Our guest writers Jamie & Iza enjoy a weekend in Rome that’s a little out of the ordinary.
Our ‘mission’ in Rome is simply to visit as many historical sights and eat as much Italian food as possible during our weekend stay!
Therefore, being based in central Rome is going to be essential. Its so easy to end up going around in circles to find a good convenient place to stay so we’re especially pleased to find 1880 Atypical Rooms.
The atypically named ‘1880 Atypical Rooms’ are opposite the Palazzo delle Esposizioni, only a stone’s throw from the Roman Forum. As the name suggests, this hotel is not what you’d normally expect when booking accommodation in Rome.
Book into any one of the luxury hotels this close to the centre of old Rome and most of your budget will disappear on a bed, whereas 1880 Atypical Rooms provide you with what amounts to your own apartment for the days you’re in this wonderful city.
The entrance to the hotel is unassuming and could easily be missed as its rooms are situated on the fourth floor of this imposing building that looks as though it was once a group of large apartments. We could have easily walked past it.
What it lacks in kerb appeal, however, it makes up for ten-fold in location, the welcome we receive and the presentation of its rooms.
We are greeted at reception by its very friendly staff and shown to our unique room which is crisp, clean and sizeable, has a super-comfortable king sized bed, lovely feature brick wall and a stunning en suite wet room/bathroom.
Unfortunately, there’s no view from our room but as we’re near the back of the building it means we can have the window open and not hear anything from the very busy street that the hotel sits on.
1880 Atypical Rooms are situated on the busy Via Nazionale, almost opposite the pretty Palazzo delle Esposizioni art museum and surrounded by restaurants, bars and fashion shops that mean it stays busy until late. Although the Reception is open from 8am-8pm we’re given key cards to get in an out of the hotel, adding to the impression that we have our own apartment here.
Breakfast in the mornings is from 8am-10am and is an Italian buffet style. We’re always greeted very nicely and looked after, being asked if we have any specific requirements.
We’re really pleasantly surprised to find how close we are to all of the sights. The Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Piazza Venezia are only a 10 minute walk away from us and there is a bus stop just outside the hotel which allows us to get anywhere in the city within 15 to 20 minutes. (Bus number 64 seems to take us most places). A handy Tourist Office is also situated just outside the door, so there’s no excuse for getting lost!
We also use the app ‘citymapper’, which gives every bus/tube on a live time table and which bus/tube stop to go from. Simply typing in our destination, e.g. Vatican city, the app tells us what bus stop, which bus, how long it will take and display a route map of our journey.
There are also numerous restaurants and bars very close by and although we already have reservations for our lunches and dinners in other locations, we would have been more than happy to stay around the hotel to eat if we had realised sooner. We’ve listed a few of the places we dined in below under ‘Cherrie’s Notes’ should you wish to explore – they come highly recommended by us and are well worth the visit.
It’s always a pleasure to return to 1880 after some fairly tiring walks around the sites of the city – or extended lunches and dinners. All the room numbers are derivatives of the number 1880, we are staying in 1880. It’s reassuring to know that wherever you’ve been in Rome that you have a warm comfortable and welcoming place such as 1880 Atypical Rooms to lay your head.
Although breakfast is quite basic but adequate here, the coffee is good and the food fresh. The dining area is a little small but as we’re trying to cram in as much as possible we don’t stay there for long anyway. Overall the presentation of the common areas is clean and smart – both in design and use.
Anyone wanting a modern, clean, comfortable and ideally located base for business use or holiday would do well to consider 1880. The free wifi is incredibly fast, so for business or just watching something on your tablet or laptop it’s ideal. The warm and friendly welcome from the staff alone is enough to brighten the dullest day.
We couldn’t have been happier staying here and when we return to Rome we will definitely be staying here again.
Jamie is our younger son, part of our team, who also owns and runs his own sports coaching academy ‘Sports First Academy‘, for younger kids. Jamie along with his partner Iza have acquired a liking for the luxurious things in life but are always budget conscious – so their review brings another dimension to The Luxury Couple for those who want good quality accommodation at a sensible cost in some of the best locations. We hope to hear more from them.
Here are some of the restaurants that Jamie and Iza researched and recommend highly, along with the link to 1880 Atypical Rooms in Rome.
1880 Atypical Rooms – website
If you’d like some ideas about seeing the sites and sights of Rome, have a look at our earlier review ‘Roaming around in Rome.’
Sant Eustacchio il Caffe: Piazza di San Eustachio, 82, 00186 Roma.
If you like your coffee, this is a must. They roast their own coffee beans here and the selection of cakes and nibbles are a great way to start the day or just for a pitstop, as its a 2 minute walk from the Pantheon. Note: if you sit outside you’ll have to pay 2.5 euros extra each, for a seat!
Pizzeria da Remo: Piazza di Santa Maria Liberatrice, 44, 00153 Roma.
This pizzeria is very popular and if you wish to get a table you’ll either need to get there as soon as the doors open or book a week in advance. We get there as the doors open and within 20 minutes the restaurant is full and the queues for the takeaway stretch around the corner of the restaurant and up the street. The Pizza itself is very traditional and delicious, albeit a little rich. We should probably share one but not being able to agree, we just have to have two different ones!
Osteria da Fortunata: Via del Pellegrino, 11, 00186 Roma.
This great little pasta joint is really welcoming and we find ourselves mesmerised by the lady at the front window making the very pasta that we’re eating. If you love pasta you have to try this place.
Mile Restaurant: Via Pesaro, 8, 00176 Roma.
A modern fusion of Italian, Mediterranean and European food. Again you will need to book in advance but it is well worth it. The waiting staff are extremely helpful and very friendly and the food is even better. Well worth a visit.
