Mr & Mrs Smith

Wonderful hotel in possibly the most dreamy Roman location of them all, bang on the Spanish Steps. Lots of fantastic restaurants around the area but above all it is worth walking 15 minutes to the quaint, good value and delicious Piccolo Arancio on Vicolo Scanderberg.

We loved our stay at Il Palazzetto, the hotel recommended to us by the Mr & Mrs Smith team. Excellent location and we had delicious breakfasts at the nearby Hassler Roma. We let them make our daily recommendations for evening and Sunday lunch. One top tip would be Ristorante Clemente in the Piazza della Maddalena. It was very chic and we sat outside in a delightful, small Piazza with rugs over our knees. The chef is female and we had excellent food and service. They serve traditional food with a contemporary twist. Another tip would be Hostaria Da Pietro, very near the hotel, in street called via Gesu e Marie, just off the trendy via Babuino. Again very traditional, but with an excellent ambiance and very chic people - loved it. Sunday lunch after mass at the Vatican was memorable at the nearby restaurant Il Matriciano, ten minutes walk from the Vatican. Obviously a much sort after venue as it was packed. Again excellent, traditional, freshly cooked food, with regular guests, including smartly dressed priests and Italian families. We will go back to the same booking again. Thank you Mr & Mrs Smith, from Sally ann Fowler and my daughter Alice.

Our first visit to Rome, so it was a question of seeing as many sights as possible. We were recommended guided tours with a company called Angeltours. Tours can be booked from the UK online. We were promised no queuing at the Vatican or Colosseum; they were true to their word, we simply walked past all the queues. The guides were very knowledgeable and amusing and the groups are kept small, 5 on Colosseum tour, 9 on Vatican tour. Well worth it, they even do a tour around Rome in a Fiat 500.

Just one of the many perks to staying somewhere as intimate and special as Il Palazzetto, but with the services of a larger five-star parent hotel over the road, is access to a worldclass concierge. In our case, this helped us avoid any further taxi scams, having been overcharged on the way in from the airport. Don't miss the opportunity for a stroll in the beautiful Borghese gardens and parks behind the hotel and one of the best views of Rome straight at the Dome of St Peters, from the viewing point called the Pincio. If you eat at Il Palazzetto (fine dining in a cosy ambience), make the most of the sommelier's skills Our first choice wasn't available and he selected a really interesting Syrah from the Lazio region which we wouldn't have chosen ourselves but were very pleased to try.

We were a little put off when our cab driver couldn't drop us to the door, pointed to the left and said 'Up there' towards what looked like an underpass near a McDonalds. Not the Dolce Vita we had in mind. However, we quickly found the red doormat of Il Palazetto. The receptionist was very friendly and spoke great English. A lift then whisked us up four flights to our 'appartment' and WOW – what an absolutely fabulous location overlooking the Spanish Steps.

TOP TIP: be sure to book a reservation at the apartment's restaurant/bar. They were fully booked when we arrived (and do not automatically reserve a table for guests). We had to pull out the "But it's our honeymoon card" to win them over! The view and atmosphere here is amazing and the food is pretty good!

There's no room service at this hotel. It's slightly frustrating to have to walk to the main hotel for breakfast but it is two mins away and well worth it – situated in shaded garden, water feature with lots of choice. Il Palazzetto is surrounded by lots of restaurants tucked down picturesque alleyways. We found it easy to walk back to from the Trevi Fountain to the Vatican etc.

Dinner at the Imago resturant (+39 6 6993 4726) in Hotel Hassler is a must - It has amazing views over Rome, the service is friendly and impeccable and its only a quick skip across the road from the hotel. Yes, we'd visited Rome to take in atmosphere and have a romantic break together...but we were guilty of joining the masses of tourists on their daily trecks around the Vatican, the Forum and other tourist traps! If we could pass on any advice to others looking to visit one of the sights, its to make sure you have your passport or driving licence with you - otherwise you are required to leave a hefty cash deposit instead of your ID to hire an audio guide.

At Il Palazzetto, have cocktails on the terrace after 5pm. Free delicious snacks are served, which keep you going till dinner (usually around 9.30pm onwards). Ristorante Maccheroni in Plazza delle Coppelle (+39 6 683 07895) is full of locals but tourists are welcome, and they dish up proper Roman food, still serving at 11.30 pm! Gusto at Piazza Augusto Imperatore as recommended – stylish and different food that you'll never get anywhere else (+39 6 322 6273).

Ciao! We had a fabulous time at Il Palazzetto. Find of the weekend was definitely Gina, a cosy yet chic café a crawl away from the hotel's front door. For somewhere so close to the tourist nightmare that is the Spanish Steps, it felt incredibly local, packed with Rome's most beautiful and stylish dropping in for a quick lunch. The food (casual salads, pastas, and gelatos) was fabulous, and the people-watching enthralling. Address is Via San Sebastianello, 7a - a two-minute walk from the hotel, reception can direct you. We also loved Met, an ultra-trendy pasta/pizza/sushi venue in Ponte Milvio. It's impossible to find (we walked around for ages before locating the door), but so worth it once you're in – think a mix of The Collection in Chelsea and Asia de Cuba. Scene was jumping and the food was superlative. It's about a 15-minute cab from Il Palazzetto, and ask the resto to call you a taxi when you leave as it's in a random part of town. Address: Piazzale di Ponte Milvio, 34.