Excelsior Hotel Gallia

Frommer's Review

This 1937 bastion of Liberty-style luxury rises near the main train station -- a thoroughly uninteresting area a 20-minute taxi ride from the center. It is convenient for late arrivals or early departures, and while the neighborhood is trafficky, the hotel is well soundproofed. It's oriented toward business clients and conferences, so it's flush with amenities, but also charges expense-account rates. The granite columns and murals in the salon lend the hotel an antique air balanced by the modern art in the hallways. Each floor is done in a different pastel color scheme. The spacious, comfortable rooms are done in modern parquet (some are carpeted) with classy antiques and the occasional quirky touch such as a TV atop a column stump or a ceiling frescoed with puffy clouds. Bathrooms are clad in a variety of marbles, with heated towel racks, large tubs, and double sinks in all but "superior" type rooms. Superior rooms are recently renovated, a bit smaller than the deluxe version, but only slightly less fashionable (they retain the old, fairly fussy, repro Deco look). Even singles are unusually large and have extra-wide beds.

Facilities: Refined Italian restaurant; piano bar; small exercise room; Jacuzzi; sauna; bike rental; concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; business center; small shopping arcade; salon; 24-hr. room service; massage; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning (same day); nonsmoking rooms.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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