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Rome With Kids Recommends
ALBERGO DEL SENATO
For location, location, location, stay at the charming, well-run Albergo del
Senato, with its enviable position on the Pantheon square. You may pay a little
more to stay at this hotel, but you more than get your money’s worth in cab-free
convenience, knock-out views, gracious surroundings, fantastic staff, and hearty
breakfast.
The Senato breakfast is a big plus for families. Parents will appreciate the well-appointed breakfast room, which instantly makes you feel like you’re on a 4-star vacation. Pretty, salmon-colored marble floors and elegant fabric chairs set the tone in an intimate room centered around an ancient column. The Senato breakfast buffet is ample, including both hot and cold selections, rather than the typical cold breakfast offered at many Italian hotels. Three kinds of cereals, eggs, meats and cheeses, fruits, cakes and the traditional cornetti, Italian croissants, provide something for everyone.
Many of del Senato’s rooms have stunning views of the Pantheon, and all of them
have roughly the same understated, décor: Silk-lined walls, comfortable beds,
marble--albeit tiny--bathrooms, and triple-pane windows, which really do keep
it quiet. The rooms are refined, small, and efficient. Families have several
room choices: the quad, a suite, a triple, or any combination they desire.
In both the triple and the quad, it’s important to note that after the first
set of twin bed, the extra beds are pullout single sofa beds, which have thinner
mattresses and are best for younger children.
The beauty of a stay here is that you will feel pampered by the fantastic staff,
and the location will remove a lot of the stress of family travel, letting
you all have a more relaxed vacation. Since you are centrally located, you
can return for rests as often as you like; you’ll avoid the hassle and costs
of cabs and transportation; you’ll have restaurants, sights, grocery stores
and ice-cream shops at your feet; and less dragging around means less cranky
kids! Parents can end each day of sightseeing on the hotel’s terrace, enjoying
a cocktail, with a commanding view of the Pantheon and its square, while the
kids enjoy some down-time of their own—chillin’ in their room, watching pay-per-view.
Check out www.albergodelsenato.it for more information, and tell them Rome With Kids sent you!
THE CANNON ON THE JANICULUM HILL
Visit the park-like setting of Rome’s highest hill to enjoy a wide-angle view over Rome, its majestic Garibaldi equestrian statue, and a thunderous surprise. Each day, a little before noon, Italian soldiers wheel out a Howizer cannon from beneath the statue and fire a blank shot over Rome to mark the noon hour, or mezzogiorno. The heart-stopping boom is thrilling.”
KID-FRIENDLY FILMS STARRING...ROME
Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck (1953, NR)
Three Coins in the Fountain with Clifton Webb and Dorothy Maguire (1954, NR)
Ben-Hur with Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd (1959, NR)
Spartacus with Kirk Douglas and Jeanne Simmons (1960, NR)
After the Fox with Peter Sellers (1966, NR)
Hudson Hawk with Bruce Willis (1991, Rated R)
Only You with Marisa Tomei (1994, Rated PG-13)
Gladiator with Russel Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix (2000, Rated R)
Ocean's 12 with George Clooney and Brad Pitt (2004, Rated PG-13)
MOUTH-WATERING GELATO FROM BUCCIANTI’S
Steps from the Pantheon you’ll find the Italian gelato you’ll dream about long after your return. Signora Maria makes her ice creams by hand and uses only the freshest ingredients--evident with the first taste. There’s no fancy tables or sparkling café, but flavors like grapefruit (pompelmo), chocolate hazelnut (bacio), and vanilla with chocolate bits (stracciatella) are brilliant. Via Giustiniani, 18.
DINING AMONG RUINS
Since kids love ruins, eating in close proximity to them makes for memorable meals. Try the terrace at Ulpia, which overlooks Trajan’s Forum. The restaurant is more formal than casual, but lunchtime on the terrace is perfect for families whose kids will delight in counting cats among the column-strewn ruins below while adults enjoy the pleasant oasis and delicious fare. Via del Foro Traiano, 1b/2. Tel: 06-678-9980.
For a more informal, trattoria feel, opt for lunch or dinner at Ristorante Da Pancrazio. Order from the comforting Italian menu, and then ask permission to view the ruins (of the Theater of Pompey) in the basement! Pompey’s theater is where Caesar met his untimely death, so keep hushed tones. Kids may enjoy the bucatini amatriciana (fat spaghetti with bacon/tomato sauce). Piazza del Biscione 92, off Campo dei Fiori. Tel: 06-686-1246.