It's theater season on the Cape, plus Art Deco dreams in Rome
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
Bettoja Hotels' Hotel Mediterraneo in Rome, a masterpiece of Art Deco architecture, transports one to an earlier era of sophisticated hospitality.
Bettoja Hotels
Advertisement
THERE:
ART DECO DREAMING IN ROME
Those making a pilgrimage to Rome this Jubilee year (or any year) will want to consider staying at Bettoja Hotels' Hotel Mediterraneo, where simply stepping inside transports one to an earlier era of sophisticated hospitality. A masterpiece of Art Deco architecture, designed by architect Mario Loreti for the 1942 Universal Exhibition in Rome, the building's rich history is on display in preserved original furnishings, including chandeliers designed by Gio Ponti, polished wood check-in desk, and colorful mosaics above the lobby elevators. The 242 spacious and bright rooms sport a high-class and retro style, mixing original Art Deco style
wood furnishings and marble bathrooms with modern comforts such as plush robes and slippers, air conditioning, minibar, flat screen TV, and soundproof windows.
Advertisement
An ideal basecamp for exploring the Eternal City, Bettoja Hotels' Hotel Mediterraneo is within walking distance from historic landmarks.
Bettoja Hotels
An ideal basecamp for exploring the Eternal City, the hotel is within walking distance from historic landmarks including the Colosseum, Opera House, Forum, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. Located steps from Termini rail station, the quickest way to arrive from the airport, means you don't need a cab to reach the hotel. On-site facilities include the Roof Garden Restaurant and Ligea Lounge Bar, a terrace with spectacular views of the capital and its surrounding hills, and Bar 21, serving a variety of fine cocktails and snacks in an elegant Art Deco atmosphere. Ristorante Massimo d'Azeglio, located at nearby sister property Hotel Massimo d'Azeglio, offers a menu mixing Piedmontese culinary tradition with Roman and Italian cuisine; and the Bettoja Cellar, a wine cellar located in Hotel Massimo d'Azeglio's basement, is perfect for private dinners and tastings. Bettoja Hotels' third hotel in the neighborhood, Hotel Atlantico, rounds out their Rome collection. Classic Deco room rates from $306, includes breakfast. +39-06-488-4051,
Advertisement
La Sportiva's Akyra II is the perfect shoe for packing when you're planning trail hikes one day and exploring cities with cobblestone streets the next.
La Sportiva
EVERYWHERE:
STYLISH AND RUGGED SHOES FOR CITY AND MOUNTAIN
When a sneaker or walking shoe isn't enough, and trekking boots are too much, there's La Sportiva's Akyra II. The perfect shoe for packing when you're planning trail hikes one day and exploring cities with cobblestone streets the next. Lightweight, rugged and durable, Akyra II features include 3-D Grid exoskeleton and mesh uppers to provide structure and breathability; shock absorbing MEMlex EVA midsole to cushion stride; Trail Rocker2 outsole to promote natural pronation support while hiking; and aggressive lugs combined with FriXion Rubber and Trail Bite Heels for all-terrain traction and maximum grip. Eco-friendly and washable insoles are made from breathable and durable PU foam cells and recycled rubber. Crafted without animal-derived materials. The company's state-of-the-art, 250-person factory is located in Ziano di Fiemme, a mountain village in the heart of the Italian Dolomites, continuing a tradition and heritage of handmade footwear in this picturesque alpine valley. Available for men and women. The company offers additional footwear geared for climbing, hiking, running, mountaineering, and more. $149.
