The Duke Hotel - Rome

Lovely hotel in residential area north of downtown. Loved the ambience and service, but mattress was very hard.

I stayed at this hotel for 4 nights in October 2011. The hotel is very nice and the staff is generally friendly, helpful and speak English. The location is a bit out of the way. It is just outside the Borghese area. The hotel runs a shuttle to the Piazza dei Popolo which helps a lot. My problem with my stay was some specific difficulties associated […] with the shuttle service. The shuttle hours don't start until 8 am, which made it difficult to use for some tours that we booked with earlier starting times. But the major problem is that the shuttle service doesn't run continuously. They ask that you reserve a spot on the shuttle. Perfectly understandable for hotel departures, the shuttle van only holds 7 passengers. However, it is very hard to schedule your return time if you are sightseeing or on tours. Shouldn't be a problem and on the first day it wasn't. We arrived at the shuttle pickup spot and just waited for the next shuttle. Unfortunately, the following day we tried to do the same thing. We arrived just a couple minutes before a scheduled shuttle run. The shuttle never came, and didn't appear 30 minutes later at the next scheduled stop. I called the hotel, was asked if I had reserved a return trip and was told that the shuttle was "otherwise engaged" and wouldn't be available for another 3 hours. So, while the hotel is nice and the staff is friendly and helpful, don't rely on the shuttle. Taxis can be hard to acquire at the pickup location and the unreliable nature of the shuttle makes this hotel a truly difficult one for tourists. Read more

This is a very nice hotel with very competent front desk staff. We were very pleased with the breakfast, room, and service. They responded to all of our requests in a timely fashion. The hotel is situated in a quiet neighborhood and a distance from the old section of Rome. They provided a free shuttle to the Piazza de Popolo and also a free pickup when […] we wanted to return to the hotel. The breakfast was good and more than enough.They have eggs, cold cereal, croissants, olive bread, small pastries, fresh fruit and some canned fruit, coffee, tea, toast, if you ask for it, etc. They lent us an adapter to charge my camera and called for tickets to any attraction we wanted to go to. Read more

Positive characteristics include: friendly and helpful staff; larger rooms; quiet streets. Negative characteristics include: the location is really quite inconvenient, near neither attractions nor a metro station; the immediate neighborhood is pleasant but boring; the food (room service and restaurant) is mediocre to poor; there are very few English-language […] channels available on TV (we could not access either BBC or CNN). Sound proofing was also an issue - although the streets were very quiet, we could hear people walking around in the room above us as well as our neighbors whenever they used the bathroom. We were also surprised by the hotel's response to a fire alarm, which went off at 5:30AM and did not stop until after 7AM - the hotel seemed to have no emergency preparedness plan whatsoever. They did not knock on doors, provide information, put flashlights'lanterns in the unlit stairwells, post notices at the elevators, give instructions to the (few) guests who actually came down to the lobby, or do anything except tell people who asked that there was no fire. This may be normative for the neighborhood, but was a poor showing...I would hate to see what happened if there were actually to be an emergency. Read more

We had a wonderful stay at this hotel. It is very quiet in a lovely neighborhood. Their shuttle takes you to a subway stop so you can get anywhere. Nice restaurants in the neighborhood. Very service oriented and a great breakfast. Will definitely stay there again.

The in room Internet was not available the entire 5 days we stayed. This was a big deal because I needed to work while there. They kept saying there was an outside service coming to repair it, but that never happened. So they said to use the computer in the business center - which had one computer, and always someone waiting for you to finish.

Very good value. Older hotel with nice oversized rooms. They have a shuttle to Via Veneto - so it is not too bad to be a few miles from the tourist area of Rome.

