Knowing I would be sailing out of Civitavecchia, the port nearest to Rome, for my Mediterranean cruise, I felt there were three options of where to stay the night prior to boarding the ship: near the Rome Airport, in Rome, or in Civitavecchia. Rome was the most interesting option. Being the summer, hotel prices were outrageous.
Hyatt has one property in Rome (plus a Mr. & Mrs. Smith property) though plans to open a Regency and Thompson in the next couple of years. The Tribune is a Category 5 JdV property. I was needing to stay a Saturday night in July. Cash rates were €550 and up. I was able to find a points booking for 23,000 point and made the reservation. I had a bunch of Guest of Honor certificates, so I used one for the booking as I am a Hyatt Explorist elite this year.
Location
The Tribune is located northwest of Roma Termini station — a 25 minute walk or accessible by bus or taxi (about €15).
None of the main tourist attractions are in the immediate area; though you can get to the Spanish Steps in about 15 minutes by foot. I would say it is not an ideal location for being a tourist.
Check In
I was traveling with a friend and we arrived from the airport around 9:30pm (after getting a bit lost trying to get to the hotel by bus). We were proactively upgraded to a Family Room which is slightly larger than a standard room, but not considered a suite.
As a Guest of Honor, it was explained that breakfast was served on the ground floor. Also all items in the mini bar were included complimentary.
I had contacted the hotel ahead of time asking for the room to be made up with two single beds and the request was honored.
Room
I was assigned room 101 (one level up from street level). As you enter, the bathroom is on the right and the bed is on the left.
We had the beds made up as singles, but you can have it set up as a King bed. There is also a daybed that can be converted into an additional bed.
On either side of the bed are USB (standard and USB-C).
On one side is a phone that is very bright (I had to cover it with the notepad) as well as a clock that has a built in wireless phone charger.
The wine on the desk and waters were included as a Guest of Honor.
There is also a mini fridge with all items complimentary as a Guest of Honor (I would assume for a Globalist as well).
Above the mini fridge is the coffee maker along with some additional snacks.
My biggest complaint with the room is that it stayed hot even with the air conditioning on the highest setting. It was quite warm in Rome during my visit, but I would hope that the hotel’s AC could keep up. Either it could not or they had it switched to save energy.
Bathroom
The bathroom is located in the middle of the back wall of the room.
You can close off the bathroom with a sliding glass door that is fogged for some minor privacy. It isn’t ideal for traveling with a friend or family (and this was a family room).
The single sink is in the middle with the toilet and bidet on one side.
The shower is on the other side with a glass sliding door.
The bathroom is small but feels luxurious with the marble type wall tiles and bespoke sink. However, there was a broken fixture on the wall — probably the remnants of a make up mirror.
The bath products are branded The Botanist & The Chemist.
Breakfast
Breakfast for Globalists and Guest of Honor is served on the main floor off the lobby.
There is a large buffet and you can also order off of the menu (all items included).
I found the quality to be very good with a very large selection.
In the afternoons and evening there is a rooftop bar and restaurant that opens. It has some nice views of the surrounding neighborhood.
There is a small gym in the basement. I didn’t get a photo as there were people working out, but it has the basic items of a hotel gym.
Overall
Right now The Tribune is about the only game in town for Hyatt. However, the lack of air conditioning was a deal-breaker. I was only there for one night, so I didn’t request it be worked on. Perhaps if I had, it would have improved.
The elite benefits of the mini bar and breakfast are nice, but it was disappointing to not be upgraded to a suite with the Guest of Honor.
The location also is not great. It is a 15 minute walk or more to any of the main parts of Rome. Once the Regency and Thompson open up, I would absolutely give those a chance before returning to The Tribune.
