk,
Welcome to the LL Community.
You are asking about The Lord Byron hotel in Rome. The hotel is a Small Leading Hotel of the World and offers an exquisite, exclusive athmoshere. It is located at the Parioli district, one of Romes most exclusive areas. The neighbourhood boosts the highest concentration of foreign embassies, multinational corporations, banks and other top professional offices. Equally known for its wealth of fine art and greenery, the surrounding area of the Lord Byron makes for a wonderful daytime bicycle excursion.
The Parioli district hosts the spectacular Borghese Gardens, which opened to the public on July 12, 1903 after much legal dispute. Romans and international travellers alike may today visit the parks 80 hectares, 35 fountains, 15 buildings, 14 smaller structures, 10 monuments and many acclaimed statues admireing its outstanding beauty and character. Within the Borghese Gardens, the Borghese Gallery has recently re-opened its doors to some of the worlds most famous art after extensive renovation. The rooms are somewhat small, but exquisitly appointed. A night in one of the lovely standard room sets you back about 450 Euros.
We stayed at the lovely Hotel Fortyseven near the Forum with a LL auction package, which was very reasonably priced and offered many extras, like breakfast every day, a dinner, champagne, etc. The hotel is located near the Forum and quite near the Plaza Navona and the Pantheon. We found everything within walking distance.

Hotel Lord Byron www.lordbyronhotel.com/ Hotel Fortyseven www.fortysevenhotel.com

In Madrid I would recommend The Ritz, Madrid, one of the original grand luxury hotels in Europe offering impeccable hotel service. It is located opposite the Prado in the heart of Madrid. Have a look at
www.ritzmadrid.com.

I have not been to Barcelona, but perhaps someone else can help. Good Luck.

Message Edited by LL_Travelfan on 08-28-2008 05:24 PM

[15bigfoot]

We really liked the Hotel Raphael in Rome. It is right behind the Piazza Navona...great location! We are going back to Barcelona and Madrid next month. We are staying at the Hotel Casanova in Barcelona and the Hotel Villa Real in Madrid. These are both LL packages. I will let you know what we think when we get back.

[LL_Travelfan]

Hi 15bigfoot,

I agree with you the Hotel Raphael is a very good choice.We too really liked the Hotel Raphael. We stayed there on our first trip to Rome when it was under LL Roman Holiday for $999. Unfortunately, they have been missing from LL auctions for some time now. If you book with them directly, the price of 160 Euros is not outrages for this 4-star hotel, but the breakfast can set you back a bit.

The Villa Real in Madrid is also a very nice property and I believe it is still on LL.

Message Edited by LL_Travelfan on 08-29-2008 07:14 AM

[starklk]

Dear TravelFan - Thanks very much for your input and recommendations. We await confirmation of our Rome hotel booking through LL at the Hotel Lord Byron. Everything I've seen or read about this property makes me feel confident about this choice. Madrid - we opted for an all-inclusive package at the Hotel Ritz which we found on the hotel's own website. Barcelona - we're going to stay at Hotel Murmuri which I read about on www.kiwicollection.com/wow_travel.php. Here's a description: http://www.kiwicollection.com/proper...rcelona-hotel. Look forward to sharing our experience at these 3 hotel properties with the LL community....

[LL_Travelfan]

Hi starklh,
Sounds like you are all set for your upcoming trip to Rome, Madrid and Barcelona. I think you made some excellent choices and I look forward to hearing you reporting back to the LL Community of your experiences. These first hand reports are really valuable assets to the community. I had a look at the website you mentioned for the Hotel Murmuri in Barcelona and it looks good. I will make a mental note of considering it for a possibility for our trip to Barcelona after hearing first hand reviews from you. Good Luck.

PS: I trust you found my post to you on private guides for Rome and Florence.