What a great experience. The location of the hotel is a bit of a ways from the city limits of Rome however, it's a quick and painless 5 min walk to the Metro station which only cost 4 eruo ($6USD) for a 24hour pass and will take you any and every where in the city in just under 15 minutes. Much cheaper than a 60 euro cab ride ($80USD). The breakfast […] was quite ample for a European breakfast with meats, cheeses, yogurt, juice, pastries, cereal, and fresh fruit. The hotel did offer a free shuttle service to the city every hour, however this can be difficult as the shuttle only holds 6 riders. I think the metro saved money and created fun and excitement by being with the local people. Again, the staff was amazing and so helpful and willing to answer any questions we had about transportation, sites, culture, history, food and fun! Only negative was the beds were stiff, very stiff. Great job with this hotel, was on of our best for the trip! Read more

This hotel was our final night in Italy. The hotel was absolutely beautiful; rooms were immaculate and comfortable. The staff were wonderful, answering all of our questions. Even though we checked in the afternoon, the chef at the restaurant was willing to make us a late lunch, and then cook for us yet again at dinner that night. The food and service […] was excellent; the chef was so accommodating to us. Breakfast (included in the room) was the best we had at any hotel on this trip. The only downside I can see to this hotel is its location. We had a difficult time finding the hotel based on the directions from the website, but that was mostly due to me not looking up a better map! The location is not close to the "main attractions" in Rome, and there are not many restaurants, shops, etc., in the neighborhood surrounding the hotel. This was perfect for us, though, as it was our last night, and we preferred to just relax rather than more sight-seeing. However, the hotel DOES offer a FREE shuttle to and from the attractions area of Rome, which we didn't use, but seemed very convenient, and we saw many other guests use this service. Overall a great stay. Read more

The Hotel is located in a residntial neighborhood. There were no restaurants and shopping within walking distance. The metro stop was four or five blocks away. They have a shuttle available to take guest to the town but it only took seven people at a time. It was almost impossible to get a reservation in the morning.

We enjoyed the location in a more residential area of the city. The staff were very accomodating. The breakfast included in cost was lovely. Would go again.

The Duke Hotel is very reasonably priced for a Roman 4 star hotel and would surely command higher rates were it more centrally located. Don't be lured by the shuttle service - it can only accommodate 7 people in total and leaves every 45 minutes at best (to only one location.) Invariably we missed it every time but the hotel is close enough to the centre […] and the sites that even taking taxi fare into consideration, it is still very cost effective. It is also very easy to get to as all the cab drivers know it. The staff is helpful and the rooms are upgraded, spacious (by European standards) and clean. Breakfast is superiour to most. A few negatives - only one bathroom in junior suites and suites, poor television reception (seems like a chronic problem in Italy)and sandpaper sheets. In addition, the AC unit in the living room is directly behind the head of the sofa bed and there is only one central control for both rooms. Since our children were sleeping on the sofa bed, we were forced to switch the AC off every night which is not ideal in August! Unrelated Visitor's Tip: if you plan on visiting the Colosseum and Roman Forum either reserve in advance or buy your ticket at the Forum (it's one ticket for both) where there's no line at all. The wait at the Colosseum can be well over an hour. Also, there is a discount for European children and seniours but you MUST have ID. We didn't and had to pay full fare even for our 4 year old. Read more

The hotel is located just north of the Villa Borghese. Its a 30 minute walk through the park to get to the nearest Metro station - not bad ar all. Although there is a shuttle, reserve in advance. It tended to be sold-out before we could make our way. It was 12-15 Euro cab ride anywhere. Very well maintained hotel, rooms are well appointed (although […] the mattress is typical for Europe it takes a bit to get used to). The front desk was eager to help, and we looked forward to Breakfast each morning. Definitely would recommend to others. Read more

Exceptional hotel, would certainly stay there again. they also offer a free shuttle service to and from the center city area, though my wife and i walked the distance easily.

The reservation was made by Hotels.com and we had no problem. The Duke hotel is a nice hotel and very quiet but a bit away from the historic center. We had booked a Junior Suite which was very comfortable for a couple with two children 6 and 10 years. The room was clean every day changed our sheets and towels. The bathroom was very large but wants a […] little renovation and it has an ant problem. The hotel offers free transfer to a shutlle bus seven people wich every half hour to go to piazza del popolo. This is very important because near the hotel there is no bus or subway and taxi costs about 10 euros from piazza del popolo to the hotel.The breakfast was good but not anything special. Read more

Good and well organized hotel. Very kind staff. Rooms clean and pleasant. Not perfect position but the city center is well served by the hotel's taxi for free (free taxi every 15-30 minutes). Only one minus is the very expensive restaurant and minibar (10€ for broath for children or 14€ for dessert are not acceptable at all). Anyway Rome is full of […] good restaurants and we allways took lunches and dinners in the downtown. Suggest to all this Hotel! Read more

