Rome will set anyone’s hearts aflutter, for all the right reasons. We all have a perfect vision of what our Roman Holiday will be like, but I have to say ours was better then we could have dreamed thanks to ORBITZ https://www.orbitz.com at The Westin Excelsior Rome  @westinexcelsiorrome, one of the city’s top five-star hotels. Standing proud off Via Veneto, Rome’s grandest street, this “Grand Dame” offers a noble setting, world-class accommodations and amenities, and its place in the pop culture firmament: Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” was filmed here in 1960 and figures prominently into the movie’s storyline. Special thanks to Maddalena Ciociola @marriott international for sharing history and hospitality to my family after a long flight. The suite allowed us all to feel the grandness of the hotel.

 History has never been more alive in the Eternal City, which offers a feast for all your senses: sights (Colosseum! Ruins! The Vatican!), sounds (Vespas gliding through the streets), scents (the aroma  Via Veneto), touch (fur at Fendi, rocambolesco!) and tastes (the best Italian food in all Italy). It’s the perfect get away for any American looking to get away from a crazed routine back home. Whether you want some unplug time with the kids or some romantic alone time with your husband, Rome is a place where anything is possible. Add in a luxurious suite at @westinexcelsiorrome and travel by @orbitz and you’ll have the makings for an even better Roman Holiday. 

Nothing gets kids, err teenagers, more excited than a touch of Hollywood. Federico Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” was filmed throughout Rome, including @westinexcelsiorrome. The iconic movie follows a gossip writer over seven days of looking for “the suite life” throughout the city. 

Who doesn’t want a “Roman Holiday?” The 1953 romantic comedy is a classic, made more famous by scenes of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck riding around town on a Vespa. You can, too, at @westinexcelsiorrome. The five-star hotel not only has the motorbikes to rent, it has THE same scooters used in the movie. It’s all about location, location, location, and @westinexcelsiorrome has that in spades – located off Rome’s tony Via Veneto, home to Café de Paris and Harry’s Bar, the hotel is nestled between the Spanish Steps and the Borghese Gardens & Gallery. Oh, and it’s near the best shopping in Rome, including its native son Valentino. One of Conde Nast Traveler’s “Gold List Hotels,” @westinexcelsiorrome offers guests 28 rooms and 35 classic suites with Italian-style furniture and accents, marble tubs, luxury linens, jaw-dropping views and delicious gastronomy at Doney. The great part about Italy is that you can eat and drink to your heart's content and lose weight. Maybe it's the walking, but I think its the smaller portions and fresh ingredients. 

Eat, drink and be merry … you can do all three, and then some at @westinexcelsiorrome. Whether it’s Mediterranean fare at Doney, located off the trendy Via Veneto; Café Doney, a bold, black and red adorned restaurant where the city’s fashion, beauty, and business gather; or ORVM, an elegant piano bar great for aperitifs and midnight nightcaps, you won’t go home hungry.

How suite it is! @westinexcelsiorrome boasts four suite styles luxurious enough to attract the world’s VIPS– Villa La Cupola, a multi-level home with living room and breath-taking frescoed dome; The Imperial, overlooking Via Veneto and the United States Embassy, has fresco decorated ceilings and two royal bedrooms; the Via Veneto category, with stunning views of the legendary Via Vittorio Veneto, are corner suites with circular marble-floored living rooms; and the Grandluxe, which come decorated in supple carpets, velvet curtains andBohemian chandeliers.

Kudos to @orbitz for putting together our amazing journey. Rest, romance, rejuvenation, renewal = Rome. Bellissimo! Traveling with your kids is not easy, especially when they’re teenagers, but our trip to Rome hit all the right notes. We savored the beauty, sights, monuments, and food, while mom and dad got some fantastic alone time when we were at the hotel.