NECEE REGIS
Necee Regis can be reached at
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
The Rome less travelled? I visited the super-popular Italian capital, full of iconic sights, to explore its quieter corners
The swift current of late-morning foot traffic is moving steadily over the cobblestones of Via dei Condotti. It streams down the iconic Spanish Steps, then flows past all the glamorous storefronts along one of Rome's most famous shopping streets. You know the names: Prada, Valentino, Gucci. But my tour guide Dario Cortese, steering us around in a golf cart, takes me just one block beyond this busy scene, to a tucked-away lane, Via Margutta . 'Can you smell the jasmine?' he asks, then goes silent for a moment, in deference to a nearby fountain. 'Can you hear the water flowing?' Yes, indeed, to both. It's a surprise urban oasis. Almost as an afterthought, Cortese points out Pablo Picasso's former apartment, where his two-month stay in 1917 is now marked by a discreet plaque. This quiet street was once a hub of artist studios. This is also where the character Joe Bradley, played by Gregory Peck, lived in 'Roman Holiday.' Scenes from the 1953 rom-com were filmed on this block. 'Nobody knows about this street,' claims Cortese, as we scoot to the next stop. 'But you can find a place like this around every corner in Rome.' Today's itinerary is a custom tour with Access Italy , a family-run company that promises to 'unlock the Italia less travelled,' taking visitors to less obvious sights. Via Margutta, a quiet street whose famous former residents include Pablo Picasso, feels like a surprise urban oasis in the heart of Rome. Italy's ancient capital is, of course, one of Europe's most popular travel destinations. And this year, for a (probably) record-breaking number of visitors, all roads lead to Rome. Tourism is set to soar due to excitement over the newly elected pope, Leo XIV, coupled with the fact that this is a much-anticipated Jubilee year . The holy occasion is expected to draw 35 million pilgrims to the Vatican over the course of 2025. But even amid the exhilarating busyness, the Eternal City has lesser-known corners that reveal the spirit of this place in a quieter way, as I learn on this trip in May, my eighth visit to the destination. 'There's a whole hidden side of Rome,' says Roberto Wirth, soon after my arrival at the storied Hotel Hassler Roma , a landmark property that's been in his family for generations. (He co-owns the Hassler with his twin sister, Veruschka.) Perched at the crest of the Spanish Steps, the hotel's open-air, top-floor patio restaurant is a perfect place to get a lay of the land. The noontime cannon, across the way at Janiculum Hill, fires moments after I step onto the terrace, a puff of smoke rising above the trees. I spot the Monument to Victor Emanuele II (a.k.a. 'the typewriter') over to the left. The dome of St. Peter's Basilica stands soaring straight ahead. I can picture the fumata bianca that was rising over it just a few weeks before my trip, signalling the end of the Papal conclave, and the selection of a new Holy Father. After lunch, I follow the advice of the Wirth twins, who recommend I explore Rome by simply finding some shade and room to walk. I take a short stroll over to the huge hilltop park surrounding the Villa Borghese, where rambling paths offer shelter from the baking sun. The next day, I'm happy to trade my walking shoes for a golf cart ride, settling into the front seat next to Cortese. One of the stops on his guided tour takes me to meet an artist, an eccentric and well-known local character, at his al fresco 'workspace,' near Piazza Navona. Dario Cortese is a tour guide with Access Italy, a family-run company that takes travellers to less obvious sights. 'These are all made here, on the street,' says Giancarlino Benedetti Corcos, bringing out a series of his contemporary paintings, which he creates at a little table two steps away. One, appropriately enough, is his abstract take on a map of Rome. While Corcos shows me his art in the little lane, where he's been working for 20-some years, people push through on Vespas and bicycles. A stylish woman with a leather jacket and oversized sunglasses chatters away to us in Italian (which nobody ever interprets). The scene all feels a bit chaotic, and very Roman. Almost lost amid the other sites — we also swing past the Colosseum and the uber-trendy Trastevere district — is Cortese's advice to visit a small church, the Basilica di Santa Maria del Popolo . 'You can see the most beautiful artworks,' he says, 'for free.' Following his counsel to double-check the church's often limited schedule, I breathe a sigh of relief to see the door open. Most people apparently come to Santa Maria to pray, evidenced by rows of the faithful seated in the pews. But a smaller group, less than a dozen visitors, has clustered in a chapel to the left of the altar. The Basilica di Santa Maria del Popolo is home to beautiful artworks, including paintings by Caravaggio. Joining them in the corner are two large paintings by Michelangelo Merisi, the master better known as Caravaggio. One depicts a young Saul, who would become St. Paul, in the throes of a dramatic and divine intervention, knocked from his horse and blinded by heavenly light. Normally, paintings like these would draw a lot more art lovers, but these are a little hidden — and sometimes even literally shrouded in darkness. The light overhead goes out after a few moments. Turns out, there's no fee to enter the church. But lighting up the artwork for perhaps three minutes? That'll set you back two euros. The light is activated by dropping coins through a slot. Soon, someone rattles a couple of coins out of their pocket to illuminate the chapel again. When the light goes out a second time, then a third, it's time to leave the hushed silence. It seems like my time to kick in, but I only have bills on hand. So I head back out to the crush of the square out front, eager to search out more of the city's hidden corners. Tim Johnson received accommodation from Hotel Hassler Roma and a guided tour from Access Italy; neither reviewed nor approved this article.
