Hotel Lilium

Liliumhotel Review

by Durant Imboden

The Hotel Lilium, also known as the Liliumhotel, is a three-star boutique hotel that has been praised by the Eyewitness: Rome guidebook and National Geographic Traveler Magazine.

Hotel Lilium lounge with bird cage

ABOVE: Birds and guests tweet in the Liliumhotel's handpainted, Internet-equipped lobby.

Hotel Lilium sign The hotel, which opened in 2001, occupies the third floor (fourth floor, to Americans) of an Umbertine palazzo that was built in 1924. Each one of its 14 rooms is named after a different flower that is part of the room's pastel color scheme. The floral motif is carried through to the small balconies or terraces of the Liliumhotel's "superior" rooms, which have potted flowering plants and (in some cases) trellises.

Hotel Lilium bathroom I stayed at the Liliumhotel for three days in fall, 2010. My room was a single, and it had the look of a small bedroom in a summer cottage--albeit with a lovely bathroom, which was decorated in an attractive mosaic tile.

Single room at Liliumhotel Although the furnishings were simple to the point of being spartan, I had everything I needed--including free Wi-Fi, air conditioning that kept me cool during a September heat wave, access to a beautiful lounge with handpainted walls, and a buffet breakfast in a room that felt like an upscale Italian gelato parlor with an espresso machine for freshly-made coffee or cappuccino.

The staff were friendly and professional--and when I checked out at 5:30 a.m. to catch an early Leonardo Express train to Fiumicino Airport, the receptionist offered to make coffee for me.

Overall, I was more than satisfied with the Hotel Lilium, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's looking for a cozy, distinctive, and aesthetically-pleasing hotel near Termini Station.

Location and environs:

Hotel Lilium Rome The Hotel Lilium is a 10- to 15-minute walk over level ground (and mostly on quiet streets) from Termini Station. The Via Veneto and Villa Borghese park are also close by, and the Porta Pia gate in Rome's Aurelian Walls (designed by Michelangelo) is a few meters from the hotel.

The hotel's neighborhood is a mixture of apartment buildings and government offices, with a scattering of shops, restaurants, and other hotels. From a bus stop across the street, you can catch several public buses--including the no. 62 bus, which will take you to the Via del Corso shopping district and the Centro Storico on its way to the Vatican.

How to reach the hotel:

Servian Wall at Rome Termini Station As you leave Termini Station, continue straight ahead past the ruins of the Servian Wall until you reach the main road. Cross the street and walk a short distance along the north side of the small Piazza Independenza until you reach the Via Goito.

Hotel Lilium intercom At Via Goito, turn left and walk four blocks to the Via XX Settembre. The hotel is on the third floor of a building on the north side of the street, just left of the Via Goito at Via XX Settembre 58A. (See photos on page 2.) If the building's heavy brown double doors are locked, use the intercom (shown at left), and the receptionist will buzz you in.

Once you're inside the building courtyard, you'll see a short staircase on your right that leads to an elevator. (Unfortunately, there's no way to avoid the half-dozen or so steps, so don't book at the Lilium if you're traveling with a steamer trunk.) Take the elevator to the 3rd floor, where the hotel's doors face the lift and staircase.

How to book a room:

I reserved my room at a discounted rate through Venere, our booking partner. To compare prices from Venere and the Liliumhotel's own booking system for specific dates, see Venere's Hotel Lilium pages and the hotel Web site.

For more captioned pictures of the hotel, go to page 2 of this article.

Next page: More Hotel Lilium Photos

In this article:
Hotel Lilium Review	More Hotel Lilium Photos

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