If you’re looking for a relaxing, luxury stay in a lavish hotel, the Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria offers just that.
Set in an isolated location, on the highest hill in Rome, the views from this resort are phenomenal! The hotel boasts 15 acres of land; three outdoor pools, two indoor pools, an amethyst Turkish bath, hot tub, saunas, a gym, two tennis courts, wooded parkland, beautiful manicured gardens and a huge space for al fresco dining.
As soon as our taxi drove through the gates and up the long driveway to the property, I was blown away by the grounds. The old-fashioned grandeur and opulent decor hits you as soon as you walk through the door. There are museum-quality paintings hanging from the walls and huge bar area situated at the back of the lobby.
The room
The classical Italian decor continues throughout the rooms.
We stayed in a deluxe room, which is one of the hotel’s ‘basic’ rooms. However, it was incredibly spacious, with a king bed as well as a separate living area; complete with a desk and sofa.
Our private balcony offered a beautiful view of the Eternal City, the main outdoor pool to the side and the gardens directly in front of us.
Bathroom
I’d say the bathroom was just as big as the room to be honest! Designed from floor to ceiling in marble, it has a power shower, bath tub, toilet, bidet and a dressing table area which was a nice touch! The lighting in here was brilliant too – perfect for applying makeup.
The Salvatore Ferragamo toiletries smelt gorgeous – they were the perfect Italian touch!
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Pool & Spa Facilities
There are three outdoor pools; the main one which has a poolside bar located next to it. This pool was busy all throughout the day, but it was large enough to accommodate plenty of people without getting in each others’ way. I personally wasn’t keen on this pool as it was far too deep, even at the shallow end.
While I wouldn’t consider myself tall at just under 5’4″, even Jass couldn’t touch the ground without putting his face underwater in the shallow end – and he’s 5’10”! I like knowing I can touch the ground, if I need to – almost like a security blanket, so this was a bit of a weird experience!
You had to either keep swimming around, use a pool noodle to float or just hang onto the sides! Very strange.
Around the corner is a much smaller, but quieter pool for kids, and a baby pool close by. This was the one I spent most of my time in as it was mostly empty, and the perfect depth for playing water volleyball in!
The Cavalieri Grand Spa
This is one of two indoor pools in the luxury spa that you can relax in. We didn’t use this one as the weather was glorious while we were in Rome.
It’s so beautifully designed with a glass domed ceiling, and it’s a great space to escape the rays and swim safe in the knowledge that you aren’t tanning. Or burning to a crisp.
We had free access to this pool and Turkish Bath with our Hilton Honors rewards, but it usually costs 20 euro per person, per day. Well worth paying for it, if you ask me!
The amethyst Turkish bath and sauna wasn’t for me as I always feel suffocated in that type of environment and it dries out my contact lenses. However, I spent a lot of time relaxing in this pool and the quiet room beside it.
The spa also offer a wide range of treatments from different brands, including Aromatherapy Associates products and a selection of La Prairie’s exclusive treatments. A simple massage might set you back around 250 euro though, eek! Nobody said luxury was cheap.
Have a closer look at the spa facilities in my vlog, here.
Location
While the views stretching across the entire city from here are breathtaking, the downside is that the city can be a 30 minute taxi ride away.
There’s nothing in the immediate vicinity of interest; restaurants, bars, shops or sights to see which isn’t ideal. However, the resort does offer a complimentary shuttle bus to and from Piazza Barberini square every hour, around 6 times a day.
Food and drink
Rome Cavalieri is home to La Pergola which is located on the panoramic top floor. It’s the only restaurant in Rome with three Michelin stars, has very limited seating and you need to book months in advance to get on the waiting list. It’s safe to say that we didn’t dine here!
L’Uliveto is the main restaurant in the resort; they serve a buffet breakfast in the morning which is great. It’s not outstanding, and as always, there isn’t a ton of choice for vegetarians, but it’s good. The restaurant also serve lunch and dinner; a combination of Mediterranean and pan-Italian dishes. We looked at their lunchtime menu and the prices were extortionate, so we chose not to dine here either!
Dining, or simply ordering drinks at the poolside bar in is also eye-wateringly expensive! I’m talking about a tenner for a can of coke. Yes, that’s right – ten euro, which is equivalent to pretty much £10 at the moment!
Extortionate.
We had no choice but to have lunch here when we arrived, as it was lunchtime, our room wasn’t ready and the shuttle bus has a 3 hour break in the middle of the day. Paying for a taxi to the centre and back would have defeated the purpose of opting for a cheaper lunch!
I begrudgingly paid 32 euro for a vegan poke bowl!
Was it nice? Yes.
Was it worth it’s price tag? No!
Needless to say we stocked up on some drinks, snacks and my beloved Aperol Spritz at a supermarket that evening for the next day!
I mean, it’s daylight robbery. but, their sole saving grace is its convenience, because of the isolated location.
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Would I stay here again?
If you saw my vlog, you’ll know that Jass surprised me with two nights here for our anniversary. He’d accumulated enough Hilton Honors rewards points, in order to get a discount on the booking, free access to the Turkish bath and a room upgrade; however unfortunately the hotel was full as we visited during peak season, so we didn’t benefit from this perk.
What the resort may lack in location it more than makes up for in service and facilities. The rooms start from just over 200 euro per night, which in my opinion is great value it if you’re looking for a unique stay in Rome in one of the most luxurious hotels in Europe.
Rome Cavalieri carries the Waldorf Astoria name and completely lives up to expectations. The great service, exceptional spa facilities, lavish rooms with spectacular views make the stay well worth it!
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