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Boston Globe
It's theater season on the Cape, plus Art Deco dreams in Rome
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Bettoja Hotels' Hotel Mediterraneo in Rome, a masterpiece of Art Deco architecture, transports one to an earlier era of sophisticated hospitality. Bettoja Hotels Advertisement THERE: ART DECO DREAMING IN ROME Those making a pilgrimage to Rome this Jubilee year (or any year) will want to consider staying at Bettoja Hotels' Hotel Mediterraneo, where simply stepping inside transports one to an earlier era of sophisticated hospitality. A masterpiece of Art Deco architecture, designed by architect Mario Loreti for the 1942 Universal Exhibition in Rome, the building's rich history is on display in preserved original furnishings, including chandeliers designed by Gio Ponti, polished wood check-in desk, and colorful mosaics above the lobby elevators. The 242 spacious and bright rooms sport a high-class and retro style, mixing original Art Deco style wood furnishings and marble bathrooms with modern comforts such as plush robes and slippers, air conditioning, minibar, flat screen TV, and soundproof windows. Advertisement An ideal basecamp for exploring the Eternal City, Bettoja Hotels' Hotel Mediterraneo is within walking distance from historic landmarks. Bettoja Hotels An ideal basecamp for exploring the Eternal City, the hotel is within walking distance from historic landmarks including the Colosseum, Opera House, Forum, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. Located steps from Termini rail station, the quickest way to arrive from the airport, means you don't need a cab to reach the hotel. On-site facilities include the Roof Garden Restaurant and Ligea Lounge Bar, a terrace with spectacular views of the capital and its surrounding hills, and Bar 21, serving a variety of fine cocktails and snacks in an elegant Art Deco atmosphere. Ristorante Massimo d'Azeglio, located at nearby sister property Hotel Massimo d'Azeglio, offers a menu mixing Piedmontese culinary tradition with Roman and Italian cuisine; and the Bettoja Cellar, a wine cellar located in Hotel Massimo d'Azeglio's basement, is perfect for private dinners and tastings. Bettoja Hotels' third hotel in the neighborhood, Hotel Atlantico, rounds out their Rome collection. Classic Deco room rates from $306, includes breakfast. +39-06-488-4051, Advertisement La Sportiva's Akyra II is the perfect shoe for packing when you're planning trail hikes one day and exploring cities with cobblestone streets the next. La Sportiva EVERYWHERE: STYLISH AND RUGGED SHOES FOR CITY AND MOUNTAIN When a sneaker or walking shoe isn't enough, and trekking boots are too much, there's La Sportiva's Akyra II. The perfect shoe for packing when you're planning trail hikes one day and exploring cities with cobblestone streets the next. Lightweight, rugged and durable, Akyra II features include 3-D Grid exoskeleton and mesh uppers to provide structure and breathability; shock absorbing MEMlex EVA midsole to cushion stride; Trail Rocker2 outsole to promote natural pronation support while hiking; and aggressive lugs combined with FriXion Rubber and Trail Bite Heels for all-terrain traction and maximum grip. Eco-friendly and washable insoles are made from breathable and durable PU foam cells and recycled rubber. Crafted without animal-derived materials. The company's state-of-the-art, 250-person factory is located in Ziano di Fiemme, a mountain village in the heart of the Italian Dolomites, continuing a tradition and heritage of handmade footwear in this picturesque alpine valley. Available for men and women. The company offers additional footwear geared for climbing, hiking, running, mountaineering, and more. $149. NECEE REGIS Necee Regis can be reached at
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Bloomberg
Why Two Million Tourists Are Boarding Cruise Ships on a Texas Island
Much of the historic Strand District in Galveston, Texas, is about as tacky as it comes. The 19th-century buildings that line its streets are packed with tequila-shot bars, beach shops and souvenir stands. On a recent visit during a dreary spring day, they were all doing brisk business, filled with cruise passengers checking out t-shirts that read 'I Don't Get Drunk I Get Awesome!' and 'Shut Up Liver You're Fine.' Just a few hundred feet away were two Carnival Corp. ships, the Dream and Jubilee, looming over the port that they've helped to revitalize into a regional economic force.
