NOTE: This Blog is a compact version of my original article published in Hilton Grand Vacation Gateway Guide. Visit the full article here for details including other HGV articles and resources.
Introduction & Planning The Trip
Rome, Italy is one of the most historic cities in the world. Popular with tourists for its iconic landmarks like the Trevi Fountain, Colosseum and the Roman Forum; the city is often overcrowded during tourist season. In the Fall of 2024, we needed a trip to Naples, Italy for my wife Glenda’s Thesis work in Preservation Design at SCAD in Savannah, Georgia. Our first thought was to include a Rome visit in that trip and thanks to HGV we found an ideal solution!
Hilton’s Palazzo Catalani resort is about 40 minutes drive north of Rome Airport in the scenic town of Soriano nel Cimino. This location is connected by good roads and nearby train stations to Rome. The location offers the option of leisurely visits to nearby historic small towns as well as Rome itself. It also allows us a day trip to Naples via fast train for Glenda’s on-site research work at Herculaneum.
Booking the resort via the HGVMax website was easy. We took advantage of the fact that the club points tend to cost about 40% less in the off season around late October and require a 4-night minimum stay. We also booked the night before our return flight at the Hilton Garden Inn Rome Airport which offers a free shuttle to the airport. This helped avoid Rome’s famous traffic congestion to catch our flight.
Arriving in Rome
Most visitors arrive in Rome via air through Fiumicino International Airport or by train at Roma Termini. We took a direct flight from Atlanta on Delta Airlines leaving late afternoon and reaching Rome in the morning. If you use an applicable Hilton-Amex card for booking the flight this can be beneficial for Hilton Honors points! The airport is located outside the city and has direct connection to Roma Termini via the metro and bus system. Popular rental car chains like AVIS, SixT and Hertz also offer service at the airport. You can take advantage of discounts when renting the car using your HGV membership benefits (depending on the Tier) or using Hilton-Amex card through online portals like Expedia.
Arriving at Palazzo Catalani with some Sighseeing on the Way
Driving out of Rome Airport, avoiding the city of Rome, was a relief. From prior experience in the streets of Southern Italy, I preferred driving on the highways avoiding congested city centers. Scenic countryside started appearing within 20 minutes into our trip. We made 2 stops on our way to Soriano as we still had about 4 hours before check-in at the resort
The historic town of Civita Castellana was the first stop on our trip. There is ample parking across a historic amphitheater and roman bath ruin that also offers a gorgeous view of the hilltop church. A short few minutes walk from the parking area will take visitors to the heart of the town and the historic church, whose artifacts go back to the renaissance, and even lower middle ages!
About 20 mins drive from there is the town of Nepi, famous for the 15th century Borgia castle. The town’s church is adjacent to an Etruscan temple that is older than the Roman Republic! Another impressive sight is the 1800 year old still standing Roman Aqueduct!
Soriano nel Cimino is located on a scenic hilltop, about 30 mins drive north of Nepi. The town has many historic buildings that date back to the 15th and 16th century including a famous castle and church. The resort provided us with detailed instructions for free parking at the town’s parking plaza. From there, it was a scenic walk to the Resort with clear directions displayed on the main streets. Palazzo Catalani is a 16th century building with Renaissance style interior that is now a converted Hilton resort. The staff were very friendly and courteous. We especially enjoyed the morning breakfast at the beautiful garden surrounded by historic Italian countryside houses. The on-site restaurant also offers dinner on most nights, which we took advantage of for a couple of evenings. There were also plenty of affordable dining options just outside the resort within a few minutes walk.
Visiting Rome
Driving directly into Rome for a visit can be time consuming. From Soriano, it may take about 45 mins to reach the outskirts of Rome, but nearly another hour to reach a parking lot due to heavy traffic. A better option is to drive 15 mins to the nearest train station at Orta and take a comfortable 40 mins train ride into Roma Termini.
From Roma Termini the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Trevi Fountain are all within 25-30 mins of walking distance. Taking the metro or bus is a better option when visiting Vatican City due to greater distance and not good walking options.
Attractions in Rome
Rome today is one of the most important tourist destinations of the world, due to the immensity of its archaeological and artistic treasures. Notable attractions include Capitoline Museums, the Vatican Museums, Galleria Borghese, world’s most visited fountain – Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Vatican City, the Catacombs, the Roman Forum, Trajan’s Forum, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon. The Colosseum, arguably one of Rome’s most iconic archaeological sites, is regarded as a wonder of the world.
Other Attractions in Southern and Central Italy
Thanks to the convenient location of Palazzo Catalani resort a little north of Rome, it is possible to visit other popular locations in Italy and make a day trip out of such excursions. We visited Assisi and Naples but also considered other possibilities listed below.
- Visit historic Assisi which includes the UNESCO Heritage site of St. Francis Cathedral about 1.5 hours drive north of the resort.
- Visit Florence, the birthplace of Renaissance, a little over 2 hours drive north of the resort.
- Visit Naples by connecting to Roma Termini as described above and taking the 2-hour fast train to Napoli Centrale. Naples is also near world famous Pompeii and Amalfi Coast, but with so much to see, plan your time wisely!
- Visit the historic city of Perugia in Umbria region, about 1.5 hours drive north of the resort.
- Visit beautiful Siena in Tuscany, a 2-hour drive from the resort.
Final Thoughts
With a location right outside the historic city of Rome, affordable club points, the scenic countryside and historic interior, and proximity to many popular tourist destinations within driving distance; we highly recommend Palazzo Catalani Hilton resort for a trip to Southern Italy.