The room was clean and comfortable, but the hotel location is a big issue. You cannot walk to the city center because it is so far. The nearest metro to the hotel is 15 minutes walking and it closes around 10 pm. The hotel provides a shuttle service but it is very poor, the shuttle takes only 7 passengers and it is always fully booked. Also they won't […] send it to the city center if you didn't book it very early and they easily can forget your booking. Read more

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Excellent Hotel in quiet location which is why we chose it. Lovely safe residential neighbourhood. Hotel was quite a strenuous walk from bus or train station but that did ensure peace and quiet with no traffic noise. Courtesy bus from the hotel wasn't worth having and certainly not to be relied upon as only seating 5 people and running infrequently. […] Room lovely standard maybe a bit small though. Bed so hard but that seems to be the norm. Breakfast fab. We would certainly recommend this hotel. Read more

The hotel is situated in a beautiful leafy suburb about 5-7 minutes drive from the centre of Rome, or a 5 minute walk to the metro station. A shuttle bus service runs from the hotel to the centre of Rome every 45 minutes, and this has to be booked at the front desk in advance. There is no charge for this service and it drops you within walking distance […] of the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Novona. We had no trouble getting a seat on board the shuttle bus (mercedes 8 seater) and there was also space for our child's stroller. The staff were extremely professional, friendly and helpful. The breakfast buffet was excellent and stocked with a selection of breads, cheeses, salami, fruit and cakes, as well as a some great coffees on request (be sure to order a cappuccino!). The room was spacious, with air conditioning that you can control (a must in the stiffling heat during a Roman summer!) and the bathroom was beautifully maintained. The only problem, which will not be of concern for those travelling without small children, was that the taxi service we ordered using the hotels service did not come with a child seat, which we had requested in advance. And the same thing happended on the return journey! This is not a problem particular to this taxi service, as we could not find a child seat avaliable in any taxi company in all of Rome! So, if you are bringing a child I would advise that you also bring your own car seat, otherwise you could be in for some hardcore praying whilst the local taxi drivers dodge and weave through the traffic at 120km. The hotel were very apologetic about this event, and did not charge for the service. Anyway, car seats aside, the hotel was a gem and when we return to Rome, we would 100% stay here again. I could not reccommend it highly enough. Read more

Saro' di poche parole non abbiamo trovato nemmeno una nota negativa. Quindi quest'albergo come pulizia, come qualita' dei servizi offerti e delle materie prime utilizzate, nonche' come accoglienza e gentilezza della forza lavoro si merita il massimo dei voti!!! 5 stelle non 4

Me and my husband checked in this hotel for 3 nights and from the moment we arrived to the last minut we checked out, we enjoyd our stay. The rooms were excellent, breakfast delisios and the service within our expectation. The hotel has their owen shutle to and from Piazza Popoli close to everything (not sure if written correct) every hour for free […] of charge. Excellent. The erea was quiet and realy realy relaxing. THe interior is barrock style, which we loved. Beautiful! Defenatly book this hotel again and highly recoment everyone. Read more

Trevlig personal och kanonläge på hotellet med solaltan och utsikt dessutom lugnt och tyst, verkligen toppen. Snabba på room service att komma med ombedd utrustning. Uppgradering på rummet så vi fick ett högre läge! Det uppskattade vi. Det enda som var sådär var att altanen borde sopats av och rensat bort ogräs i krukorna och dynorna var väldigt medtagna […] och hål i dem, Det borde vara en annan placering på duschsilen för att inte spruta ut vattnet ur karet,det landar på hyllan jämte badkaret som dessutom lutar så det var en pöl med vatten under handfatet och in under listen med troliga vattenskador såsmåningom. Duschsilen borde vara på kortsidan av karet och då kan man dra för draperiet helt...........vi bodde på 619 Read more

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Hotellet har høy standard i forhold til prisen. Vi var kjempe fornøyd og bor veldig gjerne her igjen. Hotellet ligger i et rolig fint bolig strøk litt utenfor historisk sentrum, men stiller med gratis minibuss til og fra spansketrappen fra tidlig morgen til kl. 22 på kveld. (evt. taxi kostet ca. 10-11 euro).