A weekend in Rome with kids in the city centre: Le Méridien Visconti Rome

If you want to know the emblematic places of Rome or if you want to walk with small children and stay near your hotel, Le Méridien Visconti Rome is simply perfect: it welcomes the traveller with a large hall, tastefully furnished in  modern style with touches of art and furnishings that hark back to the time of its construction: the mythical fifties.

The references are to Dolce Vita, immediately your mind comes back to Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck around Rome riding a Vespa, which we also find in our suite in walls decoration in a beautiful print in black & white. Located in the charming Prati district, near Trinità dei Monti and Vatican, Le Méridien Visconti Rome offers 240 guest rooms and suites and it is perfect for business trips, holidays and group trips.  The hotel, renovated by the studio Ara Design International, has been renovated respecting the classic Italian style, with geometric references to the mythical Roman treasures, including the Pantheon.

The design of the hotel’s interiors is inspired by the modernism of the Fifties: materials such as marble, wood and natural textures are flanked by vividly coloured blocks of fabric that recall the works of Gio Ponti, famous Italian designer and architect.

A real highlight among the hotels of Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, part of the Marriott International group. How many times have you found 4 star hotels but those stars had been allocated more than 50 years ago and the welcome stopped at that period?

From Fifties to nowadays the needs of tourists and travelers have changed: times change and also the expectations of those who travel. Nevertheless, if you think of ultra modern hotels and beautiful multinational chains: don’t you think that often somethingis missing? Le Méridien Visconti Rome combines the comfort of modern technology, design, functional and minimalist furnishings to a welcome as it should be: a special, polite, luxurious treat, that makes you feel always desired and important guest.
Too often in the big chains we found a lot of technology but a slightly cold and impersonal treatment.

And that’s not all: Le Méridien Visconti Rome can treat children too, making them feel like they want and special guests. A welcome on arrival, a perfectly balanced kids menu, a smile of the staff, a strawberry cocktail. Also (and above all) this is 4 star welcome!

The rooms are tastefully decorated, clean, spacious and with comfortable beds: remember that le Méridien Visconti Rome has been recently refurbished, so it looks like a whole new hotel! Even the bathrooms, loved by women when on holiday we want to dedicate ourselves with a few more pampers, are bright, well furnished, perfect for make-up thanks to excellent lighting and equipped with high quality toiletries.

The breakfast is buffet continental breakfast with a lot of choice: sweet or savory, you will surely find what is right for you! In addition to fresh pastries and classics sliced with excellent choice of different types of bread, jams and chocolate in glass of top quality brands, natural juices, a wide choice of milk, including soya milk.

What to see with a short walk from Le Méridien Visconti Rome?

Rome is not Rome if you don’t add a cultural destination to your itinerary! And in the Eternal City you are really spoilt for choice! Le Méridien Visconti Rome collaborates with the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome for the Unlock Art ™ service, an innovative program that offers guests free access to the museum by simply presenting the room key and the pass that they find in the room. Founded in 1883, the museum houses modern and contemporary art, it is one of the largest collections in Italy, with more than three thousand works of art, such as paintings, sculptures, drawings and engravings.

The location is central, but at the same time quiet: at 250 meters you will find the beautiful Piazza Cavour, at 700 meters Piazza del Popolo, at 800 meters Castel Sant’Angelo and from here still nearby Piazza San Pietro. The parking is easy in the streets adjacent to the hotel and, although the hotel has its own private parking, you can easily park in the street with non-prohibitive prices! Download the App MyCicero and forget about the pennies to park!

Of course you can definitely add to your visit some shopping: you arelocated in a really rich area of shops of all kinds! Walk along via Cola di Rienzo (and for the nearby Viale Giulio Cesare, via Ottaviano and via Candia) or via del Corso and you will find all the brands as in an open-air mall. If you have a good budget you can take a tour in the streets of the famous Trident of fashion: Via Condotti, via Borgogna and via Frattina. You can start from Piazza di Spagna and visit the most expensive boutiques of Rome: Bulgari, Armani, Valentino, Hermes, Tiffany, Versace, Prada, Longchamp, Moncler, YSL are just some of the brands that have chosen this exclusive scenography.

And for the children?

There are many places of interest for children: Villa Borghese, a green area in which you can have a relaxing walk, and where you will find both the Bioparco (the Zoo of Rome) and the aforementioned National Gallery of Modern Art, and Explora, the Museum of Children of Rome.
For shopping you can consider the Disney Store in Via del Corso o the most exclusive brand in kids fashion: Bonpoint, which is located in Piazza di S. Lorenzo in Lucina, 25 (next to other very interesting boutiques also for us moms, like Burberry, Saint Laurent, Vuitton).

Where to eat?

With a stay in Le Méridien Visconti Rome you don’t have to worry about looking for a restaurant: the hotel offers Longitude 12 Bar & Bistro, with a really great menu at a fair price.

The Longitude 12 Bar & Bistro by Day is a bright and fresh café, while at night it turns into a sophisticated cocktail bar, progressively revealing a traditional bar. ARA design International introduced the design elements that allow this passage “from Day to Night” with rotating panels, lighter ambient lights and a creative use of mirrors.

We had dinner here and we found a welcoming atmosphere and a very kind and competent staff: the Italian flavors are proposed in a not too elaborate way, just suitable in my opinion to exalt the high quality of the raw material.
A tip: don’t let the chocolate cake escape! A classic in many restaurants, which at the Longitude 12 Bar & Bistro is really superior!

Don’t forget to visit the panoramic terrace, on the seventh and last floor, with a breathtaking panoramic view of the Eternal City and the leafy streets of the prestigious District of Prati. The panoramic terrace is perfect for enjoying the sunsets at any time of the year, perhaps sipping an aperitif of the fine selection of Le Méridien sparkling cocktails. The view is breathtaking and selfie is a must!