Roma over Christmas

What started out as a mileage run for Z, quickly turned into a quick vacation to Roma between Christmas and New Years 2020 and a fantastic way to end this last decade. Why Rome? Well it was far enough to achieve the miles Z needed for his next AC status and Rome is very festive over Christmas. So after celebrating Christmas with both our families, we got up super early Christmas Day to catch our flight to Rome through Toronto. We got a good savings on business class tickets and travelled in comfortable lay flat seats all the way through. To Toronto we were on a Dreamliner which has all the modern touches of an airplane; touch screen entertainment centre, windows that darken with the touch of a button, washrooms outfitted with touch less features, and it provides a quieter environment. Having never flown on Christmas Day I thought it would be nice to bring some chocolate treats for the flight attendants which they seemed to appreciate. Our layover in Toronto was a few hours which gave us enough time to check out the new Signature Suite lounge; accessible only with a paid business class ticket. This lounge included a bar and buffet area and a fine dining room. AC has partnered with David Hawksworth from Vancouver which has helped elevate the menu on flights. In this lounge the food was exquisite and definitely something you’d find in a fine dining restaurant. Our waiter brought us two glasses of rose Moet when we mentioned that we were celebrating my almost completion of school. It was a nice touch. All drinks and food are complementary in this lounge. 

The flight attendants on our flight from Toronto to Rome were all dressed in Christmas gear; ties, head bands or hair clips. It was neat to see. This plane was an older style but still with lay flat seats which were important on this leg as it was an overnight flight and getting some good sleep would be necessary so we could hit the ground running when we arrived. Sleep wasn’t as good or as long as I would have liked but we arrived feeling good to spend the day seeing some of the sites. The cab ride from the airport to our hotel was about 30 minutes and was a fixed price which was great. We arrived at our hotel, the St. Regis Rome, at 11:30am and thankfully our room was ready. We splurged a little by staying at this hotel, but got a really good rate that included breakfast.


The St. Regis is an iconic hotel dating back to 1894.  It recently underwent a restoration and renovation which is in part the reason we decided to stay there and it is well located for walking to many of the local attractions on our list of must sees. It is the classiest and most luxurious hotel I’ve ever stayed at. The lobby screams elegance and grandeur with a mix of old-world artifacts and modern decor. The entrance foyer has a 5 metre hand blown glass chandelier hanging in the middle with the Lumen restaurant/lounge on either side. For the Christmas season a large Christmas tree stood eloquently at the end of the foyer. The historic lift still operates in the hotel and was quite fun to use. The staff are formally dressed, extremely attentive, and cater to your every need. The hotel had several bespoke experiences for its guests including a customized 1962 replica Fiat 600 Multipla (now as an EV) that was custom designed for the hotel and is available for guests to take them on short trips around town. One other experience is the evening champagne sabring which signifies the beginning of the evening.  Once the bottle is opened the champagne flows for all guests there to witness the event. It is quite the spectacle. In the mornings the hotel had a violinist and flutist serenade the guests and folks walking passed the hotel outside; just another sign of the elegance of the hotel. 


Our room was beautifully decorated with intricate details like ornate mouldings along the high ceiling. A glass chandelier was the centre piece in the sleeping and seating area. An old fireplace remained as part of the decor. The bed was one of the most comfortable hotel beds I’ve ever slept in.  The bathroom had a double sink, a large soaker tub, and spacious shower with high quality toiletries. There was plenty of closet space to fully unpack and not feel like you’re living out of a suitcase. Two large windows in small alcoves overlooked the main street below and surprisingly the road noise was not that bad. The room was a sanctuary away from home.